Bradford County Regional Arts Council
Towanda, PA
Historic theatres, regional arts, and river‑town creativity.
Our Mission: Build and support a thriving regional arts community by advocating for the arts, cultivating quality programming, and preserving Bradford County’s historic theatres as venues for performances, community events, and movies.
Flagship programs:
Historic Theatres – Keystone & Sayre: BCRAC owns and operates the century‑old Keystone Theatre in Towanda and the Sayre Theatre in Sayre, carefully restored landmarks that now host first‑run films, concerts, community theatre, youth productions, and film festivals year‑round.
Arts in Education / Learning Early: As a Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Arts in Education Partner, BCRAC places professional artists in schools and community sites across six Northern Tier counties, with residencies that integrate the arts into classroom learning from early childhood through high school.
Regional Re‑Granting: Through a second partnership with the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, BCRAC administers re‑granting programs that channel state arts funds into public, community‑based arts projects.
Movies, Performances & Community Events: From first‑run movies and classic film series to live music, touring productions, and locally produced shows by groups like Winding River Players, BCRAC’s theatres serve as year‑round gathering spaces for arts experiences that are close to home and affordable for families.
Community impact:
Led by BCRAC, Bradford County’s three historic theatres in Towanda, Sayre, and Canton were purchased, restored, and reopened as multi‑use cultural centers—preserving landmark buildings while anchoring vibrant downtowns.
Together, these venues and programs:
Provide a continuous schedule of films, concerts, plays, youth shows, and special events that draw audiences from across the Northern Tier.
Bring teaching artists into classrooms, libraries, and community sites, ensuring that children in rural districts have access to high‑quality arts education.
Distribute state arts funding locally so that small towns can sustain festivals, public performances, and community arts projects that reflect their own stories.
From a lit marquee on Main Street in Towanda to a student residency in a river‑valley elementary school, the Bradford County Regional Arts Council keeps arts and culture at the center of life along this stretch of the Susquehanna.