SPOKANE, Wash. —
The Garland Theater is a gem in Spokane’s crown. But, this gem is now in danger of closing its doors for good.
Opened in 1945, the theater has been a favorite for the city’s movie goers ever since.
That includes mom Christy Hill, who visited the theater Monday with her daughter Gabriela to see the flim “Encanto.”
Hill’s been a patron of the Garland since she was a child.
“It’s classic," Hill said. "Popcorn is amazing and the people are very, very friendly. Yeah, lots of memories here.”
But, the theater’s also seen tough times, especially during the recent COVID-19 pandemic, which shut down theaters, some of them permanently, across the country.
When looking back at that time, owner Katherine Fritchie said, “I don't want to just be another statistic. I'd like the Garland to, you know, really thrive and come out of the pandemic better than it, you know, was going into it.”
She also says other factors, such as the minimum wage increase and more people watching movies via streaming, has made it difficult for them.
She says in their first quarter of this year, the theater was down about $75,000, which equals about $25,000 a month.
It’s why Vintage Print owner Chris Bovey, known for his art work celebrating Spokane and its landmarks, is spearheading a new effort to save the Garland.
He started a Go-Fund-Me page, which is already gaining traction as of Monday night. An Instagram reel was also released Monday morning.
“There's a deep sense of urgency to try and get this thing saved, you know, and try to keep it going for the next generation,” he said.
For Fritchie, seeing the support already for the project has been overwhelming.
“It’s really sweet,” she said.
The fundraiser hopes to raise $300,000, but Bovey has even bigger goal in mind for the theater.
“I just hope that this is a cool theater that exists for generations and it's a destination for Spokane.”
According to Bovey, the $300,000 would be used to give the theater a facelift with new paint and lighting. They also plan to pivot to showing more classic and nostalgic movies such as the "Wizard of Oz," but would still occasionally feature a newly released film.
He hopes that change in programming will draw in more people over time so the theater can see more consistent business.
If you’re interested in supporting the Garland Theater, visit the "Save the Garland" Instagram page.
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