It’s that time of the year when we often feel at a crossroads; on the one hand we are reflecting on the past year and on the other, we are looking forward to the next and all that it will bring and all that we hope to accomplish.
2025 was an incredible year for Smoky Mountain Community Theatre, with so much progress made toward our renovation goals. We celebrated the completion and rental of both storefronts, a new vestibule ceiling, exterior lighting, the installation of multiple exterior events “showcases”, and our lobby is now almost complete with new lighting, drywalling, flooring – and the best part for those of us attending workdays and meetings at the theatre – a working restroom!
And those are just the highlights; we won’t talk about the fact that all electrical and plumbing systems have now been brought up to code or that the work in the storefronts and lobby were basically like building a new building. I would say the renovations were “from the studs out” but our walls are concrete and plaster, we actually had to build studs.
In addition to the renovations work, our volunteers and board members worked multiple events to give back to the community including hosting the Easter Bunny at the theatre for the second year, participating in Downtown Trick or Treat and the Christmas Parade, and working as volunteers for the Christmas Lights Show.
Enough of 2025, let’s talk 2026! Work will continue on the lobby as we finish the other restrooms and install doors for the auditorium. Then on to the second floor with a grant from the USDA that will enable us to finish it up and offer the spaces to the community for offices. And we’re still seeking funding to move into the big finish – the auditorium!
If you have been a part of the journey so far as a volunteer, donor, or just interested onlooker – thank you! If you haven’t and would like to join us – please do! It’s going to be another incredible year for SMCT and we would love for you to be a part of it! See you in 2026!