Bemus Bay Pops .. "It Benefits Everybody"
Segments of this story were written by Emily Wynn, Jamestown Gazette writer during the time of the Bemus Bay Pops in Bemus Point NY. Take time out of your day and return with me to a magical time in Bemus Point's musical history.
An economic impact study showed that Bemus Bay Pops brought 12 million dollars of economic development to Bemus Point and the surrounding towns. The floating stage and the Bemus Bay Pops concert series “not only had a cultural impact on the region, it had an economic impact,” said Dan Dalpra, owner of the Italian Fisherman restaurant and Founder of Bemus Bay Pops.
Bemus Bay Pops started in 1998 on the roof of the Italian Fisherman, when Dalpra wanted to put on an end-of-summer event. He believes that music and art bring people together regardless of socioeconomic class, political party or religious beliefs.
“A lot of people don’t get the opportunity to hear a symphony and to hear them play music they’re familiar with,” Dalpra said. He and his wife, Sue Dalpra wanted to create a show that appealed to many people presenting them with a symphony orchestra which plays both classical and pop music.
For five years, the group called the Bemus Bay Pops performed on the roof of the Italian Fisherman. Daplra wanted to expand the program and bring new excitement to Bemus, so he started brainstorming. “No one had ever heard of a floating stage before.” Dalpra and his associates developed the floating stage to take advantage of normally underutilized space: the shallow water of Lake Chautauqua.
The floating stage itself, at 3,600 square feet, has no trouble holding a full orchestra. In fact, it can support over 70,000 pounds, approximately the weight of an 18-wheeler semi-truck. Waves rock the stage slightly, but many air-filled pods underneath keep it stable and afloat.
During Winter the stage goes on vacation. If it stayed anchored near the edge of the lake, ice would form around the edges and slowly crush the stage. Instead, it is floated down the lake at the end of each season to Holiday Harbor in Celoron, NY, where it resides until Spring.
Dalpra refers to his concert series as “a nice new addition to the area that benefits everybody.” And benefit everybody it does. The 12 million dollars of economic stimulation came from what Dalpra terms “the trickle-down effect.” Short-term revenue is created when performers and concert-goers stay in hotels, eat at restaurants and bars and visit local establishments.
Many people fall in love with the area, like Dalpra did. Families make vacation plans, buy or rent summer homes and keep boats along the lake. Though the Pops draws people in, what makes them stay are the other attractions in the area: skiing, wineries, microbreweries, the Lucy Desi Museum and the National Comedy Center.
Family drives Dalpra’s dreams for Bemus Point. He and his wife raised their family in Chautauqua County, where they have lived for 34 years. Consequently, he is invested in the future of his own children and the future of the community. He hopes that the massive economic spinoff of the Bemus Bay Pops will make young people want to move back to the area to start careers, businesses and families.
The Italian Fisherman employs more than 150 people, many of whom are students funding their college educations. Bemus Bay Pops offers Cultural Excellence Scholarships to high school seniors who show promise in a discipline of the arts.
Popular tribute bands and national recording artists grace the stage with all genres in more than 50 shows throughout the summer. The Labor Day finale, on September 3, features fireworks and a celebration of Frank Sinatra’s 100th birthday. The Bemus Bay Pops Symphony Orchestra will perform a variety of music.
The floating stage doesn’t just present concerts. It also presents Lake Night at the Movies which are free Tuesday night screenings presenting family-friendly movies on both sides of the stage to accommodate audiences on both land and on water.
Chautauqua Lake Choice, a vocal competition, gives local vocalists a chance to compete for cash and studio recording time. The contestants receive professional mentoring and the opportunity to perform in front of live audiences. The competition’s round of performances begins on July 11.
Come see the Chautauqua Lake Water Ski Circus Show, featuring the award-winning Chippewa Lake Water Ski Show Team. Circovation! — a theatrical street-type performance that fuses vaudeville and traditional circus entertainment — accompanies the Ski Show Team from the floating stage.
The Pops sponsors free waterski lessons at the Lawson Center on the morning of both performances. These lessons are open to anyone over the age of five, no experience needed. One student will perform in each Water Ski Circus Show.
Nineteen years after its conception, Bemus Bay Pops is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. “We could’ve never done any of this without the generosity of the sponsors we have,” Dalpra said. Many local businesses donate time and money to help make the various shows happen. The concert series unites these businesses in the community under a common goal .. bringing arts to the people .. it's what we do.
Be Safe. See you in 2021! Make It Mayville!
Pat Locke
Maestro Muse
