Hi-Way 50 to reopen next season

HiWay50_FacebookHere’s another sign of hope. Our last, brief mention of the Hi-Way 50 in Lewiston TN was that its owner had retired and shut down the place. Now comes word from the Marshall County Tribune that Steve and Danielle Wakham, residents of nearby Lewisburg, have purchased the Hi-Way 50 and plan to renovate it in time to open in 2014.

According to the Tribune, the Wakhams “plan to open with digital equipment from the start. Visitors to the drive-in can also expect to see new bathrooms, new paint, and a brand new menu.” The article also noted that the screen tower “is one of the few remaining screens that were typical in the early days of outdoor movie theaters.” You can see what they mean in the photo I’ve borrowed from the Hi-Way 50’s Facebook page. What do you call that style with the thick borders around the screen and support legs on either side?

And that Facebook page looks like it’s the place to go for Hi-Way 50 status updates. The first post after the sale offered a welcome dose of enthusiasm: “Hello everyone, we’re honored to be the new owners of the Drive in and keep an old tradition alive. The Douglas family has put countless hours over the last 20 years and if not for them it very well could have closed up like most of the others around. Thank you Douglas family!” Thank you Wakhams for keeping the Hi-Way 50 alive!

Developer hopes to build Tennessee drive-in

Here’s some good news for a change. According to WSMV, Nashville’s news leader, a developer called Black Eagle Holding wants to build a new drive-in theater in Murfreesboro TN. The 28-acre site is a wooded area that includes buildings that were once part of Nashville’s original airport. You can see the group’s Facebook page here.

The nest step for Black Eagle is to get approval from the local Board of Zoning Appeals, which will hold a hearing on the question on August 14. The usual NIMBY opponents are making the usual arguments, but it sounds like Black Eagle has done its homework and lined up the personnel they need to get it passed.

So how big is this drive-in going to be? Black Eagle attorney Ted Goodman told WSMV, “We’re hoping, actually, it will be the largest single-screen drive-in theater in the United States.” The Shreveport Times quotes him as saying the planned drive-in would hold 500 cars. Uh, no, then that won’t be the largest. Just among drive-ins I’ve visited, Bengies (Middle River MD) and the Boulevard (Kansas City KS) each hold more than 500 cars.

I think we’re going to see more drive-ins built in the next decade than we saw in the last 10 years. I’ve got my reasons, which I’ll explain in a future post or two. Meanwhile, let’s be glad that someone else recognizes how fun (and profitable) a drive-in can be.

USA Today spotlights Tennessee drive-ins

Stardust Drive-In screen

Stardust Drive-In photo by niseag03

Last Friday, USA Today picked up a story by The Tennessean, which isn’t so strange because they’re both owned by Gannett. Anyway, the story discussed how small Tennessee theaters, especially drive-ins, were approaching digital conversion. To see the most photos, you might want to check both articles if you can; The Tennessean only allows non-paying visitors a few views per month.

It’s a good, long story, so you really should read it, but I’ll give you a quick summary. The Stardust Drive-In (Watertown) has just converted to digital projection. The owner of the Moonlight Drive-In (Woodbury) plans to stick to film “for as long as possible” because “(s)imply put, I can’t afford it.” The owner of the Sparta Drive-In (Sparta) agrees, saying “If I can’t get any more film, I’ll just shut the doors.” Or gates, I suppose. And finally, the Hi-Way 50 Drive-In (Lewiston) closed last year, and its owner said, “With this digital thing coming on, we decided it was a good time to retire.” At least the Stardust is in it for the long haul.

There’s a lot more detail and background in the original article, so go read it!