SAVE THE RIVER THEATER: Preservation&Covid Relief

UPDATE 2/9/22:

Help save the River Theater and get a Tax write off!

We are appealing to the community and others for monetary contributions for the preservation and recovery of the River Theater after a long and costly legal battle to save the historical River Theater from Rosanta Inc.’s aggressive construction and development plans. Jerry fought for four years and spent over $200,000 in civil court protecting the Theater from shopping mall like condo-development. He inevitably won his case on Jan 22, 2021. Honorable Judge Broderick, confirming he has legal access to the rear of the theater as it has been used for the last 70 years, giving Jerry the same rights of access as all the other owners have had.  However we need the support of the community to aid in the preservation and recovery of The River Theater.


We are hoping to raise $100,000 to save the River Theater. Any donation is greatly appreciated so we can continue to support and preserve our theater and community radio station. We can offer 501c3 nonprofit tax deductions for your donations. 



The River Theater is located in Guerneville, California, 70 miles north of San Francisco, the Theater was built in the spring of 1947, originally as a movie theater, but for several decades the theater has served as a legendary music venue. Many artists have performed at the Theater, including the Jerry Garcia Band, Rickey Nelson, Buddy Holly, Frank Sinatra, Emmylou Harris, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Country Joe McDonald, Merle Saunders, The Dead, Martin Fierro, Ronnie Montrose, Elvin Bishop, Buddy Owen Band, and Joules Brossard.


The Theater also houses River Theater Radio, Guerneville's own local radio station, broadcasting on 95.1FM locally and worldwide on www.rivertheaterradio.com.  The radio station plays a variety of music, hosting over a dozen radio programs brought to you by an all-volunteer crew of local artists and musicians with a passion for bringing music to the people.



The money raised will be used to retrofit the theater with a new sprinkler system to raise the maximum occupancy of the Theater.  This will allow the River Theater to attract larger talent and compete as one of the largest music venues north of San Francisco.  Additional proceeds will be used to upgrade the sound and lighting equipment that was damaged during the flood of 2019.


Keep The Music Alive; Keep Guerneville Groovy; With your support and generosity we can SAVE and PRESERVE one of Guerneville's Historic Treasures. 




On February 27, 2019 the historical River Theater was completely flooded by the Russian River. The area surrounding our town of Guerneville was declared a natural disaster, causing the National Guard to take over the city and putting Guerneville's name in news headlines across the country. The theater is a multi-level structure, and the water filled the dance floor, the stage, the sound booth, the middle floor and up into the lobby. The damage is catastrophic.

What is the River Theater? Located in Guerneville, California, 70 miles north of San Francisco, the Theater was built in the spring of 1947, originally as a movie theater, but for several decades the theater has served as a legendary music venue. ​Many artists have performed at the Theater, including the Jerry Garcia Band, Rickey Nelson, Buddy Holly, Frank Sinatra, Emmylou Harris, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Country Joe McDonald, Merle Sounders, The Dead, Martin Fierro, Ronnie Montrose, Elvin Bishop, Buddy Owen Band, and Joules Brossard.

To give a little background on me, I'm a disabled Air Force veteran who served in the Vietnam War. I was ground support crew chief in the top secret fighter bomber squad, the Wild Weasels. I employ other war veterans at the River Theater, as well as offer internships which teach valuable skills for employment.

I put my heart and soul into restoring this theater; it is equipped with a state-of-the-art sound system and lights. During the devastating flood in April, we suffered colossal damage; the entire sound system and other integral equipment was damaged, including the speakers, soundboards, monitors and lighting system. We need to replace all of this equipment. We will also need to replace the sheetrock walls and the electrical wiring. We must purchase permits for the repairs and cleanup. The theater is currently inundated with a thick layer of slippery mud, which we are in the throes of cleaning up.

A modest estimate of costs to save the River Theater would be $125,000.

I am a contractor and a sound engineer, so I will be able to do a lot of the work myself, but I will need help with materials, equipment, permit fees, and some labor.

We are hoping to raise $125,00 to save the River Theater. We humbly ask for your help.  Any donation is greatly appreciated. Aside from monetary contributions, there are plenty of ways to help. We are looking for companies that carry sound equipment or projection equipment to donate. We can offer 501  3c nonprofit tax write-offs for the donations. We are looking for headlining artists to donate their time by performing at the River Theater, once we are up and running again, to raise the funds we need to stay in business. We welcome any helpers that have experience fundraising. We ask that you spread the word and share this post to reach others who are in a position to help.

We are starting with the cleanup now, and need the necessary funds asap. Thanks to everyone who can donate or is willing to help in some way. We are immensely grateful.

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Together we can keep this musical icon alive and thriving!

Thank you,

Jerry Knight


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