Skowhegan native is now in charge of Cross Insurance Center

BANGOR, Maine (WABI) - There’s a new face in charge of Bangor’s largest event space.

Skowhegan native Chris McGrail has been there for it all, working his way up to the general manager position. He says the goal remains the same.

“Our goal is to provide a variety of entertainment that folks will want to come to Bangor for, or just come out to a show and enjoy a night out, go to a surrounding restaurant, stay in a hotel, really kind of take pride in this area,” said McGrail

And there’s no shortage of Bangor pride.

“When I was little, I never fully expected that out of Bangor, because I was like, ‘Ah, it’s Bangor.’ But now it’s like, ‘Whoa, it’s Bangor!’ It’s like this huge thing for concerts. It’s not something that I ever thought I would get to experience,” said, concert goer, Sammi Brooker.

The pandemic led to an empty building more frequently than expected, but McGrail is focusing on bringing a variety of events to town.

“The space that we have to offer, i t allows us to do small shows, big shows, trade shows, things in the ballroom, conventions, meetings, literally anything you can think of. We’re open for business and we’re excited to start those conversations and bringing people into the building,” said McGrail.

“I always thought I’d have to go down to Portland, maybe Boston. But, being able to have access to stuff right up here is awesome,” said Brooker

McGrail says it’s a team effort.

“The team I have here at the Cross Insurance Center, all of the folks in every department, I couldn’t do what I do without them,” said McGrail.

With a robust schedule planned throughout the year - and more announcements to come - it’s business as usual at the Cross Center.

“We’re looking forward to having folks in our building again, enjoying the entertainment that we’re providing, having fun, leaving with memories that will certainly last until the next event,” said McGrail.

You can find all the venue’s events and ticket information at crossinsurancecenter.com.

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