The Inside Scoop: 2025 Artcraft Sponsorship Party

Mark your calendars for Saturday, February 1, 2025, and get ready to embark on a classic road trip with the Historic Artcraft Theatre's annual sponsorship party — the theatre’s largest fundraiser held to announce the 2025–26 film and event series at the theatre.
 
This year's Route 66-themed party will be a road trip adventure. Before you buy your tickets for a night of fun, you may have a few questions about what the sponsorship party is. Don't worry; we have you covered! We’ve brought you the inside scoop on all of the details you need for the theatre's biggest bash of the year.
 
What is the sponsorship party?
 The sponsorship party is the annual event for you to get involved in the Artcraft Community.
Through sponsorship, you can help your local theatre do more programming while helping the Johnson County Community.
 
The funds raised will go toward operating costs for the films that show during the following season. Each showing at the theatre can have many associated costs, including film licensing, production costs, equipment rental, talent fees, and more. Sponsors support our efforts to offset expenses and keep our prices accessible.

What time should I arrive?
Doors open on Saturday, February 1, at 6 p.m. When you arrive, you’ll be greeted and checked in. Relax! There will be complimentary beer and wine, in addition to select cocktails available at a cash bar. You’ll also have a buffet of food and drinks in the theatre and auditorium, and don’t think we forgot about the popcorn! The 2025–26 series unveiling will begin at 7:30 p.m., and bidding starts at 8 p.m.
 
How can I get my name on the marquee?
There are two main ways to get your name on the marquee. The first is to sponsor a film for a weekend's movie. The second way is through the cartoon sponsorship, where you’ll sponsor the classic cartoons and have your name on the front of the theatre's marquee for an entire month.
 
What sponsorships are there to choose from?
The central part of the evening is a silent auction for each sponsorship category available. Attendees can place their bids through the online software application Give Butter. Several types of sponsorships start on different levels. Weekend movies have at least seven levels of sponsorship, including the film sponsorship (starting at $700), the cartoon sponsorship (starting at $300), and the prize sponsorship (starting at $50). You can check out more about sponsorship levels here. 
 
You also have the opportunity to donate to the theatre’s general fund and specific FHI projects.
 
What projects have been completed from the funds raised at previous sponsorship parties?
Many projects have been completed with the help from the funds raised at the sponsorship party! Including the glittering Marquee restoration, restoring the auditorium seats, and improving the interior lighting to help illuminate the auditorium walkways and stairs in the lobby.

Will we get to see the lineup of movies for the upcoming year?
Yes! One of the highlights of the sponsorship party is the movie season reveal, where attendees get a sneak peek at the next season's proposed lineup of movies from April 2025 to February 2026. This is the only time when FHI releases the tentative schedule in its entirety. We say 'tentative' because they're always a chance a film announced will need to be changed for a reason out of our control.
 
Is there anything else that happens besides the auction?
The sponsorship party is an exciting event that offers much more than just the auction. Enjoy complimentary beer and wine, purchase cocktails, and indulge in a complimentary fifty-foot buffet table of food and desserts. There will also be a photo booth, a 50/50 prize raffle, and music!
 
In the past, the party has featured bands or DJs to keep the attendees entertained. The sponsorship party is an excellent opportunity to meet people with a common bond. You'll mingle with local business owners, community leaders, families, and other supporters of Franklin Heritage Inc.’s mission.
 
Who hosts the sponsorship party?
Franklin Heritage Inc. hosts the party at the Artcraft theatre. It goes off without a hitch every year thanks to the many volunteers who put so much time and effort into transforming the theatre into an experience—helping with the evening’s decor, art, food, and organization.
 
Do I need to bring anything to the party?
All you need to bring is yourself and a smartphone or tablet for bidding. The theme this year is Route 66, and we encourage all to get in the spirit and deck yourself out in vintage road-trip Americana-style gear!
 
This sounds like so much fun! How can I get tickets?
 
You can buy tickets for the sponsorship party here! Admission to this 21-and-over event is $50