Santa Barbara Center for Performing Arts Introduces 'Parades at The Granada Theatre' Series, Beg. Today

As Santa Barbara celebrates the beginning of summer, the Santa Barbara Center for Performing Arts' Jurkowitz Center for Community Engagement is introducing a series of family-friendly activities, including "Parades at The Granada Theatre," an opportunity to experience Santa Barbara's State Street parades from seats right in front of the theater. The Jurkowitz Center for Community Engagement works to support the SBCPA's commitment to ensuring that the entire community is actively engaged with, and inspired by, The Granada Theatre.

This year, The Jurkowitz Center for Community Engagement is presenting "Parades at The Granada Theatre" for the Summer Solstice, Fiesta, and the Downtown Holiday Parades. Contributors to the SBCPA Annual Fund, at any level, are invited to come watch the Summer Solstice Parade today, June 22 with fellow friends and supporters of The Granada Theatre. Guests will enjoy special seating on State Street in front of the theater and have the opportunity to visit inside the theater for festive sips and bites. "Parades at The Granada Theatre" begins a new SBCPA tradition bringing together contributors at all levels - to celebrate Santa Barbara culture. These opportunities build a broader base of support within the community and engage supporters with the not-for-profit Granada Theatrein a family-friendly way.

"The Santa Barbara Center for Performing Arts is grateful to Morrie and Irma Jurkowitz for establishing the Jurkowitz Center for Community Engagement in honor of their beloved daughter, Debbie, and grandson, Michael, whose lives were lost in a tragic automobile accident eleven years ago," shared Craig Springer, the Chrisman Executive Director of the Santa Barbara Center for the Performing Arts. "These events are part of The Jurkowitz Center for Community Engagement's goal of opening The Granada Theatre to the entire community. "Parades at The Granada Theatre" are a wonderful opportunity to experience the theater and State Street parades in a new and comfortable way."

Irma and Morrie Jurkowitz, who previously owned The Granada Theatre for many years, are remarkably generous long-time Santa Barbara residents and were instrumental in establishing the SBCPA, the Non-Profit entrusted with the care and operation of the historic Granada Theatre. They are one of six Legacy Donors to the theater's restoration campaign, and they continue to support many local arts and educational non-profit organizations, including Santa Barbara Community College.

The Jurkowitz Center for Community Engagement future activities will include an array of engagement programs, accomplished by working in close partnership with the theater's resident companies, local schools, social service and community organizations, as well as other major arts organizations. The Jurkowitz Center for Community Engagement will play a key role in supporting The Granada Theatre's mission to serve as a vibrant, welcoming venue promoting appreciation for excellence in the performing arts and enhance the quality of life in the community.

As part of the theater's ongoing community engagement efforts, The Granada Theatre regularly presents family-oriented performances, often accompanied by "meet-and-greet the artists" opportunities. Every year, The Granada Theatre also underwrites facility fees for education programming held at the theater by the Santa Barbara Symphony and Music Academy of the West, as well as the annual San Marcos High School student-led fundraiser Kids Helping Kids.

To learn more about The Granada Theatre's Jurkowitz Center for Community Engagement, and about "Parades at The Granada Theatre," please visit The Granada Theatre's website, www.granadasb.org, or call (805) 899-3000. For more information on supporting The Jurkowitz Center for Community Engagement, please contact Kristi Newton, Director of Development, at (805) 451-2932 or at knewton@granadasb.org.

Built in 1924, The Granada Theatre has been an integral part of Santa Barbara's arts and entertainment landscape for almost 90 years. The Granada Theatre has played host to some of the 20th century's greatest entertainers, from Al Jolson, Charlie Chaplin, and Fred Astaire to Henry Fonda, Yo Yo Ma, Steve Martin and the Berlin Philharmonic, to name a few. Re-opened in 2008, under the auspices of the Santa Barbara Center for the Performing Arts, The Granada Theatre re-emerged as a state of the art home for many of Santa Barbara's greatest artistic treasures and a place whose existence makes it possible for the highest levels of artistic expression to take place in Santa Barbara. It is an historical icon that speaks to the central role live performing arts play in defining the communal life of Santa Barbara and the Central Coast region. Under the direction of Chrisman Executive Director, Dr. Craig Springer, a skilled arts administrator with more than 30 years experience, The Granada Theatre annually hosts more than 100 performances and community events. For more information on The Granada Theatre, visit www.granadasb.org.