April 2015 • FREE
Scottish Heritage Festival
The landmark historic Whiteside Theater building, corner of Fourth and Madison, downtown Corvallis.
Pipers are only a part of the annual Scottish Festival in Albany.
Put on your kilt and get ready for a day of fun. The Scottish Heritage Festival is coming to the Linn County Fair and Expo Center in Albany from 9AM until 5PM on April 11. The theme of this years festival is “Sharing the Story and Experiencing the History.” Organizers say the purpose of the festival is to provide families and community members with outstanding entertainment while providing information on the influence of Celtic culture in the areas of science, medicine, industry, education, literature and government. Entertainment will feature the award winning Gothard Sisters who took the 2013 national award as the “Best New Irish Artists.” Also appearing will be the Golden Bough Celtic band just back from a tour of Europe and celebrating their 35th anniversary as a group. Local entertainers will include dancers from the Corvallis Celtic Arts Studio, the Eugene Highlander Pipe Band and the Kitchen Ceilidh, a Eugene-based all women singing group. There will be clans and various vendors featuring Celtic jewelry and other wares. Authentic Scottish food will also be available at the festival. Historic re-enactments will take place featuring the Northwest Jacobites, the Cameron Highlanders, the Knights of Varitas and the Court of Mary Queen of Scots. Highland game events will also be on display including the 3,000 year old Celtic game of hurling. Admission to the Scottish Heritage Festival is $10, seniors and students is $8 and children 12 and under are free. There will be no charge for parking at the fair and expo center. This is a great event for Albany and promises to be a truly unusual and memorable day for everyone attending.
New Life For A Corvallis Landmark by Rick Rogers
When the Whiteside Theater was built on the corner of S.W. Fourth and Madison Streets in downtown Corvallis in 1922, it was considered one of the most lavish and beautiful movie palaces in the state.It was built by brothers Samuel and George Whiteside, considered to be the founders of the movie business in Corvallis opening their first movie house in 1908.The building is the perfect example of Italian Renaissance architecture applied to a theater.The Whiteside family continued to operate it as a movie house until the 1980’s when it was sold to Tim Moyer and eventually Regal Cinemas.The Whiteside closed its doors in 2002 and was apparently headed for the wrecking ball, eventually becoming a retail space. That is when a group of local concerned citizens stepped up to the place and went before the Corvallis City Council in an attempt to save the venerable old theater with a plan to convert it into a community entertainment center for stage and movie presentations. The non-profit Whiteside Theater Foundation was born and with it came the beautiful renovation work that is being done today.
Louise-Annette Burgess, one of the founders of the Whiteside Theater Foundation, gets ready to open the snack bar.
For those who have never been inside the Whiteside, you are in for a treat.When it was built, the theater seated 1,135 people.The seating capacity was later reduced to 800.When you walk through the front doors you will find a lobby and auditorium that instantly transports you back to the days of movie palace opulence. A huge “sunburst” lighting fixture illuminates the auditorium with decorative accents at every turn.There is a full balcony and a mezzanine that features a lounge area where you can still see some of the buildings features that have been preserved over the years. The Foundation has worked hard to raise money and now features events throughout the year including concerts, films and more.They are currently seeking donations and help to upgrade the electrical systems in the building, expansion of the lobby and upgrades to the stage and dressing room areas.For more information and a list of scheduled events go online to their website at: www.whitesidetheater.org. Tours of the theater are scheduled for May 4 and July 6 for a $5 donation and is well worth the time to take an inside look at one of the mid-valley’s architectural treasures.
One of the beautiful ceiling decorations in the Whiteside’s mezzanine lounge.