Category Archives: Kentucky

Video: Sauerbeck Announces Screen Rebuilding

Posted on by


Here’s a short post about (and including) a short video. According to WHAS, Louisville KY’s News Leader, the Sauerbeck Family Drive-In in La Grange plans to rebuild the screen that blew down last month, just weeks after the place opened. You’ll also want to watch it for the drone footage of the collapse.

According to a post on the drive-in’s Facebook page, the new screen structure “has been redesigned from the ground up”. That sounds important, because reports suggest that the screen-killing storm wasn’t all that severe. Another advantage of the new screen, according to that post is that it “will have a new ‘face’ that will provide much better picture clarity.”

The Sauerbeck web site still says that the drive-in will be closed until further notice, but the Facebook post sounds more hopeful. It says they’ll reopen “as soon as possible” and mentions hope for a warm Thanksgiving. I’m hoping that however long it takes, the new screen will be built to last for years instead of weeks.

Video: Wind Knocks Down Weeks-Old KY Screen

Posted on by


The Good News: The Sauerbeck Family Drive-In opened this August in La Grange KY.

The Bad News: Less than a month later, a windstorm blew down the Sauerbeck’s screen. The story was in the Louisville Courier Journal, which also supplied the embedded video above.

WDRB, Louisville’s News Leader, reported this week that the Sauerbeck was working with its insurer to rebuild the screen “but it could be ‘several more weeks’ before that happens.” They say they might try a temporary screen, but my guess is that the real answer is just to get a new screen up for Spring 2019. In October, high temperatures around there are only in the 60s, and it only gets cooler the rest of the year.

Until the drive-in reopens, at least we have a nice video slice of what the Sauerbeck looked like on Opening Day. Here’s hoping for much more of that next season!

April 1: Bourbon Drive-In Theatre, Paris KY

Posted on by

It’s Day 91 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey, the start of the second quarter. It started out easy, just a half-hour drive from Mount Sterling to the Bourbon Drive-In Theatre in Paris KY. It’s the last of my stops in Kentucky for this trip.

The Bourbon opened in July 1956 and has been managed or owned by the Earlywine family since then. Everett and Helen Earlywine purchased the drive-in in 1974, then Larry and Patricia Earlywine bought it in 1994. In a region where drive-ins have come and gone far too often, it’s nice to have a steady, dependable story like the Bourbon.

In 2013, the Lexington Herald-Leader ran a nice story (with almost two dozen photos) about the Bourbon. “You’ve got three or four generations of people, they started out with their babies, then they are teens and next those babies are bringing their babies to the movie,” said Trisha Earlywine. At the time, they were concerned about finding the money to switch to a digital projector. “It will be OK. That’s my tagline,” she said, and events proved her right again.

I was so glad to get a second drive-in night in a row that I didn’t mind watching the Kong: Skull Island a fourth time.

Miles Today / Total:  18 / 10199 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: Kong: Skull Island / 46

Nearby Restaurant: As mentioned below, there’s some possible historical significance to the site of the Paradise Cafe downtown. With a name and a setting like that, the biggest surprise is the amazing Asian cuisine they offer.

Where I Virtually Stayed: That would be the Best Western Paris Inn, since it’s about the only hotel in town. The room was comfortable and clean. There was some fruit available in the morning with a nice continental breakfast. I wish that every “only hotel in town” was as good as this one.

Only in Paris: The Shinner Building, located on the corner of 8th and Main Street, is listed by Ripley’s Believe It or Not! as the world’s tallest three-story structure. Built in 1891, it’s been used for commercial space and restaurants is currently home to the Paradise Cafe.

Next Stop: Georgetown Drive-In, Georgetown IN.