By: Cicily Barnett Higgins
Edited: Jason Bowen
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| Photo by: Tina Handy Smith (Eyes on Fire Photography) |
Out with the old and in
with the new. Isn’t that the trend these days? Hopefully not for
a small hometown theater located here in Wilkes County. This location has proven to overcome virtually any obstacle and remain
standing for decades. Located in North Wilkesboro on Main St, the Liberty Theatre shines at night, has heart and has a surprising history. Established in 1932, the
theater burnt in 1945 but was quickly rebuilt in 1946. Even before
Elvis was king, it was said that he was once one of the many patrons to sip pop and crunch popcorn in the seats.
As time goes on and
Wilkes County expands, as it should,
I can’t help but think about what will happen to our theater time
capsule on Main. Kids these days are drawn to bigger and
flashier things. And at the moment, bigger and flashier is on its
way. Two Rivers Cinema is currently under construction and soon to
be completed.
We asked Junior Ayers, the manager of Liberty, how
management and the employees feel about the new theater coming into
town. Junior was kind enough to share that the new theater coming to
town had caused discussion about future business moves concerning
Liberty. However, closing up shop wasn't one of them. They have recently
upgraded to digital picture and 7.1 surround sound to greatly improve
the picture clarity and to immerse their patrons with a rich and satisfying sound. They even improved the lobby and painted the facade to really
make the place glow in the daytime sun. The lobby, while being
completed over a year ago, has new carpet and new lcd screens showing
trailers as well as concession prices. They even upgraded to accept
debit and credit.
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| It's 3pm and time for movies. Liberty Theater lobby. |
Liberty is a small theater
in size, but not in soul. As a community landmark, Junior and his
crew bring character to the area and give back to the community as
well. During the months of summer while school is out, Liberty
opens their doors for children to view free movies. How awesome is
that!? Their ticket prices are extremely reasonable at $4.00 a head
and the concessions make the theater very financially accessible
for a family event. And that's really what Liberty is all about. Having a
fun, affordable and safe place to enjoy a night out with your family. Such a thing is priceless for a small town like Wilkes. Not all small towns have
the benefit of a Liberty. Towns such as Boone, Lenoir and Hickory have all lost the majority of their movie theater landmarks. In interviewing Junior about the theater,
I approached the article more about how Liberty needs the people of
Wilkes County to keep sitting in the seats. However, as I walked around
the theater taking pictures and observing the atmosphere of the
building. it dawned on me. “It's not Liberty that needs us. It's
Wilkes County who needs Liberty.
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| The concession stand. Where popcorn doesn't cost your 1st born son. |
I'll share
with you a story Junior shared with us. A few years back he opened
up the theater for a couple who just got married. At 3am, he let the
couple in so she and her husband could have the theater alone just
before leaving on their honeymoon early the next morning. You can’t
get that kind of personal touch just anywhere. It's actions like
that and their incredible popcorn that make Liberty a treasure to our
community.
After the interview, as I was walking out of the theater
with a half smile on my face, I found myself impressed. There really
is a lot more than meets the eye in that building. Liberty makes you
feel great in the present and helps you to remember the past. Let us
not forget Liberty. We'll certainly be the lesser for it. May there be Liberty and theater justice for all!
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| Popcorn. So good. So good. |
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