Auction Underway To Save Historic Theaters In Austin

Tony Cantu
·2 min read

AUSTIN, TX — The Austin Theater Alliance — the nonprofit organization that manages the Paramount and Stateside theaters — has kicked off the final round of its 2020 auction series aimed at supporting and protecting the pair of historic sites.

Bidders will have a chance to pick up unique holiday gifts through Dec. 14 at 4 p.m. when the auction ends. Bidding began on Friday at austintheatre.org/auction.

After canceling or rescheduling hundreds of shows since March due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Paramount has reopened at only 25 percent capacity for very limited engagements. "As a nonprofit that has always relied on community support in addition to funds from ongoing performances, the pandemic has been taking a massive toll," officials wrote in an advisory. "Bids on these auction items help the ATA preserve history, reach Central Texas students with virtual programs, employ venue staff and ensure the theaters’ survival during these extraordinarily difficult times."

Among the new auction items up for bid is what's described as a stunning pair of 14-karat yellow gold diamond hoop earrings from Kruger’s Diamond Jewelers containing 86 round brilliant cut diamonds. A special campfire package from Garrison Brothers and YETI includes a bottle of Garrison Brothers Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey, 2 YETI lowballs, 2 Trailhead camp chairs, 1 YETI Hopper Backflip 24 Soft Cooler and more. A group of up to four people will enjoy an intimate private dinner on the Paramount’s historic stage. And one lucky bidder is going to enjoy a one-night stay at the bungalow-style Hotel San Jose on South Congress.

Other items include a custom guitar autographed by Nick and Kevin Jonas of the Jonas Brothers, a signed print of k.d. lang’s “Constant Craving” limited edition Soundwaves artwork, framed photographs of artists like Willie Nelson and Billy Joe Shaver form Matt Lankes Photography, a lucky bidder's own holiday message on the iconic Paramount marquee and creative seasonal cocktail packages like a delicious Spiced Winter Sangria Kit from Twin Liquors and YETI.

To place bids and see the full list of Austin Theater Alliance auction items, visit the holiday auction website. To learn more about the theaters and additional ways to help, visit austintheatre.org. Follow the Paramount Theater on Facebook at www.facebook.com/paramounttheatre and on Twitter/Instagram @ParamountAustin.

This article originally appeared on the Austin Patch