Sky-Vu Drive In theater in Warren celebrates 50th anniversary

Jul. 22—WARREN, Minn. — Ever since he was a boy, Christopher Novak has been working at his grandfather's Sky-Vu Drive In movie theater in Warren.

"I'd help out in the ticket booth, work in the concession stands, mow the lawn," he said, "just helping out wherever I could."

For the past three years, Novak, 31, of Warren, has taken over all operations of the theater. "It's been a definite change of pace, going from working construction — which is hard labor — to working with projectors. But I always wanted to be in this business."

Sky-Vu Drive In, on Highway 1, is a family business that's celebrating its 50th anniversary this week, defying the odds by remaining open long after many other similar theaters around the country have gone dark.

Steve Novak, of Minto, North Dakota, is co-owner of the theater along with his father, Leonard Novak, who lives next door to the outdoor theater in Warren. They purchased the theater from Bixby Knight in 1973. Knight purchased it in 1963 from original owners Allen Paulson and Ray Batko, according to a report in "Connections," published last fall by the Warren-Alvarado-Oslo Public School.

Sky-Vu is "one of the top 10 oldest (drive in theaters) in the world still going," Steve Novak said. "It feels great!"

"In the '90s, Dad kept it going," Steve said. "I took over in '08 full time. There were some years where we didn't make $7,000 a year. But with good movies, like 'Lion King' and 'Toy Story,' we can make that in a night."

"If the (movie screen) writers would stop striking for more money and put out a good product, people will come."

Sky-Vu is one of five outdoor theaters still operating in Minnesota. The last one in North Dakota closed in 2012, according to DriveInMovie.com.

Chris Novak said Sky-Vu has remained viable, in part, because it's the only drive-in theater "within three or four hundred miles."

He also maintains that keeping prices reasonable is a factor.

"We're not priced through the roof," Chris said. "And we're very family oriented. We're keeping things how it used to be. People love coming out."

Watching a movie at Sky-Vu is "something different" that families can do together, he said. "People can sit outside. Kids can play baseball. You can enjoy the sunset — all those good things."

"The price of everything has gone up," Chris said. "People can't go out as much as they used to — maybe have to pinch pennies a little bit."

Steve Novak attributes the decline in viewership at drive-in theaters to customers' evolving interests.

"People's habits are changing," he said, "and crappy movies are coming out. It's just brutal. Terrible movies."

There are "no good American movies," Steve said. But "Top Gun: Maverick," starring Tom Cruise, is a notable exception. "We showed it five times last year, and we'll show it again this year."

Another exception is "The Flash," which is "terrific," Steve said. "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" is a "good family movie" and is running Friday and Saturday, July 21 and 22, during the Marshall County Fair week.

Sky-Vu will be showing "Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One" and "Indiana Jones & The Dial of Destiny" in the coming days.

He and Chris "look at box office reports" to gauge whether to book a movie, Steve said.

The iconic Sky-Vu theater — a symbol of Americana that flourished for decades in the 1900s — can accommodate 300 vehicles, Steve said.

"In the spring, we open when the water's gone and the snow goes away," he said. "Usually that's the last week in April or the first week in May."

In the summertime, the theater is open seven days a week, with movies starting at dusk, about 9:30 p.m., Steve said. "In mid-August, we go back to Friday to Sunday." In September, movie start time shifts to 8 p.m.

People come to Sky-Vu not only in cars, but also pickups and SUVs, he said. "They back up the SUV, open the back and kids watch from there."

Thankfully, the theater has had "no problem with mosquitoes for three years, he said.

Steve and Chris Novak have made several adjustments to continue to attract customers.

"We've added a better, bigger menu in the concession stand," Steve said. "We've added homemade pizza, barbecues — sloppy joes, slushies and pretzels."

They've also invested heavily in technology to enhance the viewers' experience.

"We added a digital computer system — so no more reels," Steve said. The equipment cost $110,000.

They installed an antenna to allow for radio reception through their dedicated FM station as well as eight speakers throughout the property "so parents can sit on the grass with their kids and enjoy the movie," Steve said.

To encourage new customers, including people with kids, "we give them markers to sign their name anywhere on the (concession) building," he said.

Birthdays and wedding anniversaries are announced over the speaker system and the honored guests receive a free t-shirt.

On Facebook, the Sky-Vu has 21,000 followers, Steve said.

The Novaks also support area organizations in their fundraising efforts. Mostly recently, they opened the theater for the East Grand Forks' Riverside Christian School to host a movie, "Family Camp," to raise funds for their middle school students' trip to Washington, D.C., next spring.

The school received proceeds from gate admissions on the two evenings the film was shown.

"We do three or four fundraisers each season," said Steve, who also owns a restaurant and bar, Harvey Avenue Saloon, in Minto.

Running the Sky-Vu full time has been enjoyable, Chris said.

The best part of the job is "hanging out" with his grandfather, Leonard Novak, he said. "I get to do what I want during the day, and hang out with Grandpa every day in the evening. He's still involved, behind the scenes, paying the movie companies and counting money."