INVEST OR CLOSE? Small-town theaters face tough choices in a changing industry
January 21, 2012 at 3:36 pm in Grand Forks Herald
Ryan and Heather Palm braved the 10-degree-below-zero weather Thursday night to go to the movies at Crookston’s historic, century-old Grand Theatre, where Mark Twain and Harry Houdini once performed on stage, back in the old Vaudeville Days. Continue Reading
As young kids our grandparents would take us to the Grand to watch the same movies over and over again (1960′s). It’s a blessing that the Crookston theater is able to still make a go of it. It’s a nice retreat in winter or summer to stay for awhile and see a good movie.
The problem comes in seeing that it remains viable. The grand is the last truly historic building still in operation, still maintained and all under private ownership (no city subsidies). Could you imagine what that corner on Ash Street would look, or feel like, if the Grand Theater were to close? I can very easily. That’s one reason I was so perplexed that city leaders would pull the Ox Cart festival from downtown. If the Grand were to close, Four Seasons pulled out, that would be about it for what was once downtown Crookston. I’m afraid that era is soon coming, a vacant, shuttered old downtown of days gone by. This year’s city council election is crucial if we are to save what’s left.
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Excellent points Marg. Here’s a story about a small town’s efforts to keep their historic theater open. They are raising money for it. Would Crookston do this?
http://postbulletin.com/news/stories/display.php?id=1483189
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