LITCHFIELD, Minn. — Back in the 1950s, there were more than 4,000 drive-in movie theaters across the country.
Now only 300 or so remain, including the Starlite in Litchfield. In Minnesota, there are only four of these silver-screened relics remaining, and Friday night was opening night for this local treasure.
Owner Dave Quincer said that owning a drive-in isn't easy, it's more of a lifestyle. He gets home late, sometimes as late as 3:30 a.m.
"I grew up doing this with my dad when I was a kid," Quincer said. But now that he has kids of his own, and a two-hour commute to and from work, he decided it was time to move on.
Quincer said it was important to find someone who wanted the Starlite to continue as a drive-in theater.
As luck would have it, he already knew the perfect person to come in and take over.
"We've known the previous owner for a long time," said Quincer.
Michael Maher said grew up in movie theaters and the chance to run the Starlite was an opportunity he couldn't pass up. He and his wife Michelle own an indoor theater in River Falls, Wisconsin.
And on Friday night, people in the area were just as excited, with one car lined up two and a half hours early for showtime.
"Got to be first all the time, you know," the driver chuckled.
The crowd was not far behind. After a few last-minute touches from Maher, the Starlite was up and running for the season.
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