SEARCY — Driving into downtown Searcy on West Race Avenue — one of the main roads in town — it is hard to miss the faded facade of the Rialto Theater across from the county courthouse. The landmark movie theater is on the historical registry and has been a destination for White County moviegoers for years, but is in need of a major face-lift.
The renovations are taking place as a result of a partnership between the Searcy Regional Economic Development Corp. — an entity of the Searcy Regional Chamber of Commerce — and Main Street Searcy.
Amy Burton, Main Street Searcy executive director, said the Rialto has been on everyone’s radar for a long time, and she is happy to see the project get started.
“Ever since Main Street Searcy started 10 years ago, there’s been talk about the Rialto,” she said. “It’s just never been the right time for that push.”
The Rialto, which was built in the early 1920s and remodeled in the 1940s, is one of the few historic movie theaters that is still open daily, showing films every evening, as well as matinees on Saturdays and Sundays. The building is owned by the city, and the theater is run by area resident Victor Weber.
“It has historic significance to the community, to the downtown landscape, but there are also the memories attached to it,” Burton said. “Whether you’re a 20-year-old at Harding, a 10-year-old who goes to the dollar shows now, or you’re a 90-year-old that used to go to the theater years ago, it spans generations and brings people together.”
Burton said the Rialto is one part of the big picture to bring a community focus back to downtown Searcy.
“The big picture includes Holiday of Lights, streetscaping, trees, crosswalks and other general beautification projects,” she said. “These projects will begin downtown as the center of the community and then branch out and spread through Searcy as a whole. The Rialto is one piece of that puzzle.”
The Searcy Regional Chamber of Commerce and Main Street Searcy have teamed up to raise funds to revive the Rialto, and the renovations will occur in separate phases. The first phase will require an estimated $60,000 to restore the lights, the exterior paint and the facade of the theater. Organizers hope to have this done by Christmas so the theater can be a part of the downtown holiday light displays.
To make a financial contribution for the theater’s renovation, visit www.searcy.com and click on the “Revive the Rialto” icon. This will redirect to a GoFundMe page, where donations can be made. Funds can also be sent to Main Street Searcy, P.O. Box 1127, Searcy, AR 72145. For mail-in donations, specify that the money is for the Rialto project. All donations are tax-deductible.
Burton is also looking for old photos and stories of the Rialto to help in the renovation. She said photos can be black and white or color, and she is interested in finding references for all aspects of the interior and exterior of the theater.
“There are a lot of pictures out there that might just be a snapshot,” she said. “If you have a picture of you and a bunch of friends standing in front of the concession stand, we want that. We use those pictures as we are rehabilitating the building to make sure we are as accurate as possible. It could be a parade shot or something like that — we want people to think outside the box.”
To submit a photo or story, email Burton at mainstreetsearcy@sbcglobal.net or call (501) 279-9007.
Updates on the Rialto’s renovations — along with potential fundraising opportunities — will be posted on Main Street Searcy’s Facebook page.
Staff writer Angela Spencer can be reached at (501) 244-4307 or aspencer@arkansasonline.com.