The community came together and saved the theater roughly 30 years ago. It was restored to its former glory as one of the most spectacular venues in all of western New York.

Later this month, the doors will be opened on several occasions to celebrate the 100th birthday of Gowanda’s Historic Hollywood Theater. Three days of festivities have been planned to celebrate 100 years since the Hollywood Theater was first opened in 1926. Three different events have been scheduled from April 17-19 to appeal to a broader audience.

“There will be lots to look at to see where we were and where we are now, so we made it into a three-day event,” said Deb Harris, Project Coordinator at Gowanda’s Historic Hollywood Theater.

The first night, Friday, April 17, is the Centennial Gala, a black-tie evening featuring a cocktail hour, jazz music performances, and “classic Hollywood glamour” to kick off the celebration. Tickets for the event – presale only – are $60 apiece or $100 for a pair. Included are two drink tickets and hors d’oeuvres during cocktail hour at The Old Bank next door to the theater, beginning at 4 p.m.. The red carpet is rolled out to welcome guests around 6:15 p.m., while the Springville Jazz Orchestra begins its performance at 7 p.m.

Pictured is Gowanda’s Historic Hollywood Theater, which celebrates its 100th birthday later this month.

The second night, Saturday, April 18, is the Centennial Hollywood Happening – a throwback to pay homage to the Harley/Hollywood Happening weekend, where thousands of bikers would attend over a weekend, including a parade and entertainment to raise money to support the theater’s renovations. The Centennial event on April 18 will feature three bands performing from 2-8 p.m., along with a tattoo contest and food trucks. The cost for admission is $10 for the entire day. Rockabilly Steve & BR3 perform at 2 p.m., then Wasted Whiskey takes the stage at 5 p.m., followed by the Great Wide Open Tom Petty Tribute Band closing out the night at 8 p.m.

The third event is a free birthday celebration of the theater, titled, “Centennial Celebration!” April 19. The all-day event, beginning around noon, will feature a birthday cake, silent movies, a performance from world-renowned organist Dennis James, and performances from Hollywood Drama Camp alumni. Local representatives will be on hand to issue proclamations to commemorate the occasion.

A week after the centennial celebration, the Hollywood Theater will be holding a two-day event, titled, “Echoes of the Hollywood”, April 25-26. Nathan Hall, a composer and director from Gowanda, wrote a song to honor the Hollywood Theater that will be debuted at the event. Walking tours throughout the theater will be held every 90 minutes from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 25 and from 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 26. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students and seniors.

“All the music he composed is from his memories of the theater. It’s a neat, very different sort of thing,” Harris said.

The events will honor the history of the theater, but it is thanks to the community that it is what it is today. When Harris stepped foot in the Hollywood Theater 20 years ago looking to write grants for its restoration, the facility was in shambles. “I couldn’t believe a bulldozer hadn’t already been here,” she said.

The Historic Hollywood Theater has been restored to its original glory over the past three decades.

Wet plaster from the walls and ceiling covered the floor of the theater like oatmeal, so much that Harris joked that she would’ve needed a shovel just to clear a path to walk.

Little by little, every piece of the theater was restored to its former glory. Now, Harris says, “If you walked through the door, you would think that you were in 1926 again.”

Before the Hollywood Theater was built, there was an opera house located in downtown Gowanda. When it burned down, a local businessman named Richard Wilhelm stepped up to build the Hollywood Theater as a gift to the community.

After nearly 70 years as a staple of the community, the theater closed and eventually fell into disrepair. The roof began to leak and the entire theater itself was teetering on irreversible damage. It was then that another local businessman, Dan Gernatt, Jr., purchased the theater and turned it over to the community nonprofit known as the Gowanda Area Redevelopment Corporation for renovations.

The community has responded in turn, from local veterans donating a flag to grant writers and community organizations donating their time or money to support the theater’s restoration.

As the renovations took shape, community groups came together to make the Hollywood Theater the place to be once again, from becoming a meeting site for groups during the pandemic, to a greeting place for the New York Secretary of State on an official visit, to holding viewing parties for local events. Alumni are welcomed back each fall, and reunions are held at the theater because of its significance to so many natives of Gowanda.

“This was a place to go. This was it, especially in our rural community,” Harris said. “The community has been so generous with their time, with their dollars, with their talents, it is truly amazing.”

While the theater has been dramatically restored over the years, there is still more to be done in the near future. More stage work is planned, along with the restoration of its Wurlitzer organ, which should be completed sometime next year.

Gowanda’s Historic Hollywood Theater is located at 39 W. Main Street, Gowanda, NY, 14070. For more information about the theater itself or upcoming events, call (716) 532-6103 or visit www.gowandahollywoodtheater.com