Putnam Cuts Ribbon For New Convention Center

Putnam County officials gathered Tuesday afternoon to cut the ribbon and celebrate the grand opening of the new Putnam County Convention Center.

The grand opening marked the end of a journey that took several years. Commissioner Cathy Reel said the journey was challenging at times but she was glad to finally see the convention center open.

“We think it’s wonderful,” Reel said. “You know the people to have a community building for everybody to get together and have different things so we don’t have a lot of big buildings for people to have different events and different things so we think its a wonderful thing.”

Putnam County Director of Tourism Shan Stout said the event center already has 42 events scheduled for 2025 and even more events scheduled as far out as 2028. The facility is the first part of the new Putnam County Fairgrounds Facility to open. The midway and associated buildings are now under construction off Tennessee Avenue.

Reel said she believes the convenience center would be a good economic driver for the county.

“It’s straight off of the interstate, off of Tennessee Avenue,” Reel said.  “And this I think it will be a wonderful, wonderful event place.”

Commissioner Kim Bradford said the county commission is proud to have completed the building.

“This is something that Putnam County has needed for a while now,” Bradford said. “It’s a great place to have family reunions you know maybe a birthday party. It’s just an event center that we have needed for some time so we are excited that we were able to do this.”