By Carter Phillips

Sitting deep in the foliage of cobblestone and brick, pavements and road signs, wanderers and workers there lies an old theater, known to many residents as The Fargo Theatre.

It is one of the oldest theaters in North Dakota still in operation.
Dating back to 1935 the Theatre has survived the rise of television, the invention of home video, the invasion of streaming services and the fall of the video store but without strife.

During my brief correspondence with her for my last Article: Panic in the Cinema Palace, available on this website, the executive director Emily Beck addresses the industries long history, “People have predicted the downfall of cinemas several times in the last century. First, it was the invention of broadcast television. Then cable. Then video rental chains like Blockbuster. Then (of course) streaming services and COVID. The last two years have been incredibly difficult for our industry – I won’t even try to sugar-coat the challenges – but I can’t help but feel that there is a resiliency at the heart of what we do. That is thanks to people like you — people who value the experience.”

Unfortunately, people like me are rare these days. The mainstream prioritizes anything popular and everything short.
It seems that the middle aged and elders are demographics that the theatre is not keeping. For decades the most prominent demographic has been teenagers.

Most big blockbusters are labeled PG-13 so that families and kids can attend.

With the Fargo Theatre, there is an annual silent film showing and ongoing classic film series.

It’s selling well. It brings the shy demographics filled with people who would often rather watch movies from home, back into the cinemas.
Unfortunately for the teenage demographic, it should be noted that blockbuster entertainment (The Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars for example) is not commonplace. For my generation, this theatre is a great way to explore different movies which we otherwise wouldn’t get exposure to.

The Fargo Theatre also holds many events, from musical performances to comedy shows.

n the curation and overall appeal Beck had this to state, “But these are new times with new challenges. In partnership with other cinema operators, we will keep pushing film distributors to provide long windows between a theatrical releases and streaming premieres. We will continue to work hard to give our guests the best independent, international, and classic programming available. We’ve recently upped our concessions offerings to include specialty beverages and new candies. Our marketing frequently highlights the entire experience of going out downtown and all that has to offer. Since our reopening, we’ve heard from countless guests that they missed the Fargo Theatre and the experience of seeing a movie on the big screen. While they[‘re] are challenges ahead, we remain optimistic that there will always be an audience eager for a night at the movies.”

Being as old as it is, they have preserved the feel and ambiance that it had in its prime. It’s like stepping back into history.
Regardless, it has state of the art technology so that films are projected for the best performance.

If you’re in the downtown area, a good place to visit would be the Fargo theater which always has something interesting playing.