The Ritz Amphitheater

131 South Stevens Street
Thomasville, GA 31792

View Complete Guidelines & Application

The Ritz Amphitheater History

The Sandy Bottom District, also known as The Bottom, was developed as an African-American and Jewish business district in the latter part of the 19th century. Always a high-traffic area due to the location of the train depot on West Jackson Street, the development of industry in the vicinity only contributed to the quickened pace of “The Bottom.” By the late 1920s, the area was nearly completely developed with small restaurants, retail shops, groceries, and professional services. The presence of German-Jewish retail shop owners greatly increased after 1932, along with some Greek restaurant and retail store owners and African-American entrepreneurships. The creation of the Gateway shopping district around U.S. 19 in the late 1960s brought a period of decline to both the Bottom and downtown in general, but by the late 1980s a slow-but-steady effort to re-invigorate and restore downtown began, with the re-development of “The Bottom” being a central effort of recent business interests.

The Ritz Amphitheater is available for special events. To complete a reservation interest form, please click here.

The Ritz Amphitheater | Booking Policy

BOOKING RESERVATIONS

The Ritz Amphitheater is a first-come, first-booked, Equal Access Opportunity Facility, upon payment of appropriate rental fee deposits. Tentative bookings are not firm until a deposit is received.

BEFORE YOUR EVENT

Fill out, sign and submit the attached Application for the Special Events Manager.

An event Discovery Meeting will be arranged by the Special Events Manager to walk through the facility and discuss all event needs according to your application.
If applicable a meeting with TPD (Thomasville Police Department) will be scheduled to discuss public safety (please see page 5) and confirm that the event can take place.
A cost estimate will be created and sent based on your Discovery & TPD Meeting.
If you agree to book a firm date, then a lease agreement will created. The agreement will be signed and accompanied by all applicable deposits.
Any changes after you have submitted your event information sheet (including, but not limited to, change of event date, start and end time, permits, TPD needs, fencing barricading, or additional event needs or set-up must be approved by the Special Events Manager in writing.

In the event of a second request of a date already tentatively reserved, the promoter having the first hold will be notified and given 48 hours to confirm the commitment or release the reservation. All requested challenges must be in writing. No verbal challenges will be accepted. Promoters should be aware of this policy as it relates to the booking of this Facility.

All Ritz Amphitheater rentals are arranged through the Special Events Manager listed on the front of this packet. Please contact the Special Events Manager to confirm date availability before submitting the rental information sheet, located in the back of this packet. Your reservations are not guaranteed until you are notified in writing that a hold has been placed for your event.

For any tentative booking, unless protected in the date challenge policy enumerated above, the booking hold will expire automatically 90 days prior to reservation/event date unless the presenter provides a non-refundable rental deposit in accordance with the rental rate schedule. At the discretion of the Director of Tourism Development, established high priority users and blockbuster events may be afforded revision of deposit requirements.

DIRECTOR OF TOURISM DISCRETION

The purpose of the booking policy of the Ritz Amphitheater is to provide the management with general guidelines for the efficient operation of the facility. Nothing contained within those guidelines is intended to limit the Director of Tourism Development’s discretion in the booking or negotiation of contracts that in his or her professional judgment would be in the best interest of The Ritz Amphitheater and the City of Thomasville.

Fees and Cancellation Policy

FACILITY RENTAL

A $500 security deposit is required to secure requested date(s). Providing no damages to the Amphitheater are incurred during the reservation period, this security deposit will be returned to the reservation holder following the reservation period.

Base Rent: Commercial Rate
A rate applied to an entity whose primary objective is making of a profit.

$1,200 full day rental (12 hours) / after 12 hours additional fees will apply
$300 per hour (3 hour minimum)

Base Rent: Civic/Non-Profit Rate
A rate applied to non-profit corporation (501 c3). Proof of organization’s non-profit status is required.

$750 full day rental (12 hours) / after 12 hours additional fees will apply
$150 per hour (3 hour minimum)

RESTROOM CLEANING

If meals or drinks will be available on property during the event, additional restroom cleanings will apply.
Additional Restroom Cleaning is $105 per hour
The frequency of these cleanings must be agreed upon between the Amphitheater Coordinator and the Renter.

TRASH RECEPTACLES

A fee of $25.00 per receptacle (96 gallon) is charged for the first container. Each additional container will be charged at $12.50 each, payable prior to the event. Damaged or lost containers will be billed at $55.00 each. City receptacles are not required; however, organizations not leaving the event area clean and free of trash may not be issued a permit for subsequent events. Receptacle Fees collected credited to 008.40.0440.00.

POLICE PERSONNEL

Events held within the City limits may require TPD police personnel in attendance to assure crowd control, safety of the participants, and to protect City property, etc. Final determination as to the number of officers required will be at the discretion of the Thomasville Chief of Police or their designee. If it is determined that officers are needed at an event, you will be charged a flat rate of $40 per hour per officer with a minimum of three (3) hours per officer.

If extra service by TPD off-duty officers, to provide event-specific security, is needed for this event, arrangements must be made through the Police Department by calling Mimi Parrish at 227-7075. Services to be billed by the City of Thomasville for each officer at a flat rate of $40.00 per hour at a minimum of three (3) hours per officer, per event. Fees collected credited to 110.29.1700.366.08.

TEMPORARY ELECTRIC SERVICE | Power Drops for which charges may apply

Type I: Functions and operates for profit activities; Groups without a Federal non-profit tax ID number or activities where an entrance fee is charge yet the event is open only to invited individuals and not the public. Such activities shall arrange with a private electrician to erect a pole with meter can and panel as required. City shall open an account, charge a connection fee as appropriate and meter the usage. An inspection by the Building Department shall be required prior to connections.
Type II: Functions and operates for non-profit activities and fundraisers. This type includes churches, schools, Imagine Thomasville and similar organizations. If an entrance fee is to be charged, the event must be open to anyone desiring to pay the entrance fee. This group may request the City to install one (1) temporary service panel from city reserves on an existing pole that has secondary voltage capacity. The city panels shall not require an inspection. There will be a connection fee of $150.00 per panel for events requiring less than 200 amp service. Events requiring more than 200 amp service will be charged a connection fee of $500.00. Consumption charges will not apply provided that the service is for small, incidental equipment to be determined by the engineering department. The Utilities Superintendent or his designee may charge additional fees for work requested such as tall poles and lengthy overhead service drops. In addition, at the discretion of the Utilities Superintendent, consumption may be metered and charged if the service is used for high demand equipment. Temporary Electric Fees collected credited to account 001.00.0451.00.

PRODUCTION INFORMATION

If your event will require more than a “basic wash” of sound or lighting equipment it will be your responsibility to contract with a licensed sound/lighting company.

PAYMENT TERMS
Accepted methods of payment are to be in U.S. Funds and by check or cash. Please make checks payable to City of Thomasville – Amphitheater. Applications anticipating use of the amphitheater should be returned with the $500 Security Deposit to reserve the date(s) requested.
All pre-determined fees must be paid in full 60 days prior to event. Users of the Amphitheater are responsible for payment of all repairs due to damages incurred as a result of event. Repairs will be coordinated through the Marketing Office and completed as soon as possible following the incurred damage. Significant damage to the facility will result in the forfeiture of the damage deposit.
Any and all planters located on the Amphitheater grounds cannot be moved by the renter at any time. Failure to comply with this will result in the forfeiture of the security/damage deposit.

CANCELLATION POLICY
The City of Thomasville reserves the right to cancel an event due to special circumstances including, but not limited to inclement or unsafe weather conditions, misuse or abuse of facilities, non-compliance with City of Thomasville event guidelines and non-permitted/prohibited events.
In the event of an inclement or unsafe weather cancellation, the reservation holder has the option to reschedule the event reservation date/fees to a future date. The re-schedule date must take place within 3 months of the original date and is based upon Amphitheater availability. If a reschedule date is not agreed upon, fees will be refunded.
In the event of a cancellation by the reservation holder that is not due to inclement or unsafe weather, as noted above, a reschedule date option is not available.
Cancellation of an event by reservation holder more than 30 days before an event will result in loss of Security Deposit fee.

Technical Information

STAGE SPECS

Stage Area: 620 square feet. It is approximately a 30’ wide by 20’ deep space; however, it is not a true rectangle.

Stage Material: Concrete floors and brick walls. There will be a curtain track system installed along the back walls to allow for back drops to be provided and suspended around the rear perimeter of the stage.

Load-In Area: Ramp from Stevens Street is located at rear of stage. For large acts bringing in additional rigging, and additional stage space, users can utilize pavers at front of stage.

Green Room: Located backstage with private bathroom.

SOUND AND LIGHTING SPECS

Lighting Fixtures:

9 ETC D40XT outdoor multi-color LED lights.

Controls

Wall input at Front of House location to plug in non-city provided lighting console.
Wall station on stage that provides 10 fixed static lighting presets.

Power

One 200amp Lighting disconnect for any additional lighting brought in by reservation holder.

Stage Sound

In-house sound system is minimum to provide basic audio for small events and rentals. The system consists of the following list. Note: Neither cables nor monitor speakers are provided and are reservation holder’s responsibility to provide.

Speakers

Two 15" Weather Resistant Renkus Heinz TRX151/9 speakers.
Sound System Audio Processor: 1 sound system processor for speaker protection and fixed EQ of system for optimum performance.

Stage Monitors

2 channels of monitor amplifier is installed to power stage monitors. These are accessible in the stage floor pockets. They are speakon connections.
4 Seismic Audio 15” stage monitors.
4 25ft speaker cables with speakon connectors.

Microphones

1 Shure ULX-D wireless handheld microphone.
1 Shure SM48S handheld wired microphone.
2 K&M mic stands with boom.
6 AKG D8000M Microphones
2 Shure SM57 Microphones
6 20ft Microphone cables
5 25ft Microphone cables
6 Additional Mic stands with boom

Direct Boxes

2 Whirlwind Imp passive direct boxes.
5 15ft Instrument cables

Audio Controls and Portable mixer:

1 basic audio remote to turn system on and control of floor pocket jacks and basic monitor feed volume.
1 Midas M32R Rack mounted audio digital mixer in rolling case. The mixer can be rolled out at event space to front of house location and plug into cat6 cable to box. This cable will pass audio from the mixer to the provided stage snake head. This is a portable box that can be put out on stage for up to 32 audio inputs and 16 audio outputs.
XLR “L/R Main” inputs to system processor for connecting third-party analog console on stage.

CD Player:

CD/USB/Bluetooth player is provided to give access in the basic controller configuration for background music or basic events.