OSHKOSH, Wis. (WFRV) –  The Grand Oshkosh is upgrading its building and has announced three of its newest exterior changes.

According to a release, representatives of The Grand Oshkosh, The Grand Board of Directors, and Festival Foods dedicated the trio of historic and electronic signs after they were installation. Over the past several weeks, organizers say the 137-year-old facility received a makeover of its marquee, restoration of a blade sign which has not appeared on the building since the 1920s, and an electronic message center.

“The signs are designed to be reminiscent of the 1920s Grand Opera House, but utilizing modern technology,” says Joseph Ferlo, Director of The Grand Oshkosh.

The project, completely funded through the first of several “branding licenses”, will be known as the Festival Foods Marquee. “We hope the new signage will be an aesthetic update we can all enjoy together for many years to come,” says Ryan Jones, store director at the Oshkosh Festival Foods.

Festival Foods claims the inaugural branding license at The Grand Oshkosh, placing a ten-year-long legacy on the Festival Foods Marquee and Message Center. Naming rights opportunities offer donors a chance to name spaces throughout The Grand including the main hall, stage, Grand Lounge, Suite Seats, and more.

Ferlo adds, “The building will remain The Grand Oshkosh, of course, but the addition of branding licenses to elements like the marquee, as well as the lobby, auditorium, and Grand Lounge, not only provides us with a new income stream at a time our traditional income streams are slowed or stopped, but also gives us a mechanism to continue not only to maintain but to enhance this wonderful, living, vibrant piece of history.”

For each future branding license, organizers say 25% of the income will be placed into a special account at the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation and will be designated for further improvements to the theater complex. 

For more information on branding license opportunities, contact joef@thegrandoshkosh.org.