ORANGEVALE, Calif. — Storied Orangevale music venue, The Boardwalk, announced on social media Tuesday it would be closing for good, citing the pandemic, dwindling crowds and mounting financial pressures for the decision. The post immediately attracted hundreds of comments from people around the area.
Josh Houlton owns Boat MD, just two doors down from The Boardwalk.
“I feel like it’s a loss. They tried to get it back going again, had real good turn-out, seemed like everything was going good, and then just last month, it’s been nothing. So it’s kind of a drag,” said Houlton.
He explained the loss it will leave.
“I guess it provides a sense of community. When your community can go somewhere that’s been established for that amount of time, and socialize and get back together, I think that’s important for a community and The Boardwalk really did that,” Houlton said.
It did exactly that for people like Zoey Hester.
“I really grew up there. That was like, there’s really so many core memories that I have in my life just being a teenager and having fun that The Boardwalk made possible for me,” said Hester.
She also explained why it was a major draw for young people.
“It was the safe space for teenagers to go to see their favorite bands for an affordable price. It’s just, it was the place,” remembered Hester.
She gave her best case scenario for the future of the venue.
“I really hope that whoever buys it keeps it a music venue and really tries to bring it back,” Hester said.
