Motor Vu Drive-In celebrating 75th anniversary with free movie screening
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IDAHO FALLS — The Motor Vu Drive-In is celebrating its 75th anniversary this weekend, and you’re invited to the party!
Since opening in 1947, the iconic Idaho Falls venue has served as a popular entertainment draw for east Idaho. It has been the backdrop for experiences that helped families and friends bond, young couples fall in love and generations of movie lovers form long-lasting memories.
“(This is) the oldest drive-in movie theater in Idaho,” Motor-Vu co-director Jennifer Spalding told EastIdahoNews.com. “We also found out this last season that we have the largest currently-operating outdoor movie screen in the entire country. So this is a really incredible, historic landmark theater and it’s right here in Idaho Falls.”
To celebrate reaching the 75-year milestone, the Motor-Vu is throwing a party featuring a screening of the John Travolta/Olivia Newton-John classic “Grease.” The event is free to the public and will also feature fun activities for the whole family, including bounce houses, yard games, trivia contests and prizes.
The event will also include an opportunity for guests to share their favorite Motor Vu memories.
“That’s our favorite part of running this theater,” said Spalding. “Everybody has really great stories about things they remember about coming to the Motor Vu.”
Saturday’s event is not only a celebration of the Motor Vu’s long history of operation, but it’s also a recognition of the vital role the Idaho Falls community has played in keeping the theater alive while so many other drive-ins across the country have shut down. Spalding said this family-run business is excited at the chance to give back to the community that has kept the drive-in going.
“While not the biggest community in the whole world, Idaho Falls has managed to keep one of these rare drive-ins open for all these years,” she said. “We’re really appreciative of that.”
“I think the connection between the Motor Vu Drive-In and the Idaho Falls community is so strong,” Spalding added. “It’s amazing to me that people continue to think of it as a summer bucket list item. So many members of the community have to go to the drive-in in the summer. It’s been fantastic to see grandparents bring their grandkids and share the memories they have of coming to the drive-in when they were younger. To see families and teenagers discover the drive-in for the first time. There’s a really rich history and connection with Idaho Falls.”
Aug. 27th will be the last night of the Motor Vu summer season. The theater will open again in October for the Halloween season, but if you’re anxious for a blast of drive-in movie magic, you’re going to want to come out Saturday night.
“These summer nights in Idaho are really special,” said Spalding. “You have great stargazing and to be able to sit outside and see a movie on a huge screen and have that communal experience, I think it’s a really special kind of fellowship. There’s this feeling of being at an event and this feeling of being connected to Americana, that nostalgic feeling. I think there’s something very magical about being outside at a movie in the summer under the Idaho sky.”
The Motor Vu Drive-In 75th Anniversary screening of “Grease” is set for this Saturday, Aug. 27. The event is free. Gates open for pre-show fun at 7 p.m. with “Grease” starting thirty minutes after sunset at around 8:45 p.m..
Visit the Motor Vu Drive-In website or Facebook page for more information.
