Capitol Theatre marks milestone anniversary with Family Day weekend programming

Capitol Theatre celebrates 100 years The Capitol Theatre marked its centennial anniversary with a full day of programming. Chris Campbell has details.

Windsor’s Capitol Theatre is celebrating its 100th anniversary with a full slate of programming Saturday.

With support from the City of Windsor and the Government of Canada, the Capitol Theatre has partnered with the Windsor Symphony Orchestra, Windsor International Film Festival (WIFF), WindsorEssex Community Foundation and Museum Windsor to present the Capitol Legacy Celebration.

"We are thrilled to recognize and celebrate the centennial of this historic and cultural gem in such an exciting way. Reflecting on its 100-year history, the Capitol Theatre was a place where many residents saw great films and made amazing memories. Since its reinvention in the 1990's thanks to the efforts and support of many people, the Capitol Theatre has been an incubator and a venue for performing arts in our region. Within the last decade, the WSO and WIFF have called the Capitol Theatre home. The WSO is proud to manage this vital community asset on the part of the City of Windsor,” said WSO executive director Sheila Wisdom said in a news release.

The community celebration will have events ongoing from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18.

The programming includes:

The multi-phase project and community celebration received a $500,000 grant through the Legacy Fund component of the Building Communities through Arts and Heritage program which provides funding for community-initiated capital projects intended for community use.

“The Government of Canada is proud to partner with the City of Windsor to support the revitalization of the Capitol Theatre, which has drawn our community together, told our local stories, and reinforced our cultural diversity for over 100 years,” Windsor-Tecumseh MP Irek Kusmierczyk said.

The city also added $1.8 million to bring the total investment to $2.3 million. The approved grant application sought funding for a multi-phase project to commemorate the theatre’s 100th anniversary with a legacy installation, community celebration and extensive infrastructure improvements.