Celebration Cinema is amovie theater chain owned and operated byStudio C (formerly known asLoeks Theatres, Inc.) with headquarters inGrand Rapids, Michigan, USA. Its theaters serve the cities and surrounding areas of Grand Rapids,Lansing,Muskegon,Benton Harbor/St. Joseph,Portage/Kalamazoo, andMount Pleasant. An average of 5.5 million customers see movies annually through Studio C's Celebration Cinemas locations.
The Grand Rapids North, Lansing, and Portage locations featureIMAX theaters.RiverTown Crossings and Lansing feature MOPIXRear Window Technology for the deaf and hard of hearing, and most locations feature DLPDigital cinema byChristie.
In 2007, Loeks Theatres, Inc. purchased two theaters fromPlano, Texas-basedCinemark. The theaters are located inRiverTown Crossings inGrandville and theWoodland Mall inKentwood. The 20-screen theater has been renamed Celebration! Rivertown and the 14-screen theater has been renamed Celebration Woodland after their respective malls. The purchase was an effort of Loeks Theatres to continue expansion in theWest Michigan area.
In 2018, Loeks Theatres, Inc changed their company name to Studio C.[1] The name change is an effort to create a central brand name for all of its operations.[2] The name is a homage to the formerStudio 28 theater.[3]
In March 2020, Celebration Cinema closed its theaters temporarily due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[4][5]
Studio C's corporate building is located in the Celebration North theater based in Grand Rapids, where three other Celebration theaters are also operated.Benton Harbor/St. Joseph,Lansing,Portage/Kalamazoo,Mount Pleasant, andOkemos are serviced by Celebration Cinemas as well.[6]
Celebration theaters in Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Portage have been fitted withIMAX theaters. The Celebration North theater is also fitted with an IMAX 70mm projector.
On November 14, 2008, Celebration Cinema announced thatStudio 28 would close on November 23. Studio 28 opened in 1965 with just one screen. It quickly expanded and in 1988 it became the largest movie theater in the world with 20 screens. It remained the largest theater until 1995.[citation needed] At one point the theater brought in 1.7 million visitors per year. Before its closing, it had been about 25% of that amount.
In December 2012 the 6-screenStudio C! opened in Okemos. The theater features reserved seating, along with made-to-order food and drinks (including beer and wine) ordered and served from patron's seats.[7] Celebration! Cinema continued its expansion with the addition of enhanced food and beverage options at their Benton Harbor, Muskegon, Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids locations.[8]
Studio C has constructed a new complex in downtown Grand Rapids called Studio Park. The complex features a 9-screen theater, parking garage, apartments and a shopping plaza.[9] Studio Park broke ground in April 2018, with expected completion originally planned for Fall 2019.[10] In reality, it was completed mid-2020.
In Spring of 2020, it was announced Celebration Woodland would not reopen amidst easing COVID-19 regulations, citing declining traffic prior to the shutdown protocol.