October 2020
Let’s Hear it for a FUN Fall!
BOO! As you might have noticed, this newsletter is a little later and a lot shorter than usual… This is because we’ve been crazy, wonderfully busy!
This month we introduced our first live event series, Back Porch Music, where a local talent graces our stage and we open up our garage doors so attendees can enjoy great music indoors or on our back deck.
As a recap, October 2nd, 2020 was the members-only kick-off featuring Possessed by Paul James. All other events in this series have been unticketed and free to the public! October 9th was local non-profit, Big Seed, which gives a platform to young artists. October 16th was the Mike Kasberg Jazz Band.
TONIGHT, October 23rd, is singer songwriter Aaron LaCombe. Come join us 6:30-9:30pm! We’ll be limiting attendance at the door and ask that you wear masks in public areas of the theatre.
We have so many talented artists in our community and we are proud that, with the Back Porch Music Series, a few of them have been some of the first to take Arcadia Live’s newly built stage. This series has been a wonderful way to both highlight local artists and get members of our community in the theatre after 30 years closed!
What’s next? Great question! We’ll keep track of upcoming events on our website and post regularly on Facebook and Instagram. A little hint… You’ll be seeing new events posted soon… maybe around the first week of November.
The deck is not only spacious but also the PERFECT place to hang out while you enjoy live music from Aaron LaCombe this evening.
The Mike Kasberg Jazz Band were a fun bunch! Our audience enjoyed their take on everything from Santana to Sesame Street from both the deck and our indoor space.
This was the set-up for a wedding reception at Arcadia Live. If you’re interested in hosting an event with us, please contact us with an email to director@thearcadialive.org
Health & Safety
Throughout the process of developing our opening guidelines we have done the following: Examined and implemented COVID-19 guidelines issued by the Governor for many types of venues (e.g. live entertainment, filmhouses and movie theaters, wedding venues), designed seating options to maximize functionality of our space’s layout, and conferred with/researched other organizations in this industry.
After much careful consideration, we have decided that we can best serve our community and provide a safe, fun environment by focusing on smaller, local acts, utilizing our outdoor space, and limiting attendance at Arcadia events.
If you’d like to know more about the procedures that will be in place at Arcadia Live, check out our website.
Digging up Memories
Our Ghost Story
Last month we talked about ghost lights, now we’ve moved on to the topic of GHOSTS for our October newsletter. I mean, what’s a historic theatre without a good ghost story? Some would likely argue “just an old, normal theatre with a lack of imagination.” That’s not the Arcadia!
According to one of Kerrville’s local superstar historians (and our Water Street neighbor), Joe Herring Jr. of Herring Printing Company, “The old Arcadia Theater building once housed offices and shops on its second floor, including a jeweler who died in his little shop there. Some have claimed to hear the tapping of a small jeweler’s hammer near the spot his workbench stood on the second floor.” (Joe Herring Jr., 2019)
A second story mentions a ghost named “Norma”- One of our Facebook fans claimed to have worked in the space in the late 80s and early 90s. She told us that the same second floor space used to be an office where papers were often found inexplicably shuffled.
While I’ve personally never had any issues with strong-willed papers or heard the tapping sound in question, I can tell you a little bit more about the space! From the information I’ve gathered, our ghosts reside upstairs, behind the windows above Baublit’s Jewelers in (or very close to) our newly renovated private lounge. This space used to be used as offices for the Arcadia theatre and, before that, was rented out to individuals like our (likely incredibly kind and friendly) neighborhood ghost. In this century, the lounge will be used to host private functions, meetings with artists, classes for kids, and so much more.
As a sidenote, if you happen to know (or be) one of the purported teenagers who worked at the theatre and had an encounter with our shy, probably incredibly kind, Jeweler ghost, we’d love to hear and document your story!
Looking back on this picture of our private lounge (and lift location) prior to construction, one could quite easily arrive at the conclusion that the space is haunted.
The shiplap flooring seen here was RECOVERED and REUSED! You might recognize it on your next visit to our main bar downstairs…
One of my favorite additions to the space? A stable floor that you can safely walk across! I can’t wait to see how this multi-purpose space is used in future.
Putting the FUN in Fundraising
Construction is done but we need you!
Since this project was started at the end of 2018, we have made astounding progress thanks to our team’s dedication and the resounding support of our community. To date, our Capital Campaign has nearly met our construction costs. While the theatre is ready to go (check out the before and after images of Antler Alley below to see how far we’ve come), our non-profit has an immediate need to raise funds for our one time capital expenses.
If you were thinking of making a year end donation please consider making it now. A gift this month will help us pay the balance on some of the best sound and lighting in the Texas Hill Country, our DLP film projector and screen, curtains and more. Please contact Anne, at info@thearcadialive.org or 830-315-5483, if you have any questions about the capital expenses or naming opportunities.
This photo was taken prior to the kickoff of construction in November, 2019. Nature had totally reclaimed this area.
This photo was taken on September 23rd, 2020. The Antler Alley is now a wonderful space to hang out under the lights of our 1948 fins (which have been refit with LED lights) & neon Iconic blade (we’re working on getting the rings fixed on this beauty! She’s doing pretty well for her age).
Community-Centered Neighbors
Volunteer Opportunities
As a non-profit, we need all the help we can get. If you’re interested in spending some extra time (and sharing your talents!) at the Arcadia theatre, please consider signing up as one of our volunteers. We have reached out to our group of volunteers and set our first informational meeting for NEXT WEEK. Please respond to this email or give us a call at 830-315-5483 if you would like more details.
Our most immediate need will be for ushers at live events, however, we will have a wide variety of volunteer opportunities available in future. So, we encourage you to sign up now to get on our radar, cool cat!
This newsletter is brought to you by our Corporate Sponsors
Thank you to the following companies and individuals for supporting Arcadia Live’s mission. We sincerely appreciate you.
Starring Sponsors
Supporting Sponsors
John Fontenot, Consultant
Michael R. Borchers, DDS & Shari Addington, MD
Steamatic Restoration & Cleaning
Applauding Sponsors
Please look forward to seeing more about these sponsors in upcoming newsletters, on our website, and in the theatre!
Want to be an Arcadia Live Corporate Sponsor?
Becoming a corporate sponsor shows your commitment to the Kerrville community and will help us bring diverse, live entertainment to our iconic downtown venue.
Join the ranks of the wonderful corporations and individuals acknowledged above by becoming a Corporate Sponsor. You can complete this process by clicking the button below.
That’s a wrap!
Thank you for reading our eNewsletter! We sincerely hope you enjoyed it and that you’re looking forward to the Arcadia Live’s November 2020 Newsletter (which will be far more on time)! Consider checking us out on Instagram and Facebook while you wait and don’t forget to share this newsletter with your friends!
Rock on,
The Arcadia Live team
Katie, Michael, & Anne