Burnsville

A city in the Minneapolis & St. Paul area

Burnsville's dedicated live-music venue is the Ames Center, formerly the Burnsville Performing Arts Center, which opened in January 2009. It has two theaters: the 1,014-seat Masquerade Dance Theater and an intimate 150-seat Black Box Theater. Presentations include cultural events, dramas, comedies, dance, and musical acts from local arts organizations and national touring artists. Past performers have included Larry Carlton, Richard Marx, Melissa Manchester, Tommy Emmanuel, and the Dakota Valley Symphony, among others. The Dakota Valley Symphony calls the Ames Center's main stage home; it is composed of a 60-member symphony orchestra, a 40-member mixed chorus, and a 90-member Summer Pops orchestra and chorus. Beyond the Ames Center, the annual Buck Concert Series brings live music to Buck Hill for two nights each fall, and the Burnsville Festival and Fire Muster features free outdoor concerts at Civic Center Park each year, with regional and tribute acts headlining Friday and Saturday nights.