Chris Nielsen reveals the new seats planned for the Solvang Festival Theater as part of its renovation.
The Solvang Theater Fest recently marked a significant milestone in the Solvang Festival Theater’s renovation with a recent “Rejsegilde” celebration on the stage.
The Rejsegilde, or topping-off tradition, involved placing a Danish wreath on the top of one of six new lighting towers, which were set in place in January and mark the highest point in the Theaterfest’s $4.7 million renovation project.
Community members, as well as the Theaterfest’s board and staff on stage, joined in the event Friday to view the progress of the renovation, which began in September and is set to be completed in July.
Two key announcements concerning the project were made during the event. The first update was on the capital campaign whose original fundraising goal was $4.7 million in 2018.
“We’re now a little more than $100,000 from our original goal, and it’s all because of people like you,” said Ann Foxworthy Lewellen, the board vice chair and capital campaign chair.
The final budget will increase marginally due to minor cost adjustments in the original budget, according to a news release.
“A lot of people said we would never be able to get here, and now, we’re almost there,” added Ms. Foxworthy Lewellen.
The second announcement came from Chris Nielsen, the board immediate past chair and current chair of the Construction Committee, who unveiled a sample of the new seating for the 700-seat theater, which is now included as part of the renovation. He described the new seats as “Danish Blue.”
“We’ve been asked hundreds of times if we were getting new seats, and now the answer is ‘yes,’ ” said Mr. Nielsen.
For more information, contact Solvang Theaterfest Executive Director Scott Coe at exec.director@solvangtheaterfest.org or 805-588-4112 or go to solvangtheaterfest.org/campaign.php.
email: kzehnder@newspress.com
