One year after opening its doors, the Pickford on Grand has proven that Bellingham's appetite for community cinema is as strong as ever. The nonprofit theater's second location, which opened August 1, 2025, will mark its first anniversary with a month of celebratory screenings throughout August 2026, and the numbers behind its first year tell a story of a community that showed up in force.
When the Pickford Film Center's executive director Susie Purves prepared for opening day at the Grand, she anticipated a modest crowd of about 25 people. Instead, roughly 250 people packed the space for two hours. That opening-day response set the tone for a year that has left organizers genuinely surprised by the depth of community support for neighborhood cinema in Bellingham.
How the Grand Was Built
The Pickford on Grand is located at 105 Grand St. in Bellingham, just one block from the nonprofit's flagship building on Champion Street. Getting the second location built required years of fundraising. The construction was made possible by $2.75 million in community donations combined with a $600,000 loan. Now, one year into operation, the theater is just $49,500 away from fully paying off the building, a milestone that would give the nonprofit outright ownership of the Grand's space.
That figure reflects both the depth of community investment in the project and the ongoing financial support from Bellingham residents who see the Pickford as essential to the city's cultural identity. Purves has noted that donors have written in specifically to say that access to an art house theater was part of the reason they chose to move to Bellingham in the first place, a remarkable testimonial to the role the Pickford plays in shaping the city's appeal.
The Pickford Film Center has operated its flagship location for decades, building a loyal audience for independent, documentary, and international films that would not otherwise screen in Whatcom County. The addition of the Grand doubled the organization's screen count, giving it five total screens across two locations: two 60-person theaters and a 19-person "jewel box" theater at the Grand, plus screens at the original Champion Street building.
Why Community Cinema Is Thriving
The Pickford's growth runs counter to a national narrative about the decline of movie theaters in the age of streaming. At the Grand, the answer to why people still go out to the movies appears to come down to programming, atmosphere, and community connection. With more screens available, Program Director Melissa Tam and her team have been able to show a broader range of films, reaching audiences that might not have found their way to the original location.
The additional screen capacity has also allowed the Pickford to show more films simultaneously, reducing scheduling conflicts and making it easier for Bellingham residents to catch the films they want without planning weeks in advance. For smaller independent films with limited theatrical windows, more screens mean more people get to see them on the big screen before they disappear into streaming libraries.
The Pickford is not a typical commercial multiplex. It operates as a nonprofit, which means revenue from ticket sales, memberships, and donations goes back into programming and operations rather than to shareholders. That model has historically made the organization more dependent on community support but also more responsive to what Bellingham audiences actually want to watch.
The Grandiversary Celebration
This August, the Pickford is marking the Grand's first anniversary with what it is calling "Grandiversary" programming: a series of larger-than-life film screenings planned throughout the month. The anniversary date is August 1, 2026, and events are expected to run across multiple weekends in August.
Details about the specific films and formats planned for the Grandiversary screenings had not been fully announced at the time of reporting, but the Pickford's social media and website are the best places to watch for updates. The organization has a strong track record of creative programming events, including outdoor screenings and special presentations tied to the Bellingham Symphony Orchestra and other local arts organizations.
For Bellingham residents who have not yet visited the Grand, the anniversary month is an ideal time to check out the space. The 105 Grand St. address puts it in the heart of the downtown arts corridor, walkable from Depot Market Square and the city's core restaurant and bar district. Tickets for most screenings are available through the Pickford Film Center's website, where membership options and donation opportunities are also listed for those who want to help close that remaining $49,500 gap before the Grand is fully community-owned.
The Pickford's story is one of Bellingham's most compelling examples of what community-funded arts institutions can accomplish. For more on what is happening across Bellingham's creative and civic scene this summer, earlier coverage of local community gathering spots offers a useful window into the city's year-round cultural calendar.
