The village of Monte Rio is at a crossroads for all the places we visited, while in Sonoma County.
In my post about our first trip through town, I mentioned that this Quonset hut movie theater was my favorite building. It does combine two of my favorite things: history and cinema.As we were heading to the coast, we once again passed by this 70+ year old treasure only this time the door was opened and I went in. I was greeted by the owners, David and Kim Lockhart. They were preparing for a special event and I confessed my fandom for all they were doing. They welcomed me in and allowed photos to be taken!All things, in these little towns, seem interconnected. The fabric adorning the ceiling (adding better acoustics) is some of the very fabric that was part of Christo's Running Fence (the owner at the time, Thomas Dean, was good friends with artist so he was gifted parts of the installation when it was dismantled). So dang cool.In 1992, Don and Suzie Schaffert bought the theater. Aside from reviving a community gathering spot, their lasting contribution was to help launch a $65,000 crowdfunding campaign (capped off with a last minute donation from actor Zach Braff) to make the conversion from film to digital when studios quit sending out film reels (2010). I love the fact that the old school projectors are proudly displayed. This place is truly a living museum.Interestingly, the newest owners, the Lockharts, had an actor, Ed Asner, come to their aid to help fund their purchase of the theater, too. Oh man, I wish I was around when he came to Monte Rio.As I was walking out, I saw this wall of blankets on hooks. Because it gets cold here and there really isn't an efficient way to heat a hut, lap warmers are offered to guests (as it has been for the decades).This place oozes nostalgia. If we could have attended an event here, during our very busy schedule, I know it would have been an extravaganza indeed!There is something very magical about the Monte Rio Theatre & Extravaganza and one day I hope to experience the magic, firsthand. Break a leg David & Kim!
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