When bands perform under the summer sun on the stage in Riverstone, boy, do they get cookin'.

Like, literally. That's why they nicknamed the stage "Frying Pan."

"It gets really hot because it's all concrete and the sun is just glaring down on you," said Coeur d'Alene Arts and Culture Alliance executive director Ali Shute.

Shute is spearheading the "Raise the Cover for Riverstone" campaign to pop a lid on that Frying Pan and provide a shade structure for musicians and audience members who enjoy the free annual Riverstone Summer Concert Series, presented by the Arts and Culture Alliance.

She said she expects the project to cost between $85,000 and $100,000.

"This will provide protection from light weather, a light drizzly rain that's only going to last for a few minutes," Shute said. "But it's mostly about the shade."

The shade structure will be engineered and materials provided by Play Creations, a landscape structure company in Burien, Wash.

The base structure posts will be up all year. Synthetic mesh fabric sails will go up in the spring and be stored in the fall.

"When that park was designed, it was always thought that would be a good location for those sails. We just ran out of funding," Coeur d'Alene Parks and Recreation director Bill Greenwood said.

Greenwood said the sails are expected to last seven to 10 years as they withstand seasonal heat and wind. They'll provide protection from UV rays as well, he said.

Along with protecting performers, instruments, equipment and audiences, the shade structure will be for the enjoyment and comfort of all who use the stage.

"This amenity is helpful for the community and can be used by anybody, for weddings, birthday parties," Greenwood said. "It's a community boon for everybody."

Shute said use of an open-air venue like the Riverstone stage is more important than ever in the era of a pandemic.

"We need to create outdoor spaces where we can enjoy entertainment and arts activities because of COVID and what we’ve learned as a result of COVID," she said.

Sponsored in part by Idaho Central Credit Union, the stage will be called the "Idaho Central Credit Union Amphitheater in Riverstone." ICCU has already contributed $40,000 and private donors have thrown in $11,000.

A presentation for possible funding made to Coeur d'Alene's urban renewal agency, ignite cda, during an upcoming meeting.

"We are really hoping they’ll kick in a good portion," Shute said. "We just need a little bit more."

Visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/raise-the-cover-for-riverstone to view the GoFundMe page.