HomeMy WebLinkAbout9 30 15 MS and Fair Theatre
City of Plainview NEWS
901 Broadway St.
Plainview, TX 79072
September 30, 2015
Main Street/CVB Department to
manage Fair Theatre
The Main Street and Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) department will
assume operations of the Fair Theatre beginning October 1, 2015.
“Shane has done a great job with the Fair and we hate to lose him,” said Jeffrey
Snyder, City Manager. “But with all the additional HR duties coming down the
pipeline, this made the most sense now that we have Main Street/CVB maintaining
an office out of the theatre.”
The Fair Theatre originally opened as a silent movie house in 1925. Since that time,
it has undergone many transformations: popular movie house, to a vaudeville
showcase, to an empty shuttered building, to the jewel in the crown of downtown
Plainview.
From the beginning, the Plainview City Council saw the possibilities, as well as the feasibility of
having a theater in the historic downtown area. In an effort to promote tourism and recapture a bit
of historic grandeur reminiscent of downtown’s glory days, the City of Plainview purchased the
building in 1994 with hotel / motel taxes.
After the purchase, the building underwent a $200,000 restoration project. Various fundraisers,
private donations, and grants helped to pay for stage curtains, lighting systems, sound systems,
central heat and air, and other necessities. The restoration was made possible in large part thanks
to free craftsman labor provided by prisoners from the local Wheeler Formby Unit. Special thanks
go to David Wilder for spearheading that effort and turning this into great a facility for our
community.
The restoration took about 18 months and the main auditorium and lobby were restored to their
original grandeur. The theatre stands three stories tall and sports a split balcony. It seats 422 on
the main floor and another 112 upstairs.
“Shane has done a wonderful job making the Fair a gem in downtown,” said Melinda Brown,
Main Street Director. “We look forward to continuing the great work that he has done.”
Reopened in October 1999, The Fair Theatre has re-established itself in the cultural fabric of
Plainview. The theater offers a venue for plays, musicals, and symphonic performances, as well
as a place to hold business meetings and seminars. The emphasis is that the building be used to
its potential and to benefit the local community. For more information, contact the Fair at 293-
4000.
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