Arcada celebrates 80 years

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By NICK SWEDBERG

nswedberg@kcchronicle.com

ST. CHARLES - Jamie and Betsy Walsh live just a few blocks from the Fox River and appreciate the at-home feeling of the downtown.

This is why the pair brought their two daughters, Emma and Tess, to St. Charles' landmark theater on its special day.

The Arcada Theatre celebrated a plaque dedication Monday, with the city naming the building an historic landmark.

This year marks the 80th anniversary for the theater.

"This place has a certain magic, a certain feeling," owner Ron Onesti said shortly after the dedication.

His company, Onesti Entertainment Corp., reopened a little more than a year ago after the previous owner had let his lease lapse. Community-driven support urged the theater to remain open.

"This has been quite a ride," Onesti said.

To mark the milestone, the theater is hosting a series of events featuring acts and movies from the glory days of Hollywood and Vaudeville.

For the rest of October, movies such as "The Jazz Singer" and a documentary about the history of the Arcada will be shown.

Onesti said these presentations would complement some of the theater's more modern shows.

"We're trying to keep it contemporary and 'old,' for lack of a better word," Onesti said.

Recent shows include the Colgate Country Showdown and the popular Italian Kings of Comedy.

"It's had its ups and downs, but I've never seen it as active as it is today," St. Charles Mayor Don DeWitte said during the dedication.

DeWitte told of his own experiences growing up in St. Charles and catching a flick at the theater.

"I go back to my youth ... picking up candy on the way to the Sunday matinee," he said.

The Walshes said they had brought their children to several of the Arcada's shows.

"We live within walking distance and it's perfect for us to have a theater downtown," Betsy said.

They lived previously in Lombard, which has a similar downtown theater that is closing.

He and his wife now attend some of the more adult-geared show, such as the Neil Diamond Tribute starring Denny Diamond.