09/28/2026
🧡 CABARRUS UNWRAPPED: Historic Spaces, New Stories!
What happens when you combine a historic downtown landmark, a nationally known musical family, and a vision for the future?
You get an exciting new chapter for the Town of Mount Pleasant, NC.
🎠The historic Paula Theater, built in the 1940s and unused for the past decade, is being transformed into The Avett Theater—a live music and performing arts venue named for the Avett family, whose Mount Pleasant roots date back generations.
The $3.75 million restoration recently reached $1.4 million in fundraising, including a $500,000 grant from the Cannon Foundation. Construction is expected to begin this month, with an opening projected for 2027.
✨ A few things that make this project special:
🎶 With a capacity of approximately 700 people and auditorium seating for about 634, the venue will bring live music, films, educational programs, and other events downtown.
🏛️ The project will give new purpose to the roughly 13,000-square-foot building that once served as the town’s movie theater and has been part of the community for generations.
🎸 The Avett family has deep ties to Mount Pleasant, and Scott and Seth Avett went on to national recognition as The Avett Brothers.
📍The venue is expected to draw performers and visitors, support nearby businesses, and add another unique destination to Cabarrus County. And it’s part of a bigger story happening across Cabarrus.
The Cannon Foundation’s investment shows the value of philanthropic partners in helping communities preserve important places and create new amenities that contribute to long-term economic vitality.
In Concord, the historic Cabarrus County Courthouse is home to the Cabarrus Arts Council's Davis Theatre. In Kannapolis, the Gem Theatre was renovated for a new generation of moviegoers, while the The Swanee Theatre was revitalized for live music and special events.
Now, Mount Pleasant is finding its own way to preserve the past while creating something new for the future.
That blend of history, innovation, and sense of place is part of what makes Cabarrus County special—and helps create communities where people want to live, visit, and invest.
Unwrap more about this theater at: https://avetttheater.org.
