Behind the walls of the Village of Bellaire offices lies a secret—the bones of an old community hall. 

Built with WPA funds and dedicated in 1937, the historic Bellaire Community Hall saw many uses, like community plays, high school graduations, dances, basketball, and roller skating. The stage opened up to a grand dance floor; in the back was a balcony that looked down over the expanse of wood flooring and onto the stage.

But some time ago, partition walls were installed to make room for office and meeting space for the Village of Bellaire and Kearny Township. Since then, Kearny has built its own hall, leaving most of the space empty. 

On Thursday, August 24 from 6 to 9pm, the Village of Bellaire, the Bellaire Downtown Development Authority and Crosshatch Center for Art & Ecology are inviting the community for a behind-the-walls look at the hall. Tour the stage and balcony while enjoying beer from Short’s Brewing Company and locally-made sweets.

For more information, contact Mark Irwin at mark.bellairedda@gmail.com or (231) 533-6161.