The Friends of the Coronado unveils the theater’s restored marquee sign

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) - The Friends of the Coronado , along with Illinois State Representative Maurice West (D-67) is inviting the community to celebrate the unveiling of the fully restored Coronado Theatre Marquee. The ceremony occurs at 5:00 p.m. Friday, prior to the grand reopening event of Friday Night Flix. Other activities, staring at 6:00 p.m. will be presented by RAVE. The movie “The Croods a New Age” follows at 7:00 p.m.

According to the organization, the marquee has been fully restored with impeccable restoration standards. It was repainted and equipped with all new mechanical systems, and updated with LED technology. 2,808 LED light bulb fixtures were installed to replace the outdated bulbs. The new technology adds additional energy efficiency and brings back the 1927 historical appearance,

Theater historians refer to a theater’s marquee sign as being the “Electric Tiara” of a grand movie palace of the era. In the 1920′s, they were considered feats of engineering with chasing lights on tall towers and canopies extending over busy streets. The 1927 original Coronado Marquee was almost 90 feet high and was replaced in the late 70′s with a more plain marquee. When the theater was restored in 2001, a more elegant design similar to the 20′s was brought back, with a more modern size of 65 feet.

“We are excited to preserve the beautiful marquee sign for generations to come with upgrades of equipment, a LED light bulb conversion, and needed restoration work to secure the beautiful iconic one-of-a-kind grand architectural centerpiece of the Coronado,” says Beth Howard, Executive Director of Friends of the Coronado Foundation.

The restoration was made possible by a number of groups including the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois. The physical restoration was done thanks to the Harder Sign Company and Steiner Electric Supply.

For more information on the movie event, you can check out the Friday Night Flix Facebook page. For more information on the Friends of the Coronado, you’re encouraged to check their website. For other events and information, check out the Coronado theater website.