FAREWELL PARKWAY

After more than twelve years of serving the great cultural crossroad of Oakland, the Parkway Speakeasy Theater will be closing at the end of business day, Sunday March 22, 2009.

From African Diaspora to Thrillville to lesbian fashion shows and educational porn, the Parkway has offered an eclectic array of movies and events. It was the first theater in California to offer food, beer and wine service in a lounge style movie theater. With a nudge or a push from the community, there was little programming the Parkway theater would not try in order to better be a community center and a safe haven for diverse ideas. The Parkway brought Baby Brigade for the shuttered and abandoned parents of newborns, the first international black gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, transgender film festival and Sunday Salon, a free event for cultural and community enhancement. We, at the Parkway Speakeasy Theater, are deeply proud of the Parkway and will profoundly miss serving its community. Thank you for your patronage.

(This decision does not affect the Cerrito Speakeasy. Most of the Parkway's regular and special events will move over there.)

PARKWAY CLOSING IN THE PRESS:

Oakland North (Casey Miner):
http://oaklandnorth.net/2009/03/23/the-parkways-last-hurrah/

San Francisco Chronicle (Carolyn Jones)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/03/20/BANA16JPRB.DTL

Berkeley Daily Planet:
http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2009-03-26/article/32573?headline=Final-Curtain-for-the-Parkway-Theater