05/28/2026
The lights are back on. π
The historic Bonnie Kate Theater is officially reopening its doors, bringing new life back to a place filled with stories, memories, and timeless charm. Welcome back to an icon β€οΈ
Something is stirring on South Sycamore Street.
The Bonnie Kate Theater, first opened July 4, 1927, is entering a new era. What has lived in memory for nearly a century is now taking physical shape again in steel, light, color, and craft.
For months, restoration has been underway inside and outside this historic landmark: auditorium renewed, bathrooms restored, and the bones of a new future carefully put back together.
Now, the most visible symbol of that renewal has arrivedβthe new Art Deco-inspired marquee. A two-part design, beginning with the horizontal canopy now in place, with a vertical companion piece planned for installation this fall.
This is not just restoration.
It is reawakening.
π¬ And the story is building toward one nightβ¦
π Friday, June 5 β 8:30 p.m.
β¨ The First Lighting of the NEW Bonnie Kate marquee
π You are invited.
An evening of community and celebration featuring:
π Elizabethton Community Theater previewing Steel Magnolias
ποΈ City of Elizabethton, Chamber of Commerce, and Main Street Elizabethton
π Bonnie Kate Restoration Board & Friends of the Bonnie Kate leadership
π« Introduction of the First Lighting moment by 106-year-old patron Mrs. Virginia Laws
Downtown Elizabethton Elizabethton Chamber Elizabethton/Carter County Public Library