Hangar 9, a beloved bar and live event venue located on The Strip, is set to close its doors on Jan. 1, 2025.
Sally Carter, who’s owned the venue since the 1980s, announced the closure on Friday, Nov. 22 in an email to staff. With decreased business and the urge to retire, Carter listed the building for sale several years ago in hopes someone would follow in line to keep the establishment open to the live music and bar scene. On and off, potential buyers have taken interest in purchasing but none ever came to fruition.
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“The realtor and I discussed reducing the price, which we did a couple of times,” Carter said. “In the back of my mind I knew that if something didn’t happen by the end of the year, that was giving it long enough.”
Popular among alumni and current students, Hangar 9 is open Wednesday through Saturday from 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. and welcomes the community inside for a variety of events including weekly trivia on Wednesdays and karaoke on Thursdays. Carter said the lack of live music has contributed to the building’s decrease in popularity, but it will be missed.
“We’ve always tried to be a good friendly neighborhood kind of joint that you could hang out in and feel comfortable in,” Carter said. “I want to say thank you for all the years of success that we got from it, and love, so many marriages came from Hangar.”
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The space saw a vast amount of live music from SIU’s School of Music giving students the opportunity to gain musical experience on stage. In the age of digital streaming, Carter believes the decline in the School of Music hasn’t fueled Hangar 9’s fire.
The well-loved bar is open for the remainder of the year with its traditional schedule. Typically closed the week between Christmas and New Years Eve, Hangar will be open additional days to give the community one last dance or drink. The final night is set for New Year’s Eve with a drag show.
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