The Mark Price Arena is a 2,500-seat multi-purpose

arena An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...

Enid, Oklahoma Enid ( ) is the ninth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It is the county seat of Garfield County. As of the 2020 census, the population was 51,308. Enid was founded during the opening of the Cherokee Outlet in the Land Run of 1893, a ...

located in Convention Hall, named after basketball player

Mark Price William Mark Price (born February 15, 1964) is an American former basketball player and coach. He was most recently the head coach of the Charlotte 49ers. As a player, he played for 12 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), from 1 ...

who played for Georgia Tech and the

Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...

. In addition to hosting concerts and high school sports, the arena was home to the

Oklahoma Storm The Oklahoma Storm was a United States Basketball League (USBL) team in Enid, Oklahoma. Founded by sports agent and attorney James Sears Bryant, the Storm successfully captured the USBL championship under head coach Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 2002, de ...

, a

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

team in the

USBL The United States Basketball League (USBL) was a professional men's spring basketball league. The league was formed in 1985 and ceased operations in 2008. The USBL started in 1985 as one of the first basketball leagues to play a late-spring to ...

. Convention Hall underwent renovations and reopened on November 18, 2012 as part of Veteran's Day festivities.Barron, Robert,
Convention Hall to open again Nov 18 at open house
, ''Enid News & Eagle'', October 4, 2012 Upon reopening, Convention Hall housed two new ballrooms totalling 14,000 sq ft and 5,500 sq ft of additional meeting rooms.

History

In 1919,

Milton C. Garber Milton Cline Garber (November 30, 1867 – September 12, 1948) was a U.S. Representative from Oklahoma. He also served as an associate justice of the Oklahoma Territory before Oklahoma became a state. In 1942, he was inducted into the Oklahom ...

, then mayor of Enid, and his commissioner aides, G. W. Pancoast and Jason W. Butts, proposed a bond issue for the construction of a building to memorialize the efforts of Garfield County soldiers in World War I.McKiddy, J.H.,
ENID One of Oklahoma's Fairest and Most Progressive Cities
, ''The Frisco Employes Magazine'', September 1924 Sealed bids were accepted until September 1, 1919 on bonds of $250,000 for the construction of the convention hall. The building was constructed at a cost of $500,000 with an original capacity of 5,000. It was designed by the architectural firm Layton, Smith and Forsyth and constructed by Bass and Frankenfield Builders. It served as a meeting place for the Enid Chamber of Commerce. The hall served as a venue for stage productions including plays such as

Hitchy-Koo ''Hitchy-Koo'' is a 1912 American popular song and a series of musical revues, inspired by the song, staged on Broadway each year from 1917 through 1920 and on tour in 1922. Described by ''Variety'' magazine as a "hit song of 1912", the song was c ...

and Al G. Field minstrel shows and for musicians such as

John Philip Sousa John Philip Sousa ( ; November 6, 1854 – March 6, 1932) was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era known primarily for American military marches. He is known as "The March King" or the "American March King", to dist ...

Ernestine Schumann-Heink Ernestine Schumann-Heink (15 June 186117 November 1936) was a Bohemian-born Austrian-American operatic dramatic contralto of German Bohemian descent. She was noted for the flexibility and wide range of her voice. Early life She was born Ernest ...

Bob Wills James Robert Wills (March 6, 1905 – May 13, 1975) was an American Western swing musician, songwriter, and bandleader. Considered by music authorities as the founder of Western swing, he was known widely as the King of Western Swing (although S ...

, and

Fred Waring Fredrick Malcolm Waring Sr. (June 9, 1900 – July 29, 1984) was an American musician, bandleader, and radio and television personality, sometimes referred to as "America's Singing Master" and "The Man Who Taught America How to Sing". He was also ...

.Lightsey, Eva,
A vision for MARK PRICE ARENA
, ''Enid on the Move'', June 2009. President

George Bush George Bush most commonly refers to: * George H. W. Bush (1924–2018), 41st president of the United States and father of the 43rd president * George W. Bush (born 1946), 43rd president of the United States and son of the 41st president Georg ...

spoke at the venue while campaigning in 1992. The original hall was four stories tall, and had two balconies: the first of which holds 995 people and the second 667 people. The floor measures at long by wide, and can hold 600 people. The ceiling is high, and the stage measures at wide and nearly long. The 2,500 seat basketball arena in Convention Hall was renamed in 1993 to Mark Price Arena after basketball player

who played for Georgia Tech and the

. In addition to hosting concerts and high school sports, the arena was home to the

, a

team in the

. The Skeltur Conference Tournament was held at the arena from 1964 to 2012.Skeltur adjusts to new site
''The Enid News and Eagle'', Enid, Oklahoma

Renovations

In May 2011, city officials attended a groundbreaking to begin the Enid Renaissance Project which would build a new

Enid Event Center The Stride Bank Center is an arena in downtown Enid, Oklahoma. About Arena construction began May 2011. It opened on June 15, 2013 with the Greater Enid Chamber of Commerce Business Expo. The building was designed by Convergence Design and constr ...

and renovate Convention Hall.Malan, Joe,
Groundbreaking: City of Enid's Renaissance Project under way
, ''Enid News & Eagle'', May 20, 2011 W. L. McNatt and Company, of Oklahoma City was awarded a 7,082,000 dollar renovation contract for the building, including creation of an 11,000 sq ft ballroom, a 3,000 sq ft ballroom and 5,500 sq ft of meeting areas.Barron, Robert,
Renaissance Project contracts' meeting turns testy
, ''Enid News & Eagle'', October 11, 2011 Convention Hall Enid

References

External links

{{Enid Oklahoma, state=expanded Indoor arenas in Oklahoma Basketball venues in Oklahoma Buildings and structures in Enid, Oklahoma