DeKalb Mayor Frank Van Buer is coming to the Egyptian Theatre to announce Saturday, March 1 as Preservation of the Egyptian Theatre Day.

In recognition of the 30th anniversary of the community takeover of the Egyptian, Van Buer will have a news conference in the theater to make the declaration, according to a press release from the Preservation of the Egyptian Theatre (PET) organization.

The Egyptian recently reopened its doors to weekly film screenings. The selections vary from modern (“Back to the Future”) to classic (“Mr. Smith Goes to Washington”).

But the movies play second fiddle to live events, which the theater hosts with growing frequency. Soon to grace the marquee are Chicago’s Second City comedy troupe, rock group Umphrey’s McGee, and the faithful Beatles cover band, American English.

PET Operations Director Alex Nerad said these performances are the foremost fruit of the PET’s labors.

The theater’s history is rife with turmoil since the last commercial owner went belly-up in 1977. Faced with the possibility of becoming a parking lot at one point during its long life, the landmark has had its share of brushes with demolition. With this in mind, Van Buer’s declaration of Preservation of the Egyptian Theatre Day may be the beginning of a new, more secure future for the venue.

The news conference is at 11 a.m. and is open to the public. Screenings of “The Wizard of Oz” will be at noon and 3 p.m. Cost $3.

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