The Carolina Theatre is the proud location of the first ever Ignite show in Durham. We could not be more excited to partner with Bob Nocek and the crew at Carolina Theatre for Ignite Durham. We will be featuring our 14 inspiring speakers in the historic Fletcher Auditorium. It is a magnificent space for performers that seats over one thousand patrons.
I’ve have visited the Carolina Theatre a few times in the past years. I attended a fantastic horror film festival there last year that featured classics, short films and even foreign entries. I did not realize the full story behind this magnificent building. Here are just a few of the amazing footnotes from behind the red curtain of Carolina Theatre’s history.
- Milburn and Heister, famous architects design the Carolina Theatre in 1923, and construction completed in 1926. The first show opened on February 2nd that year featuring the Kiwanis Jollies.
- First theater to admin African-Americans in Durham NC, and was popular during WWII with soldiers bused there from Camp Butler. Marvel at this collection of old photographs of the establishment from years past, courtesy of the Durham County Library on the Endangered Durham blog.
- Carolina Theatre helped start a new Durham revival in the 1980′s along with the opening of Brightleaf Square.
- Featured in the Museum of Durham history as a landmark – one of the last 13 original theaters in Durham.
- Listed as a cinematic treasure after the 1994 renovation by architect Daniel P. Coffey, offering two art house theaters featuring feature films weekly. How, a regular host to film festivals such as Full Frame, Retrofantasma and Nevermore.
- Much more than we can do justice. Find out more about the history on the Carolina Theatre website and also on Wikipedia.
Carolina Theatre is truly a local treasure; a great place to see performances, films and a variety of shows unique to the Triangle. If you have not taken the chance to visit Carolina Theatre by now, you owe it to yourself to make Ignite Durham your first experience at this incredible venue. I guarantee it will not be your last. When you sit in this place, it feels like something special. You can attend something special Wednesday February 9th at 6:30pm. Your ticket is on the house. Follow @CarolinaDurham on Twitter.
