Mohegan Sun Arena announces name change, anniversary celebration events
Mar. 28—WILKES-BARRE TWP. — Some 25 years after skeptics said it would never happen, several events were announced on Thursday to celebrate what Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski called "this wonderful facility."
What has been called the Mohegan Sun Arena for the last 15 years, will now be re-named the Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza.
To coincide with the 8,300-seat arena's silver anniversary, officials shared the first look of a new anniversary logo.
Tony Carlucci, president and general manager of Mohegan Pennsylvania, said the new name "better aligns with the recent brand refresh of Mohegan Pennsylvania and its parent company, which is now known simply as Mohegan."
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.
Pashinski, D-Wilkes-Barre, briefly touched on the struggle to get the arena off the drawing table and under construction.
"And the first time around, it failed," Pashinski said. "But through it all, we were able to build this magnificent facility that has significantly improved the quality of life for Northeastern Pennsylvania."
At a news conference on Thursday in the concourse of the arena, officials from Wilkes-Barre Township and the arena announced community-oriented celebrations that will be held in honor of their respective milestone anniversaries.
Incorporated in 1774, Wilkes-Barre Township is celebrating its 250th anniversary this year.
Wilkes-Barre Township Mayor Carl Kuren, who was unable to attend the news conference, had announced that a committee has been formed to oversee a special 250th-anniversary celebration this summer.
Filling in for Mayor Kuren was township Police Chief Will Clark, who said a parade leading township residents and dignitaries to the Mohegan Sun Arena will begin the festivities on Saturday, Aug. 24, followed by a full schedule of celebratory events, including a monument dedication.
Clark said food, games, live music and fireworks, the semiquincentennial celebration will take place outdoors, spread throughout the parking areas of the arena. 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 in a news release.
Arena celebration set for Sept. 21
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 the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza, announced a community celebration concert at the venue on Sept. 21.
Donna Cupinski, board chair for the Luzerne County Convention Center Authority, distributed captain's hats to members of the anniversary committee and then announced "Sailing Through Time," the 25th-anniversary community celebration that will feature the nautical-suited and captain's-hat-clad band Yachtley Crew.
Cupinski said the yacht rock band formed in southern California and quickly grew in popularity after being signed by the late Jimmy Buffett.
Pashinski has been involved with the arena since it opened, serving as a parking attendant long before taking the oath of office or being inducted into the Luzerne County Arts and Entertainment Hall of Fame. His band, Eddie Day and TNT, will also be performing at both the arena and township events.
"The arena as it exists today would not have been possible without the champions that have served before us," said Cupinski. "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."
Arena General Manager Stephen Poremba has been with the arena for more than 20 years.
"We are immensely grateful for the incredible support we've received from our allies, partners and guests over the past 25 years," said Poremba. "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."
Ticket information
Tickets for the Sept. 21 event start at $25 and are available on 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.
John Jablowski, representing M&T Bank, said the arena is one of the crown jewels of the region and its success is evident by the attendance of more than 15 million fans attending nearly 1,000 shows since the venue has opened.
"The arena has had a tremendous positive impact on the region," Jablowski said.
Paul T. Rushton, Managing Partner at Rosenn, Jenkins & Greenwald, L.L.P., the arena has grown 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," Rushton said.
Stephen Barrouk and Attorney Murray Ufberg attended the news conference — both were part of the original committee that had the vision of bringing the arena to the area. Barrouk was President/CEO of the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce, and Ufberg was with Rosenn Jenkins and Greenwald.
"We started with a $25,0090 feasibility study in 1989," Barrouk said. "The study found that the project had a fairly favorable outlook. Thanks to a lot of community leaders, we were able to get the project done. We wanted to establish something that would promote the Wilkes-Barre area and now everybody knows where Wilkes-Barre is."
Ufberg said he feels a great sense of pride in what the community has accomplished with the arena.
"And personally, as a person who has been involved since the first day of planning, I feel a great sense of accomplishment for what the arena has meant to our community."
Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.
