Kanopolis Drive In opens for season after staying closed in 2022

People looking for an experience in north central Kansas have another back after more than a year being away as the Kanopolis Drive In movie theater opens up this weekend for the 2023 season.

The theater, located at 804 N. Kansas Ave. on the edge of Kanopolis, was hit like the rest of the area by the Dec. 15, 2021 windstorm, receiving damage to several parts of the property, including its 70 foot-wide screen, causing the theater to not open during the 2022 season.

Owner Josh Webb said it was a difficult decision to stay closed for a whole summer, but he didn't want to open just for the sake of reopening if the screen and the rest of the property wasn't in the best possible condition.

"We wanted to make sure the screen was going to be in good shape, (fixing) the cabling and bracing on that (and) get a new coat of paint on it," Webb said.

Not only was the screen hit hard, but other areas to the site were damaged too, including the ticket booth roof and fencing all along the perimeter. Adding to the struggles, economic issues like material shortages and backed up supply-chains made it nearly impossible to open, even later in the 2022 season.

An excitement to be back

The repairs are now complete and Webb said he's ready to get back to the swing of the drive in season this year, including getting his nose reacquainted with a familiar smell.

"It's nice to be making popcorn again," Webb said. "That's a smell that everybody knows, but you don't realize how much you miss it."

In addition the sights, smells and sounds of the theater, Webb said he's also excited to have a group of employees, most of which are local high-schoolers, back on the site.

"They tend to keep me young and keep me on my toes," Webb said. "We have a lot of good employees this year, and I missed that last year."

Opening with a couple blockbusters

Kanopolis Drive In is a first-run theater, meaning Webb books the newest possible films for each week's double feature.

This season that means opening with a duo of major studio films, Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" on its opening weekend followed by newly released "The Super Mario Bros. Movie," which has crossed more than $1 billion in international box office sales already since opening last month.

"(When) we originally reopened in 2011, our goal was to be a first-run movie theater and get things on their national break," Webb said.

Having these movies shown during that first-run release window is important for the drive-in as Webb knows the delay between theatrical releases and home releases are much shorter than in the past.

"The times (we're in) now...if a movie has been out (too) long, it's already on your TV at home," Webb said.

Not just a movie, but an experience

For most people coming to a place like Kanopolis Drive In is more than just about seeing a movie, but also about the experience they have while at the drive-in.

Going to a drive-in is a different experience than a traditional, indoor theater too.

"We're not competing with the multiplex in Salina, we're not competing with the Hays theater or anything like that," Webb said. "It's apples and oranges (different). Other than the movie, there's nothing that's really similar to (an indoor theater)."

Apart from even the experience of sitting in or around your car to watch a movie, Webb said having the theater in the rural setting it is, with Kanopolis having a population of less than 500 people, makes the experience even more unique.

"The big difference that...I hear from people is that when you come out to our drive-in, we have pasture on three sides of us and a field on the fourth," Webb said. "It's not like you're in a big city. There's (only) a couple of street lights in Kanopolis."

Webb said this makes for a great experience.

"Once the movie starts and that screen lights up, you don't see anything like it," Webb said. "There's nothing above you but sky. It's a really neat feeling."

Come see a movie once it gets dark

For more information about the Kanopolis Drive In, visit its website, www.kanopolisdrivein.com, or search for it on Facebook.

The theater has showings every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Admission is $9 for ages 13 and up, $6 for ages 5 to 12 and free for anyone 4 and under. The first movie will start once it gets dark with the gates opening this weekend at 7 p.m.

The concession stand located in the center of the theater offers typical movie eats and drinks, including popcorn, candy and more.

This article originally appeared on Salina Journal: Kanopolis Drive In set to open 2023 season after being dark in 2022