DONOR LEVELS
THE IRON HORSE TODAY
It’s been eighteen months since the stunning renovation and reopening of The Iron Horse, made possible by:
Of the 839 donations, nearly half were less than $100
Major support from the City of Northampton, Florence Bank, and private lenders
Contractors and volunteers led by D. A. Sullivan who completed the total job in 4 ½ months!
What’s been happening:
The Iron Horse has produced over 375 shows and for 60,000+ audience members
Over $1.5 million to artists and arts educators
Membership has grown to 1,500 members
Downtown restaurants, bars and stores have seen a boost in business from Iron Horse foot traffic
And The Iron Horse is operating in the black!
WHAT’S NEXT?
PLAYING IT FORWARD CAMPAIGN FOR THE FUTURE OF THE IRON HORSE
The objective of this $800,000 campaign is to assure the long-term financial vitality of The Iron Horse.
Establish a Facilities Reserve for inevitable repairs, upgrades, and modernizations.
Create an Operating Reserve to safeguard against downturns or future crises.
Restructure Debt to strengthen financial resilience, including community-loan initiatives.
Expand Community Programming with more free memberships, student programs, family shows, career workshops, diverse music genres, and nonprofit collaborations.
Boost Downtown Vibrancy through partnerships with the Downtown Northampton Association, regional venue collaborations, and innovative programs like a “Music Passport.”
JOIN US IN PRESERVING LIVE MUSIC IN DOWNTOWN NORTHAMPTON
From June 2025 to May 2026, we will raise $800,000+ from individuals, foundations, businesses, and government grants — building on the momentum of our 800+ small donors from the initial campaign.
In this time of arts defunding and censorship, it’s up to us to ensure that creative spaces not only survive but thrive. Your gift, membership, or expertise will fuel a thriving cultural hub, ensuring that Northampton remains a place where artists are celebrated, downtown businesses flourish, and live music brings people together, now and for generations to come.
ECONOMIC & CULTURAL IMPACT
PRC revenue topped $1.3 million in its first year, with over $1 million going directly to artists.
Using NEA projections, The Iron Horse’s reopening is generating an estimated $2.4 million annually for Northampton’s economy and supporting 22+ full-time jobs.
Beyond numbers, thousands of new memories have been made, rekindling the unique magic of live music in downtown Northampton.
WAYS TO GIVE
Use the DONATE button to make a gift online via card
You can make a gift by check:
The Parlor Room, Inc.
32 Masonic Street, Northampton, MA 01060
For gifts of stock, sponsorship conversations, etc. contact:
Dennis Bidwell, Chair, Playing It Forward Campaign Committee dbidwell@bidwelladvisors.com
Suzanne Beck, Chair, Development Committee suzannebeck56@gmail.com
Eric Phelps, Campaign Counsel eric@rainmkr.com
Chris Freeman, Executive Director chris@parlorroom.org
