Florence, Colorado: It's A Good Year For Tomatoes & The Rialto Theater

It's always a good year for the 1923 Rialto Theater on Florence's Main Street. Because each year that passes, the old beauty (one of the last opera houses built in Colorado) is closer to being restored to its former glory.

It's always good to support the Rialto and all the fundraising efforts. But now is your chance to give to a good cause and have some fun.

OK, it's not a good year for tomatoes at all. But it's a great time to attend the play: It's A Bad Year For Tomatoes, being performed at the Rialto to raise money for the restoration.

The tomatoey play is being brought to Florence by the Fremont Civic Theater. Did you know that the FCT is Colorado's oldest continuously active theater organization? I did not know. But I do now. So I've redeemed myself. You'd know that interesting tidbit and much more though if you visited the group's Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/FremontCivicTheater/

Oh, the poster is a bit chopped. Sorry. I notice the play is rated PG-13, so I'm going to guess that perhaps a tomato or two might also get chopped. Perhaps made into ketchup or something.

I have no idea what the play is about. Tomatoes maybe? But I do know I am going.

This will be the first performance held at the Rialto for decades and buying a ticket or two is one step closer to seeing the total restoration of the Rialto, located at 209 W. Main St.

Tickets are available by calling 719-275-8989 or at Absolute Accounting and City Market in Canon City. Or at Heartland Antiques and the Fox Den in Florence.

And while you in town gawking at the beauty of the Rialto and planning to see the tomato play, you might as well come a little early and browse the town's many antiques shops and art galleries. And of course, have a morsel or two to eat at some of Florence's great restaurants.

I was just stuffing my cakehole at Ito's Japanese Restaurant and Steakhouse the other night, thinking it was totally cool that I don't have to leave our tiny burg to get some of the most awesome food ever.

And now I don't have to leave town to have a fun night at the theater!

Florence, CO: Watch The RIALTO THEATER Kickstarter Film

The Rialto Theater was completed in 1923 in the small town of Florence, Colorado. For many decades, that historical jewel has sat vacant while attempts have been made to restore her.

She started her place in the community as an opera house, but went on to be the center of the community and host vaudeville shows, movies and more.

The Rialto is one of the few remaining opera houses in Colorado that still is substantially the same as it was nearly 100 years ago. And it is also one of the few theaters anywhere in the country that boasts a 50-foot fly tower.

Right now there is an urgent need to raise funds to complete the restoration and a Kickstarter campaign is underway. But there is less than three weeks left for the project to be funded through Kickstarter. View the fantastic Kickstarter film here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1253025752/restore-the-historic-rialto-theatre?ref=nav_search

Steampunk Window Displays: Spirit Riders

As you all know, I've been roaming around Florence-the antiques capital of Colorado to view some of the steampunk window displays in evidence as the town gears up for its 2nd annual Escape In Time To Steampunk In Wine Festival, April 9 and 10.

Of course, we'd expect Spirit Rider, at 111 W. Main, to have a tantalizing steampunk window display, because store co-owner, Barb Bierley, is the driving force and organizer of the steampunk festival.

Barb has done a fantastic job of of turning Florence's steampunk festival into a tour de force.

She's organized and inspired the town to embrace the steampunk identity. And it's an identity that Florence had all along--but just needed a festival to celebrate what it already had for many years.

If you've read previous blog posts, you know that Florence, with its many antiques shops and art galleries was already embracing the Victoriana, steampunk and industrials arts for years.

It took someone like Barb to organize the festival into an event that perfectly showcases what Florence had for years-a multitude of shops, artists and resources that embodies the spirit of steampunk.

And this festival is a double-win. No, it's more like a quadruple or more win. The festival not only celebrates the spirit of steampunk, but the small-town community feel of Florence and all the creativity that has always been here. It also celebrates a town treasure: The historic 1923 opera house, the Rialto. The event is a fundraiser to restore the town jewel that is the Rialto. And that's something we can all get behind.

See you there--on April 9 and 10!

Florence, Colorado: The Historic Rialto Theater

Florence, Colorado has treasures almost everywhere--but one of its finest treasures is The Rialto Theater at 209 W. Main St. The grand old building was constructed in 1923 as an opera house with nearly 900 seats. By 1927, the grand old dame was used for screening movies and by 1969 it was closed and ever since has mostly been undergoing painstaking restoration.

The Rialto, named after a section of Venice, Italy--stands as a historical testament to not only the Italian culture so vital in Fremont County, but to the grand era of opera houses.

After years of ups and downs, the theater has seen some majestic restorations, but is still in need of more funds and community volunteers to complete the decade- long project.

I've only been in Florence a relatively short time, but have been following the progress of this massive undertaking. We were fortunate enough to have a private tour of The Rialto, given by Suzanne Phipps, who was instrumental in raising funds and completing projects--shortly before her death in Dec. of 2014.

More recently, city leaders and other civic leaders have taken over the restoration project.

The Rialto has a new (and under partial construction) website at: http://www.historicrialtotheater.com/

Some have estimated that it will take about $1 million more to complete the project and open the doors to opera, theater, community gatherings and more.

I think of Florence (pop. apprx. 3,800) as the little town that could--and will. I think they can do it.

I got a bit curious about the history of opera houses in Colorado. So I went to: www.operaoldcolo.info/houses.html

I know the Rialto is a historical and architectural treasure, but just how rare is it in the state of Colorado?

There were about 150 opera houses built from about 1860 to 1920 in Colorado, according to the historical opera house website. That was the apparent heyday not only in Colorado, but across the USA. Of course, tastes changed. In the 1920s, the silent movies, automobiles and other factors changed people's habits in entertainment.

So, by that standard--Florence's opera house was built in 1923, just as the heyday of opera houses was winding down.

I scanned the website to see if the Rialto was listed. I was surprised that it was not. According to the website, Florence had a previous opera house built in 1903, that is now apparently a bank parking lot.

According to the website, only about 46 (or approximately one-third) of Colorado's original opera houses have been identified and many of those 46 have been so substantially remodeled or renovated that they can barely be classified as historical opera houses. Sad. About 17 remain in mostly intact condition. Buildings, that is, that were significantly associated with opera in the past, still are, or ones that will be fairly soon.

Seventeen. Sad.

But, Florence's Rialto Theater is not on the list. It's not even mentioned.

Do we have number 18 here?

Regardless, most people in Fremont County agreed The Rialto is a treasure that needs to be restored, not only for the historical record, but for the community treasure it was, still is and will be even more so in the future.