Bryant community keeps 105-year-old theater alive

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – The town of Bryant, South Dakota holds a historic gem that's over 100 years old.
The Bryant Theater, located on Main Street in the town of around 500 people, has been operating for 105 years, according to a news release.
Major gold find near Spearfish, South Dakota reported
In February of 1920, The Strand Theatre opened, introducing locals to the magic of the silver screen. The first film shown was 'Daddy Long Legs', a 1919 American silent comedy-drama. At the time, admission ranged from only 5 to 25 cents.
The theater has been a staple to Bryant's Main Street ever since, and for the past 25 years, the theater has been kept alive by volunteers alone.
After nearly a year of waiting for approval, the theatre has received 501(C)(3) non-profit status, which will help the historic landmark keep up with the modern times through fundraising efforts, according to the news release.
The current fundraising project aims to restore the buildings interior and exterior walls, doors, and flooring, in order to maintain the integrity of the historic landmark. In total, the goal is to reach $66,500, and the project has already raised 80% of that goal, according to the news release.
The Bryant Theater has meant a lot to the community for decades, and over the years, it's seen many challenges and obstacles, but something that hasn't changed is the community's desire to keep the doors open.
In 1977, the theater was known as Dakota Cinema, and owner Lynn Klungseth kept the theatre open for more than two decades. He was one of the first theater owners in the state to install Dolby Digital sound, according to the Bryan Theater website.
When he decided to sell in 1999, community members came together to purchase the building to prevent it from closing. The group sold theater shares and accepted donations to keep the theater up and running.
The theater holds showings on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings, and the cost is $4 per ticket. The concession stands are filled with pop, candy and popcorn.
Funds collected from ticket sales, concessions, and movie sponsorships let the theater take care of daily operations.
Now that The Bryant Theater is listed as a non-profit, the board of directors encourages patrons to donate, to keep the movies playing–for decades to come.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

New York Post

2 hours ago

• New York Post

Coney Island Mermaid Parade makes a splash once again

The Coney Island Mermaid Parade made quite a splash once again. The 43rd annual event — the nation's largest art parade — welcomed revelers close from the Big Apple to around the world, many donning over-the-top aquatically-themed costumes for the tropical festivities. 'It's a great expression of people's creativity,' gushed Noella Owen, 53, of Brooklyn, who attended with her two children, aged 11 and 12. Advertisement The trio, who show up annually, hand made their marine-centric ensembles. 'My kids are dressed as krill and they wanted me to be a blue whale because of their fat jokes,' Owen said. 6 Many came to the Coney Island Mermaid Parade donning aquatically-themed costumes. Michael Nagle Advertisement The joyfully unconventional parade kicked off at 1 p.m. and the crowd quickly swelled to 30,000, which included marchers, spectators and those on the boardwalk, according to police. Caroline Northrop, 44, a public school teacher from Atlantic Highlands, N.J., also expressed her love for the unique 'celebration of creativity.' '[It] shows so many people are still creative even with AI everywhere, it's so refreshing,' said Northrop, who donned a 'woodland enchantress' outfit decorated with fake mice. 6 The joyful event dates back to 1983. Michael Nagle Advertisement 6 Victor Gonzales spent a month creating his outfit. Khristina Narizhnaya Victor Gonzales, 39, a civil engineer who lives in Queens, dressed as a lion fish, and said it took him one month to painstakingly create the costume. 'Because I have to sew, I have to do this structure. I have to design the makeup as well. Today, [it took to get dressed] probably about two and a half hours … I have to glue on the paper things,' he explained. Each year, a new King Neptune and Queen Mermaid are crowned — Ukrainian-American singer and Gypsy punk band Gogol Bordello frontman Eugene Hütz and Bed-Stuy based pornstar Queenie Sateen were awarded the day's honors. Advertisement 6 Eugene Hütz and Queenie Sateen were crowned King Neptune and Queen Mermaid. Michael Nagle 6 There were 30,000 at the festivities, according to police estimates. Michael Nagle Hütz, who has been living in New York since 1997, was not only finally able to attend this year, but take on the venerable title. 'Every year I hear about it and … some kind of a big splashy burlesque action … and I'm always on tour,' he said. 'And all these years go by like that, let's finally see it already, you know? And then this year, miraculously, we're touring in the later part of the summer, not earlier part of the summer. And I get a call, so it's like, you know, 10 out of 10.' 6 Paula Carlson dressed as a 'more modern mermaid.' Samantha Olander Paula Carlson, 47, of Bay Ridge, a retired emergency manager, dressed as a 'more modern mermaid' in homage to Hütz. 'I wanted to pay tribute, because it is Eugene [Hütz as King Neptune] and he's Ukrainian, to the Rusalka, which is the Ukrainian myth of the mermaid, and she brings water to all of the crops.'

Miami Herald

3 hours ago

• Miami Herald

In 2026, the Party's in the USA. Here's Where to Celebrate

Whether you're a history buff, sports nut or road warrior, there are compelling reasons to visit the United States in 2026. That's because the nation will celebrate its 250th birthday, soccer will crown its world champion and America's Mother Road turns 100. So there's plenty to celebrate in 2026. Here's where to find the party. Philly is, quite literally, the birthplace of American democracy. Philadelphia's Independence Hall is the room where it happened – "it" being the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. In addition to history, this Pennsylvania city will debut the Ministry of Awe. It's a former bank, now owned by a group of artists who have turned the six-story building into a traversable immersive work of art where you can make a deposit or a withdrawal of awe. How cool is that? For film buffs, 2026 also marks the 50th birthday of the first "Rocky" movie, so there will be Rocky-themed tours. And, of course, you'll want to run up the 72 steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. SheBuysTravel Tip: Here's how to spend a weekend with girlfriends in Philadelphia. And here are fun things to do with kids in Philly. This is the state on my to-do list for 2026. It will be my 50th state.. And the reason to visit: The opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library honoring the nation's 26th president. I'm a sucker for a good presidential library. I love seeing the way their actions are portrayed in a positive light. (If you don't believe me, stop by the Herbert Hoover presidential library in West Branch, Iowa. It makes the president who presided over the Great Depression look like a great leader.) I was surprised to learn that Teddy, a strong leader and fierce conservationist who created five new National Parks, never had a presidential library. But, as the library notes on its website, "The world needs Theodore Roosevelt now more than ever." SheBuysTravel Tip: Check out these fun things to do in Medora, ND. Known as football to the rest of the world, the premier soccer championship will take place in North America, with games set for Canada, Mexico and the U.S. American host cities are: AtlantaBostonDallasHoustonKansas CityLos AngelesMiamiNew York/New JerseyPhiladelphiaSeattleSan Francisco Bay Area Philadelphia gets bonus points on the sports scorecard. It also will host the National Football League draft, the Professional Golf Association championship and the Major League Baseball All-Star series in 2026 – all over the course of eight weeks next summer. Route 66, America's legendary highway affectionately known as "The Mother Road," hits the century mark in 2026. The iconic Route 66 winds more than 2,400 miles from Chicago to Santa Monica. Immortalized in song, people have been getting their kicks on Route 66 since 1926. Route 66 became the go-to path for classic American vacations complete with neon-lit roadside motels, giant roadside attractions, and diner milkshakes. The highway winds through eight states: IllinoisMissouriKansasOklahomaTexasNew MexicoArizonaCalifornia Though it was officially retired from the U.S. Highway System in 1985, Route 66 never really went away. Instead, it became a living time capsule, lovingly preserved by fans, travelers, and small towns that keep its magic alive. Now, the road is gearing up for a coast-to-coast birthday bash. Expect vintage car parades, live music, food fests, and probably more than a few Elvis impersonators. SheBuysTravel Tip: When you want an affordable room for the night, choose a Signature Inn. There are two ways to answer this question: from the perspective of America's political leaders and from the perspective of its people. While the message from the White House is that not all visitors are welcome here, the destinations that were represented at IPW in Chicago in June 2025 made it clear that they welcome everyone, regardless of color or creed. And, of course, the people of America are warm and wonderful. Take, for example, the Mexican man in Chicago's heavily Hispanic Little Village neighborhood. He spoke little English, but when an Australian writer needed a ride to catch her bus, he stepped up. And, when he realized she had left her hat in his car, he again went out of his way to return it to her. That's Midwest nice and a warm American welcome. The post In 2026, the Party's in the USA. Here's Where to Celebrate appeared first on She Buys Travel. Copyright © 2025 SheBuysTravel · All Rights Reserved

Epoch Times

5 hours ago

• Epoch Times

‘Sargent and Paris' at the Met

John Singer Sargent (1856–1925) was the most lauded portraitist of his day. At the height of his career, he painted the crème de la crème of society: Gilded Age titans of industry, American dollar princesses, and aristocratic Edwardian beauties. The foundations of his artistic practice can be traced to his time in Paris, where he arrived in 1874 at age 18 and stayed for a decade. He drew inspiration from his teacher, contemporary painters, a varied social circle of creatives and patrons, and art history. 'Sargent and Paris,' a special exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on view through Aug. 3, 2025, explores this productive, essential period of his work. The show culminates in a presentation of Sargent's pivotal painting 'Madame X,' but the exhibition's ingenuity is that it places the artwork in the context of his rich, early Parisian portraits. Training in Paris