The Lumina Theatre is more than just a movie theater: it’s now a hub for networking gatherings, offering everything from student parties to trivia games at the bar, open mics, and a new Art Deco lounge. In the 24 years since The Lumina hit the big screen, this locally owned and operated theater has an exclusive, cutting-edge cultural centerpiece for student and resident communities.
“We’re right in the center of Southern Village. This community is walkable,” says owner Jeremy Welman.
After the pandemic, Lumina welcomed the public in a completely renovated theater. Visitors can park without a problem and are greeted with colorful art paintings by local artist Loren Pease. His paintings embellish the exterior of the building with gold decorations, angel wings and illustrations of popcorn that playfully stand out against the steel sheet of the projection rooms. Inside the theater, visitors are tempted to linger in the lobby. As visitors enter the theater’s welcoming lobby, they are greeted with warm lighting and Art Deco design, emulating the magic of Golden Age cinema.
The lobby is just one of many cozy spaces to collect that Lumina has introduced, along with a ballroom, multipurpose room, and outdoor spaces. The reception room not only serves beer and wine, but also hosts trivia games on Wednesdays at 7:30 p. m. and karaoke on Saturdays at 8 p. m. Once a month, poets, musicians and comedians attend the open mic night on Friday at 7 p. m. This space, as well as the adjacent multipurpose room, can also be rented for personal purposes through the Carolina Cinemas website. Whether it’s Super Bowl Sunday or the Oscars, all personal bookings are handled personally and conscientiously through General Manager, Jim Lee.
The Tap Room is a great location for any party or get together.
Lee notes that a key component of the network’s progress at The Lumina is keeping its opportunities available and affordable to students. The theater is only 3 kilometers from the university and can be reached by public transport; The NS bus line stops just one block from the front door. Discounted student tickets are sold every day, but on Thursday nights, with a university ID (students, staff and faculty) can see a movie for just $5. 50. This UNC night is even more appealing given its time of the week. Movies typically premiere on Thursday nights, giving the Tar Heels insider access to Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters.
Welman says this same low price, “…about as cheap as you’ll find it anywhere in the country,” is available to everyone on Lumina’s weekly Terrific Tuesdays. On this day, The Lumina also offers a concessions deal: $9 for a small popcorn and drink.
Once the credits roll, moviegoers can unpack what they’ve seen with a drink on Lumina’s new patio or dining at Southern Village’s many restaurants. Cravings for local favorites, such as Al’s Burger Shack and Market and Moss, or even trendy new spots, such as Rasa Malaysia and Xolos Tacos Tlayudas, can be satisfied just a block away.
Lumina’s courtyard overlooks the theater’s fifth auditorium: a movie theater on the expansive lawn of the Southern Village city’s green space. On warm Saturday nights, neighbors gather on the lawn with folding chairs and picnic blankets for $8. 50 for movie screenings. On those summer nights, the setting sun is replaced by the glow of vintage movies and the decade’s most popular family movies on Lumina’s 36-foot movie screen.
The Lumina Theater movie screen.
This November, Lumina can anticipate the arrival of some of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters: Gladiator II, Wicked, Moana 2, Red One, Mufasa: The Lion King and Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Beyond that, Welman hopes to continue sharing the varied offering of La Lumina with future generations.
“Everyone loves having this little gem of a theater in their neighborhood, but they still want to keep it going. . . We hope everyone likes it. »