A new nonprofit drive-in project outside WaKeeney is betting that Kansas still has room for movies under the stars, even as traditional theaters and streaming have reshaped how people watch films. The effort arrives at a moment when the state has only a handful of surviving drive-ins left.
The Trego Skyview Foundation has raised more than $150,000 for an outdoor screen and movie licenses, with plans to build a theater just outside WaKeeney, according to KCUR. The group’s first double feature drew about 100 people, and organizers are now raising money for restrooms, landscaping and a better digital projector.
WaKeeney Project Turns Nostalgia Into Rural Entertainment
The Trego Skyview plan is less about recreating a 1950s fantasy than filling a modern gap: giving families and teenagers somewhere to go in a region with limited entertainment options. The foundation intends to operate the project as a nonprofit, with any surplus potentially supporting other community projects.
For now, the setup is decidedly grassroots. A local DJ supplies the projector and sound system, and moviegoers take a dirt road to a field where organizers have warned them to drive slowly because the route is bumpy.
Wichita’s Starlite Shows Why Survival Takes Community Backing
Wichita’s Starlite Drive-In offers a more established version of the same experiment. The theater has been part of Wichita since 1953, and city records show a $200,000 loan helped keep it operating after its future became uncertain in 2018, while Visit Wichita describes it as a continuing local attraction…