South Dallas' Forest Theater reopens Nov. 1, relighting its tower after 50-plus years

The marquee on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard is about to light up again. On Sunday, Nov. 1, the historic Forest Theater in South Dallas will reopen with the Grand Return, a community-wide homecoming at 1918 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

The celebration starts at 5:30 p.m. and includes live entertainment, musical guests, local businesses in a Vendor Village, food trucks, and a chance to tour the restored building. The night ends with the ceremonial relighting of the theater's tower and marquee, the first time they will shine in more than 50 years. Guests need to register in advance through the theater's event page.

"The Grand Return is more than a celebration - it's a homecoming," said Elizabeth Wattley, CEO of Forest Forward, the nonprofit leading the revival.

The Forest Theater opened in 1949 and became one of Dallas' top live entertainment venues. Prince, B.B. King, Gladys Knight, Ike & Tina Turner, Wilson Pickett and Dallas native Erykah Badu all played there before it closed in 2008. CultureMap Dallas describes the renovation as a $75 million revival.

The theater's role is bigger now. According to Forest Forward, the expanded campus will include a 1,000-person concert hall, a 200-seat black box theater, a 13,000-square-foot creative education lab, recording and podcast studios, a rooftop gathering space, artist classrooms and community meeting areas. A Starbucks run by Forest Forward has opened inside the theater, the first for the 75215 ZIP code, according to The Dallas Morning News, and there is community space for rent. The nonprofit calls the theater the cultural anchor of its wider plan to invest in education, housing and economic mobility in South Dallas.

This story is based on the original reporting by North Texas e-News, which published the Forest Theater's announcement. Additional details come from CultureMap Dallas, CBS News Texas, The Dallas Morning News and Dallas Weekly.