New structure going up at Modesto’s Gallo Center. What it will add to the venue
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Things are getting shady outside the Gallo Center for the Arts — in a good way.
A permanent shade structure is planned for the outdoor Rotary Music Garden at the downtown Modesto venue, according to a press release from the center.
The A.E. Kline Family Sunshade is expected to be complete by early spring.
“This is great news for downtown Modesto and our patrons,” Gallo Center CEO Chad Hilligus said in the release. “It will create a more comfortable and inviting gathering place where the community can enjoy events year-round, while also enhancing the overall look, functionality and potential of the Music Garden.”
The lawn area is used for the Gallo Center’s Brown Bag Summer Concert Series and other free community events, such as monthly drum circles.
It’s also an area for the center’s annual outdoor Family Fun Festival.
Funding will be from the A. E. Kline Family Trust, Modesto Downtown Improvement District, Modesto Rotary Foundation and the T.S & K.D. Glide Foundation.
The project manager is Chad Kennedy of Westwood in Modesto, with Superior Recreational Products of Carrollton, Georgia, as the structure’s manufacturer and construction by Zoom Recreation of Irvine.
This story was originally published October 18, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
