Union County Performing Arts Center is still showing movies

If you’re from Union County, you might know about the Union County Performing Arts Center. If you’re from Rahway, you definitely do.

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History of the theater

You may still think of it as the Rahway Theater. The building is turning 100 years old in less than two years.

Built in the 1920s and opened in October of 1928, it was originally designed as a vaudeville theater (kids ask your grandparents) and a silent movie house. That alone speaks to how long ago this history began.

It eventually became known as simply a movie theater. It’s grand chandelier and ornate decor surrounding you as you sat there watching 1970s classics like “The Exorcist” or “Star Wars” was better understood by knowing its origin story.

It fell into disrepair and closed. Then, according to ucpac.org, the center was refurbished in 1984 and, within two year,s was reopened as the Union County Performing Arts Center. They’ve had everything over the years, from magic shows to ballets, and live performances by B.B. King, Joan Jett, Sinbad, Louie Anderson, Willie Nelson, Daughtry, Pat Benatar, and many, many more artists.

More about Union County Performing Arts Center

And this is possibly what you think of now when you think about UCPAC. But did you know they still show movies?

Not as a full-time movie theater, no. But on special occasions, they will still show movies and they show them in 35mm format like the old days, not digital.

They call this their I. Joseph Hyatt Classic Film Series and rightfully boast that they’re the only venue in New Jersey to still project movies in 35mm, “the way they were meant to be seen.”

Upcoming movie nights in their series include “The Exorcist” on February 28, “Cabaret” on March 26, “Clueless” on April 16, “Pink Flamingo” on May 21, “Carrie” on October 30, and “The Karate Kid” on Nov. 19.

The Union County Performing Arts Center is located at 1601 Irving Street in Rahway, New Jersey.