Two Harbors Pride movie night will fundraise for June festival

Two Harbors Pride is betting that one themed movie night can do more than fill seats. The group’s Pride Night at the Movies is set for June 6 at 7 p.m. at Harbor Theater in Two Harbors, with a screening of To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar and a fundraiser built around donations of any amount.

The evening is designed as both a social gathering and a revenue driver for the organization’s upcoming Pride festival. Organizers have planned a free refreshment break, a lobby photo opportunity, an audience-participation fashion show and a prize drawing tied to donations of any amount. Tickets can be purchased online or at the door, and one event listing also placed the screening at 7 p.m. on June 5.

For Two Harbors Pride, the stakes are bigger than a single showing. The group says its mission is to create a welcoming environment for the LGBTQIA+ community and to host social events that promote safety, inclusivity and fun in Two Harbors. In a small city where visibility matters, a modest fundraiser like this helps determine how much programming the group can sustain, how much support it can offer its June festival and how publicly it can keep showing up in Lake County.

The choice of Harbor Theater adds another layer. The venue says it is open for public use and includes a movie screen, stage, live sound PA system and seating for 90 split between traditional theater seats and couches. That makes the downtown building more than a place to watch a film. It gives local organizers a flexible room for community events, especially ones that rely on conversation, performance and a shared sense of occasion.

Harbor Theater has its own revival story. It originally opened around 1940, closed in the 1980s, briefly reopened between May 2014 and June 2015, and later returned to community use under new ownership. Bringing Pride programming into that space ties the fundraiser to a broader effort to keep a downtown venue active as a public gathering place, not just a screening room.

The movie night also builds on growing Pride momentum in town. Two Harbors’ first Pride celebration drew hundreds of area residents to Thomas Owens Park on July 13, 2024, with music, food, art displays, a panel discussion and a fashion show. A second annual Pride event was later scheduled for Saturday, July 12, 2025, at Paul Van Hoven Park during Heritage Days.

Two Harbors Pride is also part of a wider regional network. Duluth-Superior Pride lists the group among North Shore LGBTQIA+ organizations, underscoring that the effort in Lake County is tied to a broader push for connection and visibility across the region.