Great River Arts Marks 25 Years With Mardi Gras Festivities

LITTLE FALLS (WJON News) -- It is a celebration 25 years in the making in Little Falls on Friday night. Great River Arts (GRA) is hosting a Mardi Gras Party to celebrate having its own building for twenty-five years. The organization rented spaces in town until 1992, when it moved into the old Ben Franklin Store downtown. The party is the cap to GRA's capital campaign, which is allowing it to pay off the building loan.

Board Chair Dorothy Bachen says it is exciting to finally be able to call the building their own:

"The board at that time took that risk and signed the lease, signed the papers to buy the building, and we've been with the old building, have been just improving it along the years of 25 years, and so it's been wonderful to see that really for basically about 50 years our City of Little Falls has really been invested in the arts."

Bachen says they wouldn't be where they are today without their legacy of great executive directors.

Entertainment includes Charteuse/MC Melissa Carle, Pianist Vicki Spofford, and Violinist Annie Gabel.

GRA Executive Director Erika Powers says the community is excited to celebrate with them:

"We've been getting the information about the event out there across the town, and we're really looking forward to seeing our community members here to celebrate with us and support the organization."

Powers says the Mardi Gras will also help GRA make some improvements to the building as it continues to age. Great River Arts offers retail space for artists, two exhibition spaces with rotating exhibits, live entertainment, including its long-running open mic night on Tuesdays, and more. The Mardi Gras Party costs $25 to attend and runs from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m.

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