HOULTON, Maine — Following a major sponsorship agreement with the Houlton Band of Maliseets and York’s of Houlton, the 1919 historic Temple Theater on Market Square has renamed its two inside theaters.
Theater one is now the York’s Theater and theater two, the Houlton Band of Maliseets Theater, said Jason Howe, Temple Theater general manager on Monday.
“This is a great partnership and we are really looking forward to keeping the community coming into downtown and the theater,” he said.
Houlton’s Temple Theater is one of the oldest continuously operating movie theaters in the state. And when previous owner Charles Fortier said he was closing in June, Houlton entrepreneur Fred Grant, president of Northern Maine Media Inc. and owner of Market Pizza in Houlton, said he couldn’t let that happen and purchased it.
“When Charles Fortier announced the imminent closure of the Temple Theatre, my heart sank,” Grant said. “The thought of losing such a foundational piece of our community was unbearable.”
And since that time, Grant and his team have been finding innovative ways to transform the theater. They plan to offer film festivals, live-streamed concerts, top-of-the-line laser film and streaming projection. Most recently, the Houlton Town Council approved a liquor license for the theater to sell beer and wine.
Grant told the town council that the application for the liquor license is the “opportunity for opportunities.”
He said he has many requests for private events at the theater that include serving beer and wine. Additionally, Grant is looking to upgrade the balcony area in Theater One as an upscale seating area for adults with reclining seats and its own concession area that serves beer and wine.
This latest partnership will help keep the doors open and attract more people to the theater’s new offerings, said Howe.
The two sponsors have made a major undisclosed financial commitment to the theater for one year. The exterior and interior signage will reflect the new theater names, he said.
York’s is a Houton automotive dealer and as part of their partnership with the theater, their employees will get benefits like discounts on concessions, ticket prices and more.
The Houlton Band of Maliseets sponsorship was just finalized on Oct. 2 and the details of their benefits are still being worked out, but will be similar to York’s, Howe said.
“They have invested in the theater and the arts and we appreciate their investment,” he said. “We want to keep the theater going for 104 more years.”
