From silent films and school productions to civic meetings, concerts and community celebrations, the Rangiora Town Hall has been at the heart of North Canterbury life for a century.

Now the landmark High Street building’s history will take centre stage during a weekend of performances, memories and behind-the-scenes tours.

The Rangiora Town Hall Centenary Showcase will bring together performers from across the district for two shows on Saturday, September 5.

The North Canterbury Musical Society, Rangiora RSA Brass Band, North Canterbury Academy of Music, Hartley School of Performing Arts, North Canterbury School of Dance and Jenna McKenzie School of Dance are among those taking part.

Production manager and centenary committee member Dale Hartley said the variety show would pay tribute to the venue with a touch of 1920s flair.

“We’ve packed in as much as we can to give the audience a night that they will hopefully be talking about another 100 years from now,” Hartley said.

The town hall was officially opened on May 27, 1926, by Rangiora Mayoress Robina “Bene” McIntosh.

Designed by Christchurch architect Henry St Aubyn Murray and built for £10,850, the new building combined council administration, a public library and entertainment facilities.

Its main auditorium originally seated about 600 people and was designed to accommodate both live performances and the increasingly popular “moving pictures”.

Silent films were screened three days a week soon after the doors opened, with Everybody’s Theatre operating from the building before becoming the Regent Theatre in 1931.

Two Ernemann projectors and a German-made Ehrbar piano were among the original equipment installed.

For generations of Rangiora residents, the town hall became much more than a municipal building. It was where people watched their first film, appeared in school productions, attended dances and concerts, commemorated Anzac Day and gathered for important community occasions.

The building also housed the Rangiora Public Library until 1967. The Rangiora Borough Council then occupied part of the town hall until the early 1980s.

Its distinctive rounded corner, dome and classical features have made it one of Rangiora’s most recognisable buildings.

The Category 2 historic place also became an important survivor following the Canterbury earthquakes, which damaged or led to the loss of many heritage buildings across the region.

Earthquake damage and concerns about seismic safety forced the town hall to close. It later underwent extensive strengthening, restoration and redevelopment before reopening in 2015 as a modern performing arts and cinema complex.

While the building has changed considerably during its lifetime, its original purpose as a place for people to gather, perform and be entertained has remained.

Waimakariri Mayor Dan Gordon said the town hall had evolved over the past century while continuing to hold a special place in the community.

“The Town Hall has evolved so much over the last century and, even after the Canterbury earthquakes, it has survived as one of Canterbury’s remaining heritage landmarks,” Gordon said.

The centenary celebrations will continue on Sunday, September 6, when the public will be invited to explore areas of the building which are normally out of bounds.

Visitors will be able to walk through the dressing rooms and backstage spaces, see the venue from a performer’s perspective and view displays tracing its history.

The Rangiora Town Hall Centenary Showcase will be staged at 2pm and 6.30pm on Saturday, September 5.

Behind-the-scenes open days will be held from 10am to noon and 1pm to 3pm on Sunday, September 6. Tickets for the showcase are available through Town Hall Cinemas.