By Shannon Lukens. Courtesy photos.
Construction on the new Branham Amphitheater for Piknik Theatre is finished. The outdoor performing space behind Strawberry Park Elementary School is scheduled to open next summer.
The nearly $1 million performing arts venue was made possible through public and private contributions.
Piknik Theatre will host things like Shakespeare in the Park, and work with groups such as Opera Steamboat, Steamboat Dance Theatre, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Yampa Valley.
Donations to support the new amphitheater are still being accepted through PikNikTheatre.org
Businesses interested in sponsoring the 2026 season or reserving the amphitheater for private events are encouraged to contact Executive Director Celina Taylor at celina@pikniktheatre.com
Press Release from Piknik Theatre; November 23, 2025.
Piknik Theatre Announces Completion of Branham Amphitheater; Grand Opening Set for Summer 2026
Steamboat Springs, CO — Executive Director of Piknik Theatre, Celina Taylor, is proud to announce the completion of the Branham Amphitheater, with the venue scheduled to open to the public next summer. This outdoor performance space offers opportunities for local performing arts groups, civic organizations, and the students of the Yampa Valley to gather together; and is the realization of a long-held vision by Piknik Theatre founder Stuart Handloff.
After nearly five years of planning and fundraising, the Branham Amphitheater has been fully constructed through private and public contributions, demonstrating the extraordinary commitment of this community to the arts. Located on the Strawberry Park Elementary School grounds, the amphitheater will be operated through a partnership between Steamboat Springs School District and Piknik Theatre.
The new venue allows Piknik Theatre to expand its creative work beginning in 2026, with family-focused daytime performances including Fairy Tale Theatre, short-form stage productions designed to introduce young audiences to the magic of live performance.
Under the artistic direction of Claylish Coldiron, Piknik Theatre’s beloved Shakespeare in the Park will continue as the cornerstone of the summer season and will remain free and open to the public.
The season will begin with a Grand Opening Gala in June 2026, honoring the individuals, families, and organizations whose generosity made construction of the amphitheater possible.
The nearly $1 million construction project was completed through community-supported fundraising. With the facility now complete, Piknik Theatre’s focus shifts to sustaining its operations, professional staffing, education initiatives, and free public programming, through annual community investment. As part of Colorado Gives Day, Piknik Theatre is launching a $150,000 Community Challenge to support the amphitheater’s first full year of operation.
In addition to its summer season, Piknik Theatre — in partnership with Opera Steamboat and Steamboat Dance Theatre — launched the Arts Fusion League in 2025, providing weekly instruction in theatre, music, and movement for students at the Boys & Girls Club and Steamboat Montessori. This program will expand in 2026.
Donations are gratefully accepted through the website, PikNikTheatre.org or via Colorado Gives, https://www.coloradogives.org/story/Co-Theatre.
Businesses interested in sponsoring the 2026 season or reserving the amphitheater for private events are encouraged to contact Executive Director Celina Taylor at celina@pikniktheatre.com
File photos of construction.