12/09/2021
IMPORTANT NEWS
The Strand Theatre to close at the end of December 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the entertainment industry hard. From live theater and concert venues to movie theaters, places that once housed large audiences have seen a dramatic decrease in attendance.
At the height of the pandemic, The Strand Theatre remained closed for 15 months until restrictions were relaxed enough to allow us to re-open in May 2021. With the exception of a few "COVID-proof" events such as "Jaws", "The Rocky Horror Picture Show", "It's A Wonderful Life" , and "The Polar Express", we have not seen a return of the audiences we entertained prior to the COVID crisis.
While these special events proved popular, our regular movie content has been difficult to maintain. In reaction to the pandemic, movie studios quickly pushed their potential blockbusters to future dates or released their titles via streaming services that families could enjoy from the comfort of their own homes. The need or desire to see movies in a theater suddenly diminished and our regular weekly movies, our "bread and butter", have not been able to draw audiences back in.
On-going COVID-19 concerns and variants continue to, understandably, give people pause when deciding on public outings.
As a result, the costs of running the theater have far exceeded the revenues we are able to generate and we have made the painful decision to shut our doors at the end of December.
What this means:
Gift Certificates (sales): We will not be selling gift certificates this holiday season as there won't be time for the recipients to redeem them before we close.
Gift Certificates (redemptions): If you have outstanding movie passes or gift certificates, we urge you to attend one of our upcoming movies and use them.
We greatly appreciate the support you have shown The Strand over the years and look forward to seeing you before we close down. We will use this time to celebrate the holidays with you and your families.
Rob Nierintz & Bill Grady
Owners