A 570-seat venue tucked inside the John F. Kennedy Recreation Center is about to host its first official show, and Willingboro is going big: R&B legends Atlantic Starr are set to headline the Willingboro Performing Arts Center's grand opening Saturday at 8 p.m. The nearly $2 million space, converted from a former auditorium, has been more than a decade in the making for the Burlington County township.
According to WHYY, the venue sits inside the Kennedy Center and seats 570 people in what was once a plain auditorium. The Courier-Post reports the grand opening kickoff concert is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 3, at 8 p.m., with Atlantic Starr as the inaugural act, as detailed by Courier-Post. The center's exact address is 429 John F. Kennedy Way, per Patch.
From Auditorium to Theater
Venue manager Bobby Duckett told WHYY that the goal was to shift the room's feel entirely, saying the team wanted to change the feel of the space to more of a theater setting. The renovated hall now includes state-of-the-art lighting and sound systems, a video wall on stage, and dressing rooms, the outlet's report notes. Duckett, who has spent more than 40 years in the entertainment industry, said he also wants the venue to train the next generation of entertainment professionals and plans to employ lighting directors and sound engineers on site.
The project cost nearly $2 million to construct, with Willingboro Township and the state splitting the bill, according to the same WHYY report. The Philadelphia Inquirer similarly pegs the project at around $2 million, with about half coming from township capital funds and half from state funding, as The Inquirer reports. State Senator Troy Singleton helped secure $1 million for the venue's construction during 2023 fiscal-year budget talks, Patch reported at the time.
A 15-Year Wait Finally Pays Off
Amy Dean, executive director of Faith In Action Ministries, told WHYY the venue was 15 years in the making. Her organization was the first to try out the new performance space, holding a summer camp show there as a soft opening before the official debut. Dean said the new space will provide new opportunities to people in the community.
Willingboro Mayor Samantha Whitfield said the Kennedy Center could help catalyze economic development in the township, per the same WHYY account. The Inquirer describes the center as envisioned by local officials as a premier community gathering place for concerts, theatrical productions, cultural programs, family entertainment and community events, with the goal of developing the next generation of talented people from the community.
What's Booked Next
The lineup doesn't stop with Saturday's show. Fellow legends The Manhattans and Latin percussionist Tito Puente Jr. will visit in the coming weeks, WHYY reports. The Inquirer lists specific dates: The Manhattans are booked for Oct. 24, and Tito Puente Jr. is set to perform Nov. 20.
Beyond concerts, the center plans to bring art, entertainment and education events to the venue, booking national, local and regional acts for plays, concerts and podcasts, according to WHYY's reporting. Organizers also described plans for a speaker series and an inaugural film festival running throughout the building in conjunction with the local high school.
Council Scrutiny Over Contracting
Not everything tied to the project has gone smoothly. The Willingboro Township Council agreed to review contracting and hiring practices surrounding the performing arts center, according to CitizenPortal. Councilwoman Perrone alleged the township paid well over $500,000 without receiving the contracted services, the outlet reported in July 2026. The evidence available does not establish how that review has concluded or will conclude.
For now, the spotlight is on the stage itself, where a room built for one purpose has been reshaped for another. Saturday's Atlantic Starr show marks the formal start of a run that organizers hope will stretch well beyond opening night, with Willingboro betting that a converted auditorium can become a lasting cultural anchor for the township.
