ATHOL — A special celebration is coming soon to a theatre near you. On Saturday, Athol Cinemas 8 at the North Quabbin Commons will mark its first year anniversary with swag giveaways and selfie stations with props to bring out your inner Hollywood celebrity.
The theatre opened its doors on May 18, 2018, an hour after town officials gave clearance to do so, according to General Manager Terri Michalec-Beam. Among the first films previewed were “Avengers: Infinity War,” “Book Club,” “Deadpool 2,” and “Life of the Party.”
“The first year was great,” said Michalec-Beam in an e-mail. “Of course, we are dependent upon getting good product and we certainly had that this first year.” She said the theatre did well with the kids’ movies and the Marvel films are always blockbusters.
Thor and his company of superheroes have returned to Athol in the box office-dominating “Avengers: Endgame,” and also showing is “POMS” from the creator of “Book Club.”
Other films that will be playing during the anniversary weekend are “John Wick 3” and “A Dog’s Journey.”
Michalec-Beam said the reclining seats are a big draw for patrons. “I know people are coming here from at least 40 minutes away. They like the seats here and the pricing is comparable to other luxury theaters.”
Michalec-Beam said anyone who has a Customer Rewards card or gets a new one will receive 10 extra points for the day for purchases.
From 2 to 5 p.m., volunteers from Athol High School will be offering free face painting for children ages 11 and under.
Patrons can enter for the swag giveaways by filling out a ticket with their name and phone number. Winners will be drawn at random after closing on May 18, and anniversary cake will be served.
As for plans for the theatre’s second year, Michalec-Beam said, “We are so excited to be bringing in food items like chicken tenders, French fries and pizza. We would like to test with other drink items, and people ask if we have ice cream, so we are looking into options to satisfy that ice cream fix.”
For more information, visit www.yourneighborhoodtheatre.com, or Athol Cinemas 8 Facebook page.