What began about four years ago as a labor of love will end this weekend with music, parties, laughter, tears, love letters and Valentines.

Crush Lounge announced earlier this year that its lease upstairs at 124 Central Ave. in Whitefish would not be renewed, and so it will close its doors for good after Valentine’s Day.

It’s poetic: A love story through and through, set to end on a day celebrating love.

“In addition to being the most fun I have ever had ‘at work,’ Crush was like a never-ending Pez dispenser of diamonds: authentically kind, critically-thinking creators who kept me inspired and driven,” said owner Megan Grunow. “I met someone new, fresh and vibrantly minded almost every week, and when you live in a town of 7k, I’d say that’s pretty great!

“It speaks volumes about our community; Whitefish is stacked with some outstanding musicians.”

Shock and sadness rippled across the local arts and entertainment scene when the closing was announced. Many artists and musicians had come to refer to Crush as a “clubhouse” and a home.

“Anytime a venue closes it’s such a drag,” said John Dunnigan, a local performer and staple of the Whitefish music community. “Megan was very gracious to local musicians ... Lots of solo and duo acts got their starts there.

“It’s a beautiful room and a cool area. I’m really bummed it’s closing.”

Grunow, with sound engineer Marco Forcone and help from others, designed and created the stage, lighting and sound in the Crush space. The intimate but high-quality space allowed numerous new musicians the opportunity to perform live, professional sets in a safe and supportive atmosphere.

“I think the easiest answer to why I focused on so many beginners is because when I first started Crush, I was the biggest beginner of all!” Grunow said. “The relationships I cultivated with budding artists worked wonderfully with the education of my being a budding business owner. I learned a lot, but most importantly, as I learned this business backwards-and-forwards, I was really able to teach new (and seasoned) artists the other side of their business.”

Erica von Kleist, a local musician and owner of the Northwest Artist Syndicate and Groove Trail, has performed on the Crush stage and worked to book other musicians there as well.

“Crush was such a vibrant entity for the local scene,” von Kleist said. “From a business perspective, when you’re putting together an event, the vibe is everything. Crush had an incredible vibe.

“It’s definitely a shock to the arts community. But musicians, we’re adaptable. The show must go on. It is a loss, but the thing is, we will adapt.”

One of the Flathead Valley’s relative newcomers who got a start on the Crush stage is guitarist and singer/songwriter Kyle Dean.

“I think it’s a sad deal,” Dean said. “Lots of people got their start there.

“Megan really made an effort to put new talent on the stage, and brought in a lot of different styles of entertainment.”

Crush’s list of events from over the years is extremely diverse, having included live music of all genres, dance parties featuring DJs, theater, magic shows, drag shows, comedy, poetry readings, art displays, craft sales, painting classes, theme parties, film screenings, lectures and fundraisers ... The list goes on.

“Megan provided such an incredible space to so many different shows,” von Kleist said. “It will be a real loss to the arts community.”

“Crush was an extension of my heart and to know that this community appreciated it means I did something right,” Grunow said.

Crush’s final weekend lineup is no exception to its varied run, including completely different events and performances each night.

Tonight, the Whitefish Review is hosting a reading event, featuring authors Angie Abdou, Keith Liggett and Susan Purvis, beginning at 7 p.m. Singer/songwriter Brent Jameson will play a solo show after the reading, beginning around 9 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 12, John and Andy Dunnigan will take the Crush stage for a rare father-son performance at 9 p.m.

The Dead Celebrity Costume Party on Saturday night will be the big send-off event for Crush. The party will feature DJ Exodus, a costume contest, photobooth, specialty drinks and lots of celebrating. Doors open at 9 p.m.

Valentine’s Day on Sunday will be the last day Crush is open to the public. Viscosity Theatre will close up shop with a “Date Night Cabaret” at 8 p.m. Seating is limited and tickets are $25 in advance at www.viscositytheatre.org.

“Cabaret has become a special part of our lives,” said Viscosity Cabaret performer Mikey Winn. “As a performer, it has been a dream come true to write and perform our own material. If we have a song to sing, we sing it. If we have a joke to tell, we tell it. Because we are all so different, we’ve created some beautiful, weird material. This show will be a bittersweet, full-circle experience. We are sad to lose Crush.”

Farewell, Crush. With love.

Entertainment editor Stefanie Thompson can be reached at 758-4439 or ThisWeek@dailyinterlake