SAGUACHE, Colo. — The town sits between two of the state's most scenic mountain ranges. It's just 40 miles from Great Sand Dunes National Park, and you can drive 10 minutes from downtown to a hot spring.
But, there's more to Saguache than where you can get to from the town: The Historic Ute Theater is back open after a multi-year hiatus, and its new owner is trying to attract crowds from across the state.
"With enough excitement I think we can get people down from Denver," Heidi Wong said. "It's only a four-hour drive."
Wong couldn't resist the theater's charm when she first visited Saguache for the town's Memorial Day parade in 2018. The building was shuttered, but a door was open. She couldn't resist its pull.
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"I jumped over the blockade, ran inside and said 'hello, hello' and the old owner was in there and I got a flashlight tour, because there were no utilities on and I just fell madly in love with it," Wong said.
A year later, she had the theater open. Wong's hosted documentary screenings, bands, and open mic nights.
"We are welcoming anyone who's got the gumption to get up on stage and do their thing," she said.
A newcomer to the area, Alex Regeimbal attended the Ute's first open mic, and as many other events as she's been able to.
"I've managed to get out here for a bunch of different events, so it's been nice to have this place around," she said.
Michael Brill also made it out for the event. He's a longtime Saguache resident.
"It's good to have it here, because it had been here a long time and had a lot of history here," he said.
Wong is trying to keep that history alive. She saved dozens of old movie posters, a couple old film projectors, and refinished the theaters original seats.
The Ute Theater has been reopened for just over a month now. The work has been tough, but worth it for Wong.
"We can't please everyone all the time, but we're definitely taking people's ideas and seeing what we can accommodate," she said.
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