Community members are invited to a grand celebration and inaugural lighting of the new Holland Theatre marquee on Friday, May 23.
“We are thrilled to be able to share this exciting news,” said Holland Board President Kris Swisher, who helped lead the Light Up the Holland campaign that raised marquee funds.
“The marquee will be a wonderful addition to our downtown, and we want to make the celebration an event to remember.”
Planning for the evening is underway with assistance from Bellefontaine’s Downtown Business Partnership.
The event will include entertainment, food trucks and the exciting moment at sundown when the marquee is lit for the first time.
Made possible by generous community support and a grant from the Jeffris Family Foundation, the marquee is currently under construction at Wagner Sign Co. in Elyria, with installation scheduled for the end of April.
The marquee is a replica of the original that graced the front of the theater when it opened in 1931, updated with state-of-the-art technology and safety standards.
The blade of the original marquee was removed in the 1950s due to city code changes, and the rest of the marquee was removed in the 1960s due to street expansion and traffic.
Major donors will be treated to dinner and drinks inside the theater prior to the lighting. Leading the way with donations of $100,000 each were Tonia Terebuh and the Lile Family Charitable Foundation in honor of Levi W. and Nancy Nicholl Laird.