With community support, Fox Theater is a buzzworthy attraction in Cozad

When a first-run movie comes around, moviegoers might expect to wait 15 minutes outside the movie theater in order to get in the door. But 15 years?

The people of Cozad and surrounding towns in central Nebraska waited just that long to enjoy the return of their local movie house. 

Now, thanks to a civic collaboration that includes donations from local businesses, commitments from volunteer workers, and oversight from the nonprofit Cozad Development Corporation, movie fans are catching the latest films at the Fox Theater in downtown Cozad.

The reviews are in, and the Fox gets two thumbs up – not just because of the movies. In addition to showing motion pictures 365 days a year, the three-screen theater has become a vital public gathering spot. Since opening in 2021, the facility is also available to local community groups and churches that need meeting or event space. 

Located at 100 E. 8th Street, the Fox Theater building is owned by Cozad Development Corporation (CDC), which is charged with stimulating economic development and improving the quality of life for local residents. The idea of re-establishing a movie house in Cozad – the last theater closed in 2006 – fit right in with CDC’s mission. 

In 2019, the CDC leadership drew up a plan to make the theater a reality. The selection of the building at 100 E. 8th St. was fitting since it was originally constructed as an opera house in 1906. But it was going to take work – and money – to bring it to life.

Waypoint Bank – Cozad helps make theater a reality with funds and volunteer work

Unfortunately, initial fundraising for the project was starting when the Covid pandemic hit. Thankfully, the community was already sold on the goal. Donations kept coming in, and people continued volunteering their time and elbow grease to keep up the momentum.

“There were times when 50+ volunteers were helping to install seats, paint, hang fabric, and get the place ready to open,” recalled Jen McKeone, Executive Director of CDC and also part of Watch the Fox, which runs the theater under agreement with the CDC. “It’s important to offer amenities in small towns so residents can experience the same quality of life as you can find in the city.” 

Waypoint Bank – Cozad staff also joined in with the volunteers to install the seating. The bank also donated $10,000 toward adding a community meeting room within the Fox Theater, which was almost scrapped during planning.

Waypoint Bank continues to support the Fox with contributions, such as paying admission for the children or buying snack packs for them, as part of the Afterzone summer program for elementary-age students.

A community partnership and a point of pride

Operation of the Fox Theater is truly an exercise in community spirit, not to mention a regional attraction – moviegoers have come from as far as 50 miles to see the big screen in Cozad.

The business side of the theater is handled by Watch the Fox, under contract with the CDC. Watch the Fox is an enterprise based in Broken Bow that runs similar community-oriented movie houses in Broken Bow and Central City. Local high school students are hired to staff the theater – with the guidance of McKeone and her Watch the Fox team – which provides real work experience for the kids.

“We’re offering flexible work schedules and giving kids more responsibility than most part-time jobs they can find in town,” McKeone explained. “The students really take ownership of the theater, and this gives students some valuable business experience that they can carry forward into their future.”

The community also benefits from events in the theater, such as live-streaming high school sports, community theater activities, or teacher in-service training.

“We are fortunate to have local businesses sponsor things like Free Popcorn Tuesdays, summer movie matinees, and the holiday movie series,” McKeone added. “It makes it possible to offer these special events to the public and keep the moviegoing experience affordable.”

For this year’s Christmas holiday season, the Fox will host Christmas movie matinees during December, along with a special Ladies Christmas event on December 1. A Christmas Day tradition is also taking shape, with the owners of “Watch the Fox” staffing the theater. 

Thanks to this spirit of cooperation this Christmas, Cozad and central Nebraska families can celebrate together by catching a flick at the Fox.