About

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The history

In 2009, the Birkel family generously donated Festival Halle to the Reedville Fishermen's Museum (RFM) and its parent organization, the Greater Reedville Association. Originally built in 1909,  and rebuilt in 1927 after a fire, Festival Halle was first Reedville High School and later the Reedville Primary School. Since its donation, Festival Halle has been a cornerstone of the Reedville Fishermen's Museum’s community outreach and educational mission. 

For more than a decade, Festival Halle hosted lectures, meetings, auctions, exhibits, and countless community events—from high school proms and wedding receptions to class reunions, Quinceañeras, and local club gatherings. Sadly, in 2022, the venue was closed due to severe deterioration of the floor joists and underlying structural elements. As a result, Northumberland High School students have had to travel to Warsaw for their proms, underscoring the loss of this vital community space.

Festival Halle is more than a building—it is a place where people come together to learn, celebrate, and connect. Rrestoring it is essential to meeting the diverse needs of our community and preserving a beautiful, elegant space for future generations.

Save Festival Halle Community Committee

To lead the restoration effort, a dedicated committee of community members was formed, bringing together expertise in architecture, renovation, engineering, contracting, economic development, nonprofit management, marketing, event planning, communications, and advertising.

Committee members include: Diane McGuire, Bruce Samuelson, Martha Tallent, Martha Hill, Mark Barry, Charles Seldon, Priscilla Fink, Kathleen Ennen, Gayle Sterrett, John Sterrett, Lakiko Cockrell, Rebecca Haynie, Taylor Diehl, and Bill Knight.  Diane McGuire and Bruce Samuelson serve on the RFM Board. 

Planning 

Since spring 2023, the committee has worked diligently to develop a viable restoration plan. The total estimated cost was $750,000, to be funded through grants and individual community contributions.   Due to structural issues discovered during construction we must raise an additional $150,000.  We invite you to support this final fundraising initiative to help us reach this last milestone.  You can donate now on this website.  

Current News and Updates

Thanks to strong community support, we made significant fundraising progress and issued a request for proposal in January 2025 for Phase 1 construction. After reviewing multiple bids, the committee awarded the contract to R.W. Gordon Construction of Kilmarnock. Phase 1—replacement of the decayed floor joists and infrastructure—is now complete.

We selected a contractor for Phase 2, and that work is completed.  It included repairing walls and ceilings and painting the entire interior.  The finish flooring is being installed. Peek through the front door to see the beautiful results.  

Future Phases 

• Phase 3: Drainage and landscaping. Training-room technology acquisition and installation. Upgrading to meet ADA standards and local code requirements
• Phase 4: Installation of a commercial kitchen for event caterers and a seafood preparation area to support small commercial watermen

A draft marketing and relaunch plan is being refined to ensure Festival Halle’s long-term sustainability as both a community venue and training center. We will reopen in 2026, contingent on securing the remaining $150,000 in funding.

Fundraising

We are deeply grateful to the Cooke family, owners of Omega Protein, for their generous $250,000 challenge donation. The committee has contributed over $20,000 in cash and in-kind support, and community donations have reached $150,000. We won a $75,000 grant from the Cabell Foundation for the interior work and a $280,800 grant from Go Virginia for partial funding of the watermen's incubator program and seafood preparation area.

We continue to pursue an additional $150,000 in grants from foundations, community donations and government agencies, many of which require matching funds. Please keep an eye on our fundraising thermometer in front of Festival Halle, visit this website often to track our progress —and help us bring this beloved space back to life.

Please pitch in to help us save Festival Halle for our community.