FORKSful of legendary events happen at the Empire

Located in the heart of Downtown is one of our community’s most beautiful and beloved buildings. The iconic Empire Arts Center is a circa 1919 movie house turned multi-use theater and gallery facility. Even after undergoing major renovations throughout the years, this jewel of our community has been able to embrace and maintain its illustrious past.

Since its rebirth as an arts center in 1998, the Empire has become a cultural anchor of historic Downtown Grand Forks, welcoming over 30,000 visitors each year. No longer just a movie house, you can find Broadway stars, regional actors, ballerinas and budding young musicians featured on the Empire stage. In addition to hosting numerous concerts and special events, the Empire produces an annual theatrical season through its in-house Empire Theatre Company. It's also home to the University of North Dakota Art Collections Gallery, which has included works by such acclaimed artists as Andy Warhol and Salvador Dali.

Photo credit: Empire Arts Center

In November 1919, construction was completed on the New Grand, the area’s largest theater ever built for the purpose of showing only moving pictures. Minneapolis architects Beuchner & Orth planned a modern and impressive 948-seat movie palace for the city. On November 19, which was opening night, a foot of snow did not stop residents from filling the theatre. Admission prices were 25 cents for adults and 15 cents for children. In 1930, the Grand closed for extensive remodeling and reopened with an all-new 3,000 bulb marquee, box office on the sidewalk line, screen, sound system and projectors.

Moviegoers again lined up around the block to be treated to a new Italian Renaissance decor, acoustic treatments and the first North Dakota theater with washed air cooling. Now a part of the Paramount-Publix chain, the theatre was rechristened The Paramount. The theater again saw a gradual facelift and modernization in the early fifties, capped off with the addition of Cinemascope in 1954 and an impressive new marquee vertically spelling the new name E-M-P-I-R-E in brilliant flashing lights. Cliff Knoll, then general manager of The Paramount, said the company renamed the theater to express the recent changes in North Dakota. With the development of a new empire of oil, land development and industry, the Empire became symbolic of the area's progressive forward movement.

A quarter century later, plagued by poor attendance, the Empire closed on January 8, 1987, reopening as a 99-cent theater on July 17. As attendance improved, the Empire was changed back into a first-run movie house in the summer of 1993. Then on December 22, 1994, officials from the Midcontinent Corporation traveled to Grand Forks to make a formal donation of the historic structure to the North Valley Arts Council. It would have a new life as a multi-purpose downtown arts center.

Renovation of the theater and an adjacent storefront building into a multipurpose arts facility began in November 1995. Renovations were hit with a major setback when a historic flood caused major damage to the facility in April 1997. Despite heavy personal losses by nearly all its members, the board of directors voted unanimously to continue the project. The Empire reopened on March 27, 1998, with a reception for major donors and a performance by classical guitarist Berta Rojas. Separating from the North Valley Arts Council, the Empire became a standalone 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in July 2002. It continues to host a variety of theater productions, performing arts, films, concerts, speakers, community events and meetings throughout the year.

As proof of its diversity, these are just some of the awesome happenings currently on the Empire Arts Center calendar of events:

  • April 8 // Nine & Numb Improv
  • April 12 // Family Film Series: The Goonies
  • April 12 // The Empire’s Music Box
  • April 25-May 4 // Stellaluna
  • May 5 // Grand Forks City Band Concert
  • May 8 // Happy Hour: A Standup Comedy Fundraiser for the Empire Arts Center
  • May 17 // Family Film Series: Cars
  • May 17 // The Empire’s Music Box
  • May 27 // Nine & Numb Improv
  • May 29 // Jennifer Lyn & The Groove Revival Present Retrograde: The Spirit of 70s Rock Returns
  • June 6 // Church of Cash: A Johnny Cash Tribute Show
  • June 14 // Family Film Series: Babe
  • June 14 // The Empire’s Music Box
  • June 25 // Nine & Numb Improv
  • July 8 // Frost Fire Summer Theater Presents Fame! The Musical
  • July 12 // Family Film Series: The Lion King
  • july 31 // Nine & Numb Improv

If you’d like additional information on these and other events soon to be on the Empire’s marquee, visit EmpireArtsCenter.com. For a listing of all Greater Grand Forks events, please check out our website calendar at VisitGrandForks.com. We also invite you to follow Visit Greater Grand Forks on Facebook and Instagram.