Who wants to rehab Indiana’s Ski-Hi?


Over at TriCities.com, the folks there ran a story that first appeared in the Muncie (IN) Star Press. I’m not sure how that works, but the only difference between the two is that the Star Press version includes some photos and a nice bit of video, which I’ve embedded here. It’s worth the visit for the photos, but the Star Press is one of those newspapers that wants to restrict viewers to a few pages a month unless they subscribe. But I digress.

Anyway, the story is about Michael Chalfant, who bought the remains of the Ski-Hi Drive-In, which sits just north of Muncie at the corner of Indiana highways 3 and 28. The Ski-Hi had closed around 2005, and it just sat until Chalfant bought it a couple of years ago. The Ski-Hi had a lot of fans, and there are any number of people who’d love to see it restored and operating again. And that’s pretty much the end of the story.

A big problem is that the Ski-Hi has been gutted. Not only was it hit by weather and decay, but vandals and scavengers cleared out the apartment at the base of the tower and the concession stand. “Everything’s pretty well gone,” Chalfant said. “Thieves have taken the scrap and the wiring. The snack bar is beyond repair. The counters are still in there but it’s pretty much been rummaged through.”

The situation now is that Chalfant mows the grounds and has “no immediate plans” to tear down the Ski-Hi. But he also says he has no particular plan to restore it. Some folks are starting to talk about forming a non-profit to embark on the huge project of restoring a drive-in when all that’s left is the land, the shell of a concession building, and a screen tower that’s slowly falling apart. Good luck on putting something together, and meanwhile, thanks to the Star Press for preserving this video snapshot of what a drive-in can look like after years of neglect.

Saying a long, fond farewell to the Auto Vue

AutoVueWA_Facebook_cropFolks are really going to miss the Auto Vue Drive-In of Colville WA. Over the winter, I’d already run one note about its planned closing at the end of this season due to lack of funds for conversion to digital projection. Then in April, I added an embedded video of the Auto Vue. But since then, I’ve continued to see one story after another with tributes of varying lengths to this rickety old piece of Americana.

But none of those measured up to the lengthy article in the Pacific Northwest Insider last week. This one’s got everything – history, old photos, a whole page of new photos, references to other theaters’ fundraisers, just plain everything. And the writer understands the appeal of a drive-in, that it’s not like an indoor theater. “On this Sunday night at the Auto Vue, though, it feels like an event, not a movie. It’s something — at least until after Labor Day, when the last double feature hits the screen — to see, not just to watch.”

This article is one of the finest drive-in articles I’ve read this year. Of course you should go read it!

One more note: I wish the Auto Vue people would contact the folks who run the Comanche Drive-In in Buena Vista CO. Rather than worry about showing current releases, the Comanche seems to embrace its film-based nostalgia. I mean, a drive-in makes almost all of its profit from the concession stand. As long as enough hungry patrons come to watch, everybody’s happy. Why not rent older films and stay in business?

Utah’s Sunset Drive-In snack bar burns down

Sunset Drive-In at night

photo by Arbyreed, used by permission

We’ve got sad news from Utah. The Sunset Drive-In in Vernal is closed indefinitely after a major fire Friday night. According to the Deseret News story, Uintah Fire District Chief Jeremy Raymond said it started with a grease fire from the Sunset’s deep-fat fryers. Raymond called the combination box office and concession building “a total loss.”

The Vernal Express fire story, which said it was still under investigation, said that the projection booth and drive-in screen both survived the fire. What neither article addressed is a deeper question: When will the Sunset rebuild and reopen? Or was this the final chapter for this over 60-year-old landmark?

There are a few more details, and you really should read both stories to see the full range of morning-after photos. Let’s hope that the Vernal community rallies around the Sunset and brings it back better than ever.