2 Years After Fire, 'It's A Wonderful Life' For Sag Harbor Cinema

SAG HARBOR, NY — Exactly two years to the day that a fire ripped through Sag Harbor, ravaging the Sag Harbor Cinema, a celebration will take place to mark the iconic structure's rise from the proverbial ashes.

On Sunday, Nov. 16, the Sag Harbor Cinema Arts Center presents "an old-timey holiday party" and a showing of "It's A Wonderful Life." The announcement for the event read: "We thought it was about time for a little nostalgia, especially on the anniversary of the fire that gutted the Sag Harbor Cinema on December 16, 2016. So we're celebrating our first responders and our community with an old-fashioned Christmas party at Christ Episcopal Church."

The event will include caroling by Boots on the Ground's Dickens Carolers, decked out in Victorian garb, refreshments by Janet O'Brien Catering — and Santa himself, greeting children, thanks to photographer, graphic designer, and veteran Santa Charlie Grubb.

The festivities kick off at 4 p.m. with Santa, hot chocolate and caroling, followed by a showing of "It's A Wonderful Life" at 5 p.m. The event takes place at Christ Episcopal Church, located at 5 Hampton Street in Sag Harbor.

The months since the fire have shown that dreams do come true — when a community comes together with faith, resilience, and vision — and nothing could symbolize hope rising from the literal ashes more beautifully than the sight of the now refurbished, and iconic, Sag Harbor Cinema sign.

The sign was saved after a devastating fire swept through the village on a brutally icy morning in December, 2016. The community came together after the fire; hands and hearts were joined as the theater was reborn — and now, the sign lives on, completely refurbished.

"We were recently sent this picture of the last part of the sign to be fixed, the 'Harbor' part, lit up," said the Sag Harbor Partnership in its newsletter, which is capturing the excitement and sharing developments as the new Sag Harbor Cinema Arts Center takes shape.

Since the fire, the sign has been stored at Twin Forks Moving and Storage. "This repair has been possible thanks to Chris Denon and the very hard, unbelievably generous work of John Battle and Clayton Orehek to repair the sign, for free, for all of us in the community. Yes, we had tears in our eyes when we saw it lit up again. May it soon grace the front of the Cinema," the newsletter said.

After the fire, the "Harbor" part of the sign was even more mangled than the "Sag" portion; it took more than a year to see it illuminated once more, the Partnership said.

As for the Cinema, the Partnership said: "We're hard at work, thanks to our architect, Allen Kopelson of NK Architects, Racanelli Construction, and our fabulous construction committee. We have weekly meetings and constant communication. . . Every day brings progress."

Residents mourning the loss of the Sag Harbor Cinema after the devastating fire ravaged the village found a ray of hope when the beloved and iconic neon sign from the movie theater was saved.

"As a lifelong resident of this town it was so sad to watch this develop over the day," said Sandi Kruel. "My heart broke — but watching the brave men and women who came together without a blink of a eye tells the real story of the magnificent town."
When the sign was salvaged from the ruins, as the theater was being demolished, residents shed tears of joy.

For Kruel, and many others, the sign is jewel of hope salvaged from the ashes.

"We were all hoping the sign could be saved," she said. "Actually, my brother-in-law Rick Kruel worked on it just a few years back in the restoration, so to see just that little piece of history saved and no one being hurt —it was a true Christmas miracle for Sag Harbor Village. Once again we are forever grateful to be able to call this place home. I hope and pray we rebuild as close to the original as we can for the sake of tomorrow's children."

Months of fundraising and donations commenced and in June, 2018, the Sag Harbor Partnership hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the Sag Harbor Cinema Arts Center.
After 16 months of dedicated fundraising, "the revival of this historic cinema is now becoming a concrete reality for Main Street," a release said.

In December 2017, just days before the one-year anniversary of a the fire, an $8 million fundraising goal was been met that meant the iconic institution would live again. The goal was reached with the award of a $1.4 million state grant and an anonymous $500,000 donation, representatives said.

The property at 90 Main St. was purchased by the Sag Harbor Partnership in early January for $8 million, and the renovation is currently estimated at $6 million, according to the Sag Harbor Partnership.

Photo courtesy Chris Denon, Twin Forks Moving & Storage.