Paradise Center for the Arts – Come See a Show in Faribault!
One of the best (if not THE BEST!) theater to see plays, musicals, comedians or live music is the Paradise Center for the Arts in downtown Faribault. First, a little history:
The Faribault Opera House was built in 1893, prior to that entertainment events were held in a variety of “halls” around the city. The name “opera” was used, although the shows were considerably more diverse, because the term “theater” was not considered refined enough.
From 1893 to 1899, the Opera House was the site of Shakespearean plays, lectures, Minneapolis Symphony concerts and an actual opera or two.
Like many other midwestern Opera Houses , it was converted to a moving picture venue (called the Grand Theater) in 1908 before succumbing to fire in 1929. (In 1884, this site, now home to the Paramount Theater building, housed a roller skating rink at the height of a national craze for this activity.)
View a video made the the Faribault Heritage Preservation Committee http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbFOMuP-PRw that details the beginnings of this beautiful theater.
After the fire in 1929, Paramount Pictures owned the theater and showed movies there. Local businessmen purchased the theater and ran it as a movie theater until 1991. In recent years the beauty and elegance of this once beautiful atmospheric theater has been restored though strong fundraising efforts and the work of the Faribault Art Center and Faribault Community Theater groups. The new Paradise Center for the Arts is now a community cultural center with an elegant art gallery, pottery studio, rehearsal rooms, art classrooms and a state of the art theater with stage.
Don’t miss out on these great upcoming shows!
www.paradisecenterforthearts.org/theatre/
December 7, 8, 13, 14, 15 at 7:30pm
December 9, 16 at 2:00pm
Tickets – (507) 332-7372
South Central Minnesota Studio Artour and Sale
Faribault, Cannon Falls and Northfield artists welcome you to their studios!
24 Studios – 52 Artists
Maps and more information at www.studioartour.com
Printed maps available at the Chamber of Commerce in Faribault!
Faribault Fall Festival & Chili Contest Oct. 13
Taste of Faribault! September 14
New Faribault Visitor Guide and Map coming in mid-September 2012
