Toccoa To Unveil Marquee At Schaefer Center Today

Toccoa will officially unveil its new Ritz Theatre marquee for the Schaefer Center at an event later today.

“Puttin’ on the Ritz” will take place today at the Schaefer Center to turn on the lights on the new marquee.

Main Street Toccoa Events Coordinator Sharon Crosby said everything will get started at 5:30 p.m.

“At 5:30 p.m., we are going to be having a reception for everyone,” said Crosby. “At 6 p.m., we are going to have a short ceremony that will culminate with the lighting of the marquee and we are really excited about that. We are anxious to see how it looks when it is all lit up.”

At 6:30 p.m., the city will re-create a well-known photo of the Schaefer Center when it was the Ritz Theatre.

The photo is of the front of the theatre with people standing outside waiting to see the film, “Once Upon a Horse,” which counted Toccoa’s own Paul Anderson among its cast.

Crosby said anyone in the original picture is encouraged to come out and be in the re-creation.

She went on to say everyone there will be invited to be a part of the photo, which will be followed by more entertainment.

“We are hoping it will be a fun afternoon and then to see that picture again, especially with some of the ones that were originally in it,” said Crosby. “Then at 7 p.m., we are going to be showing Disney’s ‘Inside Out.’ That is free for everyone. The whole evening is free. We are just inviting everyone to come.”

The showing of “Inside Out” is being co-sponsored by the Toccoa-Stephens County Library.

According to Crosby, representatives from the Fox Theater Institute will also be on hand as that organization provided a grant that helped pay for the construction and installation of the new marquee.