Oppenheimer Festival At SALA Event Center: A Resounding Success!

Submitted by Carol A. Clark
on July 25, 2023
- 6:41 pm

SALA Event Center Owner Allen Saenz, top row second from right, and his team during SALA’s Oppenheimer Festival. Courtesy/SALA

SALA Event Center Owner Allen Saenz and his wife Christa Saenz with the period car at the Oppenheimer movie premiere Thursday at SALA. Courtesy/SALA

By ALLAN SAENZ
Owner
SALA Event Center

The Oppenheimer Festival at SALA Event Center (SALA) has surpassed all expectations, becoming a monumental success thanks to the unwavering support of our sponsors and the incredible efforts of our community. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Nuclear Care Partners, Compa, and Century Bank for their generous contributions, without which this event would not have been possible.

Over the course of this momentous 10-day festival, SALA Event Center has transformed into a vibrant hub of cultural celebration and community engagement. The event has garnered attention from not just local, but also state and national media, highlighting the significance of Los Alamos and the essential role SALA plays in our town’s development.

As the owner of SALA Event Center, I am deeply humbled and honored by the overwhelming response from our community and visitors alike. It’s a testament to the dedication and passion of our team and the outstanding support we have received from our volunteers, partners and performers.

The Oppenheimer Festival showcased a diverse range of talent, including captivating musical performances by the Los Alamos Big Band, Cello player Caitlin Kimball, Violin player Emmy Tisdel, Local Swing Dancers, DALA swing dancers from the Nutcracker on the Hill, Pianist Xander Mancino, Jazz Project, Lads of Enchantment Quartet, The Hill Stompers and Ragtime Kitties.

Moreover, we owe a special thank you to Senor Tortas for their delectable food offerings, which added to the overall experience of the festival.

Beyond entertainment, the festival has also drawn attention to SALA’s ongoing initiative to convert an old movie theater into a versatile event center, serving as a valuable community space for Los Alamos. Over the past 7 months, SALA has become an integral part of our town’s cultural landscape, recently earning the distinguished title of “Best Business of the Year”.

We take pride in providing Los Alamos residents with a local theater where they can enjoy new movies without having to drive to Santa Fe or beyond. SALA Event Center offers an immersive experience, giving the community an opportunity to not only watch Christopher Nolan’s exceptional film “Oppenheimer” but also learn from extras, lectures, and other engaging events during the festival.

This success has only been possible through the support of our dedicated members, who continue to champion our mission of providing cultural events and entertainment to our community for years to come. By becoming a SALA member, not only do they support our vision but also gain access to unlimited passes to all movies, free popcorn, free soda, advanced tickets and special events.

We invite everyone to invest in Los Alamos and SALA, ensuring that we can maintain our commitment to the arts and the enrichment of our community.

Join us at 7 p.m. on Saturday for “Behind the Scenes of the Oppenheimer Festival: Unveiling Stories and People”, an opportunity to meet the brilliant minds behind the festival and hear their inspiring stories.

We also invite you to attend “SALA Presentation: The Future of Our Community Space” at 3 p.m. on Sunday, where we will discuss our vision for the future of SALA Event Center.

Let’s continue this journey together, making SALA a beacon of creativity, culture and community spirit. Together, we can foster a vibrant and enriched Los Alamos for generations to come.

For more information, please visit our website https://sala.losalamos.com/.