Historic Dixie Theatre
by Brittany McGehee
from Economic & Community Development Newsletter 2008, Volume 1, Issue 1

History is the cornerstone of a city, and Ruston has a solid foundation. In January of 2006, the historic Dixie Theatre celebrated its grand re-opening. Built in 1928, the theatre is a nexus of fond memories and a bright future for the Ruston community.

Since its re-opening, more than 150 events have taken place at the Dixie, bringing in over 33,000 attendees.  “It’s impressive how many people have come through, since we’ve only been open two and a half years,” remarked Marlen Waters, director of the Dixie Center for the Arts.  The Dixie sponsors seven to eight events a year, bringing in patrons from five parishes and southern Arkansas.  They are also open for rentals, and host a number of special events and school shows each season, in addition to the seasonal plays produced by the Ruston Community Theatre and the concerts performed by the Ruston Civic Symphony Society.  Events at the Dixie range from international touring groups like China’s premiere acrobat group The Golden Dragons, to locally produced plays, to concerts with music of all types — jazz, country, rap, classical, and bluegrass — to variety shows.

It was the community that made the revitalization of the Dixie possible, with more than 70 volunteers working tirelessly to raise the needed $1 million for renovations.  Describing the fund-raising process, Waters said, “it was basically ’bake sale-ing’ our way to one million dollars.’  It took many unique fundraisers over the course of 11 years to raise the necessary funds.  “It was a huge community effort, and that’s what we’re most proud of.”

Now it’s the Dixie’s turn to give back to the community. The Dixie Center for the Arts is a vital contributor to the community of downtown Ruston, bringing locals and visitors together for events every month.  It is completely self-supported, depending on donations and sponsorships for its running.  The Lincoln Parish School Board connects with the Dixie for school events and the Ruston Police Department partners also to ensure a safe environment for eventgoers. “We try to do as much local advertisement and buying as possible,” said Waters, “we want to keep our money in Lincoln Parish.”

In addition to those things directly purchased by the Dixie, their patrons also benefit the local economy.  According to a survey conducted by the Dixie, 85-90% of concert attendees eat out locally before attending evening events.  In fact, so many people enjoyed pre-event dining that the Dixie moved the start time of performances from 7:00 pm to 7:30 pm.  “It’s amazing that Ruston has something like this, isn’t it?” wondered Waters.

We couldn’t agree more.