With name shortened to Mohegan Arena, Wilkes-Barre Twp. venue celebrates milestone anniversaries on Aug. 24 and Sept. 21
From a press release:
Today, officials from the Township of Wilkes-Barre and Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza announced community-oriented celebrations in honor of their respective milestone anniversaries.
Incorporated in 1774, Wilkes-Barre Township is celebrating its 250th anniversary this year. The township’s largest live entertainment venue, Mohegan Sun Arena, will also celebrate a milestone anniversary, marking 25 years since opening the doors for its first event. At a press conference, representatives from both entities revealed events aimed at bringing families to the arena for community-oriented celebrations later this year.
Wilkes-Barre Township hosts 250th celebration
Wilkes-Barre Township Mayor Carl Kuren has formed a committee to oversee a special 250th anniversary celebration this summer. A parade leading township residents and dignitaries to the arena will begin the festivities on Saturday, Aug. 24, followed by a full schedule of celebratory events, including a monument dedication.
“It is with great pleasure and excitement that we announce 2024 as the year the township of Wilkes-Barre turns 250 years old,” Kuren said.
Boasting food, games, live music, and fireworks, the semi-quincentennial celebration will take place outdoors, spread throughout the parking areas of the arena (255 Highland Park Blvd., Wilkes-Barre Twp.). Entry will be free of charge for residents and visitors who wish to attend the community celebration.
“We’re very excited to partner with the Mohegan Sun Arena, the best place to throw a party right here in our own backyard,” Kuren said.
“The arena turns 25 this year, so we look forward to jointly hosting our event as a means of bringing our community together to acknowledge our milestone anniversaries.”
Arena announces 25th anniversary concert
In celebration of a quarter-century of providing live entertainment in Northeastern Pennsylvania, officials from the Luzerne County Convention Center Authority and ASM Global, managing entities of Mohegan Sun Arena, have announced a community celebration concert at the venue on Saturday, Sept. 21.
Dubbed “Sailing Through Time,” the 25th anniversary community celebration will feature the nautical-suited and captain’s-hat-clad Yächtley Crëw. The yacht rock tribute band – otherwise known as “The Titans of Soft Rock” – formed in Southern California and quickly grew in popularity after being signed by the late Jimmy Buffett. Today, the group boasts events across the nation with thousands of fans eager to hear their setlist of soft rock and Top 40 hits from the late 1970s to the early ’80s.
Yachtley Crew has toured throughout the United States and Europe and is currently on the road with their 2024 Full Steam Ahead Tour that began this month. They will continue their third year of residency at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas following the recent release their first EP, “Seas the Day,” on Mailboat Records. The band is comprised of lead vocalist Phillip Daniel (Philly Ocean), drummer Rob Jones (Sailor Hawkins), bassist Chaz Ruiz (Baba Buoy), guitarist Thomas Gardner Jr. (Tommy Buoy), backing vocalist Curt Clendenin (Stoney Shores), saxophone/flutist Paul Pate (Pauly Shores), and keyboardist Matt Grossman (Matthew McDonald).
State Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski has been involved with the arena since its initial inception, serving as a parking attendant long before taking the oath of office or being inducted into the Luzerne County Music Hall of Fame. His band, Eddie Day & TNT, will also be performing at both events.
Pashinski will be one among many local legislators to be featured in anniversary videos played throughout the event. Current and past board members, including several original board members, will also be featured in videos produced by Discover NEPA for the event.
Donna Cupinski, board chairwoman for the Luzerne County Convention Center Authority, has dedicated the past 16 years striving to make Mohegan Sun Arena the premier live entertainment venue within NEPA. Though she is the longest-serving chair in the venue’s 25-year history, Cupinski credits the board members serving before and alongside her for the venue’s initial realization and its continued success.
“The arena as it exists today would not have been possible without the champions that have served before us,” Cupinski said.
“It took an immense amount of hard work and dedication from so many to move us from the initial ‘Arena Yes’ campaign to our storied reputation as a pillar of live entertainment within Northeastern Pennsylvania.”
Cupinski notes the most important measure of the arena’s success lies in the perception of its guests.
“Since our very first anniversary committee meeting, it was clear we wanted to do something special for the community as our way of saying thank you for 25 great years,” she added.
“We hope this will be a night that all of our guests could enjoy.”
General Manager Stephen Poremba has been with the arena for more than 20 years, beginning his career within the box office while attending Misericordia University in Dallas. He hopes that the planned celebration concert will serve as a community gathering, bringing a variety of guests and supporters together for an affordable night of entertainment.
“We are immensely grateful for the incredible support we’ve received from our allies, partners, and guests over the past 25 years,” Poremba said.
“This event is not only a celebration of our milestone anniversary but also an offering of appreciation for the supportive guests and partners that have helped to get us this far.”
Tickets for the event start at $25, including fees. Organizers credit the generosity of event sponsors, including M&T Bank and Rosenn, Jenkins & Greenwald, for helping to keep the cost of attendance low for residents and visitors who wish to attend.
“M&T Bank is proud to serve as one of the principal sponsors of the 25th Anniversary Celebration of the Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre Township,” said M&T Bank Regional President Phil Johnson.
“The arena is one of the crown jewels of our region, and its success is evident by the attendance of over 15 million fans attending nearly 1,000 shows since the venue has opened.”
Johnson has shared this partnership is one of many efforts being made by M&T Bank to aid in making the region a better place to live, work, and play.
“M&T Bank continues our commitment to building an even stronger quality of life in the communities we serve through collaborations with regional institutions such as the Mohegan Sun Arena and the exciting 25th Anniversary celebration,” he added.
“Rosenn, Jenkins & Greenwald, L.L.P. is also honored to be one of the principal sponsors of the 25th Anniversary Celebration of the Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre Township,” said Managing Partner of Rosenn, Jenkins & Greenwald, Paul T. Rushton.
“We are proud to have served a role in the development of the arena and have witnessed its growth over the past 25 years into a thriving, community-based venue featuring a wide range of events. Given its impact on our community, it is hard to imagine this area without the arena.”
“Rosenn, Jenkins & Greenwald is dedicated to continuing to sustain and strengthen the communities served by it and eagerly anticipates celebrating the 25th anniversary of such an integral part of our region,” Rushton concluded.
Arena announces new name
To coincide with its silver anniversary, officials also shared the first look at a special new anniversary logo. In a similar fashion to the arena’s naming partner, the nearby Mohegan Pennsylvania, representatives have announced that it is set to be renamed Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza to better differentiate the NEPA venue.
“The change to Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza better aligns with the recent brand refresh of Mohegan Pennsylvania and its parent company, which is now known simply as Mohegan,” said Tony Carlucci, president and general manager of Mohegan Pennsylvania.
Mohegan Pennsylvania has been the naming rights partner of the arena since 2009. The shift in naming will bring a rebranding of arena assets, including exterior and interior signage set to be installed this summer.
Tickets for the “Sailing Through Time” anniversary concert are available now via ticketmaster.com and in person through the venue’s NBT Bank Box Office. No tickets are necessary for attending Wilkes-Barre Township’s anniversary celebration at the arena.
Additional anniversary celebration announcements will be made throughout the year.
Mohegan Arena history
Mohegan Arena is owned by the Luzerne County Convention Center Authority, a government body appointed by Luzerne County, and managed by ASM Global, a global leader in venue and event strategy and management that delivers locally tailored solutions and cutting-edge technologies to achieve maximum results for venue owners. The company’s venue network spans five continents, with a portfolio of more than 350 of the world’s most prestigious arenas, stadiums, convention and exhibition centers, and performing arts venues.
The arena opened on Nov. 13, 1999 when the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins professional hockey team made their debut.
Originally called the Northeastern Pennsylvania Civic Arena, the facility became First Union Arena at Casey Plaza when First Union bank purchased the naming rights. The name changed to Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza in 2002 after a corporate merger. In January of 2010, Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs purchased the naming rights and changed the venue name to Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza.
The arena’s primary tenants are the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, the American Hockey League affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Pittsburgh Penguins.
With over 8,000 permanent seats and a capacity of nearly 10,000 for concerts, the arena has played host to some of the biggest names in entertainment, including Elton John, Cher, Neil Diamond, Janet Jackson, The Eagles, AC/DC, and Simon & Garfunkel.
