PARMA, Idaho — Can you remember the last time you have been to the movies? The COVID-19 pandemic took that aspect of entertainment away, but on Friday the Parma Motor-VU will host opening night.
Originally this classic drive-in theater was planning to open on March 27, but they were delayed because of the coronavirus.
“Every year I always look forward to opening up it, was a real blow when we couldn't," said Karen Cornwall the former owner who passed this business on to her daughter. "With the economy like it is, it really is quite urgent on our part that we get opened up."
The Parma Motor-VU has been a tradition since 1953 when Karen's father built it, she ran it from 1976-2019 when she turned it over to her daughter Susan Haaheim who one day plans on giving the reins to her nine-year-old daughter.
It's a family business that provides family friendly entertainment in an old fashioned kind of way.
“A lot of times it is bringing the kids out to experience things that their parents or grandparents experienced," said Haaheim. "Right now we are taking every safety precaution, limiting people in the rest rooms and cleaning up after."
The drive-in will also space the cars out for social distancing purposes and they told they have masks and gloves if people need them.
However, they will still provide the popcorn that they make from their original popcorn machine that is almost 70-years-old.
“Popcorn will still be available made by the original popcorn girl (her mother)," said Haaheim. "We will just have everything pre-packaged up so their is no worry about exposure.”
The Parma Motor-VU drive-in looks forward to another year, but it will be a different year because they will have to get creative on with their movies because new movies aren't coming out right now.
Opening weekend has a double feature with Onward at 9:10 p.m. and Call of the Wild at 11:00 p.m. The gates will open at 8:30 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Admission costs $8 for people 12 and over, $7 for senior citizens, $3 for children under 12, dogs are also welcome.
