IDAHO FALLS – Les Motor Vu Drive-In it’s celebrating its 75th birthday this weekend and you’re invited to the party!
Since opening in 1947, the iconic Idaho Falls venue has served as a popular entertainment attraction in eastern Idaho. It has been the backdrop to experiences that have helped families and friends bond, young couples fall in love, and generations of moviegoers form 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 past season that we have the largest outdoor movie screen in the entire country currently operating. So this is a really incredible historic theater and it’s right here in Idaho Falls.
To celebrate reaching the 75-year milestone, Motor-Vu is throwing a party with 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 competitions and prizes.
The event will also include an opportunity for guests to share their favorite Motor Vu memories.
“This is our favorite part of running this theater,” Spalding said. “Everyone has great stories about things they remember when they came to Motor Vu.”
Saturday’s event is not only a celebration of Motor Vu’s long history of operations, but also a recognition of the vital role the Idaho Falls community has played in keeping the theater alive while so many other drive-ins throughout the country has closed. Spalding said this family-owned business is excited about the opportunity to give back to the community that has kept the drive-in going.
Courtesy of Jennifer Spalding
“Even though it’s not the greatest community in the entire world, Idaho Falls has managed to keep one of those rare drive-ins open all these years,” he said. “We are very grateful for that.”
“I think the connection between the Motor Vu Drive-In and the Idaho Falls community is so strong,” added Spalding. “It’s amazing to me that people continue to think of this as a summer bucket list item. Many members of the community have to go to the drive-in in the summer. It’s been great to see how the grandparents they bring their grandkids and share the memories they have of going to the drive-in when they were younger. To see families and teenagers discover the drive-in for the first time. There’s a very rich history and connection to Idaho Falls.” .
August 27 will be the last night of the Motor Vu summer season. The theater will reopen in October for the Halloween season, but if you’re looking forward to a blast of drive-in movie magic, you’ll want to head out Saturday night.
“These summer nights in Idaho are really special,” Spalding said. “You get great stargazing and to be able to sit outside and watch a movie on a huge screen and have that common experience, I think it’s a very special kind of camaraderie. There’s that feeling of being in a event and that feeling of being connected to Americana, that nostalgic feeling. I think there’s something very magical about being outdoors at a movie in the summer under the Idaho sky.”
Motor Vu Drive-In’s 75th Anniversary Screening of “Grease” is scheduled for this Saturday, August 27th. The event is free. Doors open for pre-show fun at 7:00 PM with “Grease” starting thirty minutes after sunset around 8:45 PM.
Visit the Motor Vu Drive-In website or Facebook page for more information.
Courtesy of Jennifer Spalding
