Community members will get a first look at the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex during its free, public grand opening Friday, March 4, 2011.
Doors open at 3:00 p.m. The ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at 4:00 p.m. in the Ed Fry Arena.
Following the ceremony, those in attendance will be able to tour the facility. Refreshments will be available.
A variety of activities for children and families, including face painting and inflatable games, will begin around 4:45 p.m.
Wun “The Shot” Versher from the Harlem Globetrotters—whose March 10 show marks the first of the scheduled, ticketed events in the Kovalchick Complex—will be joined by clowns from the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey's Zing Zang Zoom, Gold Edition. The circus will be at the Kovalchick Complex from April 7 to 10.
In addition, the Indiana High School Dance Team, the IUP Drill Line, and the IUP cheerleaders will perform following the ribbon cutting.
Parking is free at the complex and on the IUP campus the day of the grand opening.
IUP broke ground for the Kovalchick Complex on November 13, 2008. The $79-million, 150,000-square-foot facility is projected to have an annual economic impact of $12.5 million in each year of operation. While owned by IUP, the Kovalchick Complex is designed to serve as a cultural and economic-development resource for the Indiana region.
The facility is named in honor of the Kovalchick family of Indiana, who donated $2 million for the facility's construction.
In addition to the 5,000-seat Ed Fry Arena, named in honor of former track and field coach and Music professor Dr. Edwin Fry, the facility includes the 650-seat Toretti auditorium; 17,000 square feet of conference space (divided into nine rooms); and a 6,000-square-foot corporate training and executive conference center offering six meetings rooms and three offices for use by event planners.
For information about events at the Kovalchick Complex, visit the .
