🕯️ From Family Legacy to Community Magic

Originally owned by the Bahle Family until 2018, The Bay Theatre was a beloved landmark until the owners announced they’d be shutting it down. The town of Suttons Bay wasn’t about to let that happen. They rallied together, transforming The Bay into a nonprofit — and in doing so, kept its marquee lights glowing.

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🎭 Seasons of Storytelling

As a nonprofit, The Bay runs on a two-season schedule. During the busy tourist months, it’s a first-run movie theater. Off-season, it leans into second-run titles and community favorites: indie films, documentaries, local-interest features. They also host live events like panels, Q&As, concerts, and comedy shows. From what I’ve seen, they’re still going strong in all of it.

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🎄 Facade & Fireproof Fantasies

From the street, The Bay’s facade looks straight out of a Hallmark Christmas movie — all charm and old-town sweetness. But from the side or back, the building is much shorter and less polished, like a movie set where the magic is only skin-deep.

Behind that facade, the theater holds plenty of history. The projector room is encased in a cement bunker — built back when this was the safest way to contain a fire if a projector overheated and burst into flames. Backstage, there are two “dressing rooms” (we used them for storage), a bathroom, and a workshop area. Above that? Even more storage, stuffed with decades of odds and ends from the theater’s past.

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🍿 Renovations & Regulars

During my time there, I helped them secure new seats, curtains, screens, a sound system, a popcorn popper, and an ice machine (nugget ice FTW 🤘). We had dedicated regulars, a handful of loyal volunteers who’d run shows for free popcorn and a movie, and a community that cared deeply.

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🌌 A Galaxy Quest & a Hollywood Guest

My favorite event? The Galaxy Quest screening with special guest Tim Allen. That was hard work — repainting the stage, meeting every contract demand down to the stool height — but it ended with a personal thank-you from Tim himself. I even brought in a cosplay group that goes around to different conventions as Thermians.

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🚫 Not Every Booking a Blockbuster

Of course, there were less successful bookings. Like the band that wanted white Escalades from the airport and a five-star resort within ten minutes of the venue… in Suttons Bay. (Spoiler: those don’t exist.) Most performers were happy to stay in one of our board member’s rentals.

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🐾 Extras, Mascots & Movie Dogs

I liked to do extras to make visits special — like borrowing mascots from my mom’s theater or collaborating with local animal shelters. When we showed the movie Dog, someone saw one of the shelter dogs we advertised before the movie and went to adopt him the very next day.

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🕰️ Dinner, Then a Show

The Bay has a relatively later showtime so you can enjoy dinner at a local restaurant, then catch a movie. Whether you’re a tourist looking for small-town charm or a local in the mood for something special, The Bay is one of those rare places where cinema still feels like an event.

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🤝 Say Hi to Tom

If you stop by, make sure to say hi to my best buddy, Tom.