By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
WAKEENEY - The support poles for the planned new drive-in theatre screen in WaKeeney are finally in the ground.
Installation of the 106 metal sheets and their horizontal braces that make up the screen was expected to start this weekend.
Two buildings are to be moved onto the site south of Interstate 70 at Exit 128 in June and July.
"It's coming together. We're so excited," said theatre board member volunteer Lynelle Shubert.
It's a slow process. The project is in its fourth year.
The labor is being done by volunteers or donated by professionals.
"The screen poles laid on the ground for 10 months. Linemen at Western Coop Electric and Midwest Energy donated their time and equipment to install the poles in mid-April, but of course, we weren't a priority so we had to wait until they had time."
A year ago the Trego Sky View Foundation received a $44,400 attraction development grant from Kansas Tourism, a division of the Kansas Department of Commerce.
"It shows their faith in us and how this will be good not only for WaKeeney but also northwest Kansas.
"The nearest drive-in theatres are in Kanopolis and Dodge City." Wichita, Kansas City and Paola are the only other remaining communities in the state with drive-ins.
Shubert said they've been building as they have the money.
"The big push now is to build the bank account again so that we can get the projector.
"A new one is outside our budget. We're looking at a buying used one for about $50,000."
Shubert, who is the director of WaKeeney Tourism and Travel, attended a Main Street America program last week in Las Vegas.
One of the sessions focused how having a theatre in a town can enhance the local economy.
"We have done the market research and this will bring Trego County increased sales tax and transient guest tax, and create seasonal jobs," Shubert wrote on the Trego Sky View Drive-in Theatre Facebook page.
"So when people say movies are dying, you can stay home and watch a movie, that might be true for in-house theatres. But what we're building is very different.
"The tourism trend is that people want an experience. They want to go back in time and have a nostalgic experience."
Shubert said the project is on the right track even though there is a whole generation that has no concept what a drive-in movie is.
"We've had some people say they don't want their kids riding their bikes across the interstate. But this is not a 'send your kids to the movie' experience. It's a whole family experience."
One group eagerly anticipating the drive-in are high school-aged students, she said.
"They don't really have any place to go socially in WaKeeney for fun with their friends or date night and they wind up driving to Hill City or Hays."
"Once the projector is purchased, we're ready to rock and roll."
Shubert is aiming for the drive-in to be open in June 2025.
"The only thing we won't have until after the first year of operation is bathroom facilities. Once we get up and rolling we can tell people their patronage will help us buy bathrooms next season. We'll probably use portable ones until then. "
Donations toward the drive-in project may be made by Venmo which is available on the theatre's Facebook page and below.
Questions may be emailed to [email protected].