Bantam Cinema & Arts Center is marking the 35th anniversary of the 1989 tornado with free community open houses July 20 and 27, being held in conjunction with the film “Twisters.”
On July 10, 1989, a devastating tornado ripped through the Bantam and Milton sections of Litchfield, destroying the Methodist Church, Bantam Borough Hall, other properties and vehicles, and causing millions of dollars of damage.
The community rallied together to rebuild and adopted the slogan Bantam Will Rise Again, as Bantam Cinema recalls in its event notice.
The open houses will feature a slideshow of historical images, news footage, and reminiscences of residents from Bantam and Milton. Both events run from 12 to 1:30 p.m.
The July 20 event will focus on Bantam and feature reminiscences from Betsy and Tony Antonucci, and Bruce and Laura Turner, while the July 27 event will focus on Milton and feature reminiscences fromJake Horne, Donna Winn, Tom & Lynette Kyasky.
A screening of the new film “Twisters” will follow each open house at 1:40 p.m., with tickets discounted by $5 for open house attendees. The discounted tickets are only available on the day of each event.
To learn more about Bantam Cinema & Arts Center and current and upcoming films, see the website, bantamcinema.org