FBLAST PAST
ROM THE
JULIANA GOODWIN FOR LIVING WELL
I
t was 1966 and Kenda Dearing was a toddler when her parents opened Kenda Drive-In in Marshall.
Kenneth and Marilyn Sanders
named the outdoor movie theater after their baby girl, which was a family tradition of sorts. In 1947, grandpa Howard Sanders opened Ken Theater, named for his son Kenneth.
The movie business is in their blood.
“That is all I have ever known. Their house is inside the drive-in, in the corner, so I was essentially raised in the drive-in and I went to the movie every night. I stayed with mom at the box office. It was my playground. I ran concessions from the time I was 10 or 11. We are as true of a family business as you can get. There were three of us kids and we all worked,” said Kenda.
Kenneth and Marilyn eventually took over the Ken Theater which burned down in 1968. The Sanders decided not to rebuild, but instead invested more in the drive-in which has stayed in the family for decades — they operated it for nearly 40 years.
Drive-ins were a popular family attraction at that time and many thrived until the 1980s, when the industry was decimated by the widespread use of home entertainment systems.
Today, only 323 drive-ins remain nationwide, according to a database on
www.drive-ins.com, which tracks theaters. Three of those are housed in Arkansas; the other two are the 112 Drive-in Movie Theater in Fayetteville; and Stone Drive-In Theatre in Mountain View.
Kenda and her husband Todd took over the business in 2003 and it has
DEAN CURTIS FOR LIVING WELL
The Kenda Drive-In has been a fixture in Marshall, Arkansas for 51 years and is run by Kenda and Todd Dearing, who have been together since they were 13.
grown each year. Kenda says social media has been a wonderful platform to promote an old-fashioned business. Most people love the drive-in experience and it has become a tourist attraction.
When the sun begins to fade and people settle in to watch a film on the big screen — theirs is 36 by 72 feet — they are sliding back into a different time.
“The drive-in experience is more than a movie,” she said. “At the drive-in, the family is the focus. You are able to talk, you can have your kids there, you have a family spread out on lawn chairs and blankets. There is a lot more interaction than there is in a theater. It’s something we are missing in this day and age, a chance for the family to come together as a family and interact.”
WHERE CAN YOU CATCH A DRIVE-IN FLICK? Kenda Drive-In, 107 Westwood Dr., Marshall. Founded in 1966, shows weekend double features on a 72-foot screen. Summer movies are Friday through Tuesday, May through September. The last Thursday of the month is a special Throwback Thursday, where people bring vintage cars and there’s a free movie. They sell con- cessions and serve lunch Tuesday-Thursday. Cash or check only. No debit or credit cards. Admission: $6 for ages 12 and older; free for children 6 and younger with an adult, otherwise $2 for ages 6-11; 5 and younger free. Call (870) 448-5400 or
http://www.kendadrivein.com/ 112 Drive-in Movie Theater, 3552 AR-112, Fayetteville, is a cash-only drive-in theater screening first-run movies Friday, Sat- urday and Sunday. It also has a snack stand. Admission: $9 for ages 13 and older; $4 for ages 6-12; free for ages 5 and younger. Call (479) 442-4542 or online:
www.112theater.com or check Facebook page. Stone Drive-In Theatre, 808 Theatre Lane, Mountain View. Admission changes slightly but in general: $5 for ages 12 and older; 11 and younger are free. Some kid specific features charge $2 for ages 6-11. Call (870) 269-3227. Online
http://www.stonedrivein.net/ or check Facebook page.
4 Living Well i May/June 2017
Living Well i May/June 2017 5
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