After a 32-year dry spell, Soledad will have once again a movie theater.

The last time moviegoers in Soledad could go out to the cinema in their city was 1989, when the only theater in town closed. Since then, the nearest theaters have been in Salinas and King City. Starting this weekend, locals will have another option: Premiere Cinemas plans to open in Soledad on Halloween weekend, with Antlers and Last Night in Soho screening on Friday, Oct. 29.

Soledad Mayor Anna Velazquez says the Premiere project started back in 2015, but conversations about bringing a theater back to the city go back even longer.

“It’s really exciting that this is actually coming to fruition,” Velazquez says. “Many of our community members have really been waiting anxiously for the theater to open.”

Premiere was first set to open about a year ago, but was delayed by the pandemic. To keep the project afloat even while movie theaters were shut down entirely, the city loaned $245,000 to Premiere Cinemas, which also has theaters in Hollister and Los Banos.

Besides adding arts and entertainment to town, Soledad officials have touted the economic development benefits of having a local movie theater, keeping nightlife local and also providing jobs; the theater is expected to generate about 30 jobs.

The theater may expand from eight screens to 10 once business increases, according to Lynnelle Sanchez, Soledad’s community engagement manager.

Velazquez, who is a longtime Soledad resident, says she remembers going to the now-defunct movie theater with her godmother as a kid, and watching movies in both English and Spanish. She says she hopes other residents will create memories in their local theater.