With a hearty cheer, a large crowd celebrated the unveiling of the new marquee, marking the first phase of the restoration of the old Iola Theatre in downtown Iola. Throngs of youngsters gather outside the old Iola Theater for the showing of “The Circus Clown” sometime in the 1930s. The ornate marquee has been rebuilt and was turned on for the public Friday. With the glitz and glamour of a Hollywood premiere mixed with the home-town folksiness of a county fair, droves of Iolans turned out for a party Friday. The occasion? Members of the Iola Theatre Association turned on the lights for the building’s marquee, an exact replica of the original from when the movie house first opened its doors in 1931. The crowd was greeted with storybook weather conditions as they were serenaded by both the Iola High School and Allen Community College jazz bands.
Read more: The Iola Register
