The Tennessee Theatre will celebrate the return of its iconic vertical sign to Gay Street and the newly refurbished marquee with a free open house and relighting ceremony on Wednesday, Aug. 31.

 

During the open house sponsored by McCarty Holsaple McCarty Architects and Interior Designers, the Tennessee Theatre will be open to the public for self-guided tours of the stage and backstage areas from 6-8 p.m. House organist Dr. Bill Snyder will play the Mighty Wurlitzer organ, and a caricature artist will be at the event to draw guests with the iconic Tennessee Theatre marquee.

 

At 8 p.m., guests will move outside onto Gay Street, which will be closed in front of the theater for the event, for a ceremony featuring Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero, Tennessee Theatre board members and officials from Pattison Sign Group, which handled the project. Elected officials and donors will join Hancock in leading a countdown to the official relighting of the vertical sign and marquee with brighter, more energy-efficient LED light bulbs.

 

The Tennessee Theatre launched a fundraising campaign in April to raise $150,000 to cover the cost of the refurbishment. Through cash and in-kind donations, the theater has raised more than $136,000 and is asking for the community’s continued support to completely fund the project. For more information, visit www.tennesseetheatre.com/marquee.