Around our area: Motor-Vu Drive-In Theater and Swap Meet

Mysti Willmon, Gazette Editor
Posted 7/24/20

This is going to be a series of columns about activities and places around our area from my perspective. Since I am new to the area, I figured many people would get a kick out of me experiencing the things you have here. If you have any ideas about what I should do, email me at mwillmon@kemmerergazette.com.

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Around our area: Motor-Vu Drive-In Theater and Swap Meet

Posted

This is going to be a series of columns about activities and places around our area from my perspective. Since I am new to the area, I figured many people would get a kick out of me experiencing the things you have here. If you have any ideas about what I should do, email me at mwillmon@kemmerergazette.com.

My hometown of Port Townsend, Washington, had a drive-in, so I am not new to the experience. We like to boast that it is the only drive-in with the original speakers still in use, but who knows if that is actually true. Every summer my family would pack into the car with blankets and snacks and make our way to the drive-in. It was an annual expedition.

My fiancé, Jacob, has never had the experience of enjoying the drive-in, so I looked for the closest one and we set off to Riverdale, Utah, for Motor-Vu Drive-In Theater and Swap Meet. And rest assured, we bought our tickets online, so we didn’t have to leave the car. This is about the most COVID-19 safe thing people can do, in my opinion.

I wanted to make sure he got the full experience. We stopped at Family Dollar before we left town and loaded up the car with drinks, chips, candy and other junk food items to keep us satiated during the movies. When we reached Evanston, we stopped at Wendy’s so he could have the burger experience as well.

When I used to go with my family, we would always leave super early to go to the drive-in. Part of the experience was waiting in the car and chatting about everything going on in your life. Jacob definitely isn’t an early person. He likes to be there on time. So, the fact that I had us leave an hour and a half early left him bored and questioning my plans.

When we finally arrived at the Motor-Vu Drive-In Theater and Swap Meet I was surprised. It has a total of four screens, a big change from the one screen I was used to. It was also supposed to have a Swap Meet, but we didn’t visit it because of COVID-19 worries. Plus, we save more money that way.

Jacob was surprised that people were already there parked and ready for the movie to start. For me, it was a flashback to when I was a kid. At our drive-in, kids would always run around, play, and throw balls back and forth. Motor-Vu was no exception.

Before the movie started, I brought out the Windex and paper towels I had packed for, probably, the less liked tradition of them all, window washing. You don’t want to sit in your car and stare at the movie screen through a dirty window.

Thankfully, when we were finished, the movie was about to start. First on the list was Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, an absolute classic. This was followed by Footloose, another classic. Both movies were amazing, of course.

We left Riverdale at about 2 a.m. and started our drive home. The entire way we talked about how great the experience was and how we would definitely be back.

Motor-Vu Drive-In Theater and Swap Meet was such a great time and I am so glad we had a drive-in close enough to go to. However, we are still eating the leftover junk food from the movie. I keep telling Jacob that’s part of the tradition too.