EVANSTON ROUNDTABLE
by Carrie Jackson
January 18, 2026
Northlight Theatre is hosting a series of events to engage the Evanston community, one ward at a time. Titled Savor Evanston the initiative is a precursor to the theater’s reopening in September.
“Savor Evanston gives residents and neighbors a taste of the vibrant atmosphere Northlight and its supporters will be bringing to downtown Evanston,” said Kimberly Hoopingarner, the theater’s director of advancement and its capital campaign director.
The next gathering in the series takes place in the Third Ward from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 22, at Firehouse Grill, 750 Chicago Ave. Tickets include two drinks, appetizers and an opportunity to meet the Northlight team.
With the move, the theater is returning to its roots. Northlight has been operating at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie since 1997, but the original theater launched in Evanston back in 1974.
The new location will broaden its reach for audience members, staff and actors. “In order to attract a younger, more diverse audience, we need to be in a community that is more accessible,” Hoopingarner said. “There are around 7,000 people who live within a six-block radius of the new theater, and patrons can hop on a train or take a rideshare more easily.”
The first Savor Evanston event, held in the Sixth Ward at The Fat Shallot in December, sold out. “It was a snowy night, but more than 75 people attended, which shows that people are excited about Northlight coming to Evanston,” Hoopingarner said. “Currently about 20-25% of our audience in Skokie is from Evanston, but 80% of donors for the new building live here.”