When the sun goes down on April 3rd – the lights will come up again at one of the last remaining outdoor movie theaters in Kansas.

Last fall the new owners of the Kanopolis Drive-In learned their broken digital projector could not be fixed. With an estimated replacement cost of over $100,000 – the hill seemed too steep to climb.

But Jessica Eagle Moyer and her husband Tyson Moyer took a breath, listened to friends and began to put a plan together. Five months later with the help of the community, Jessica tells KSAL News they have secured enough funding for a down payment on a state-of-the art 4K laser projector.

Before the new projector arrives, the Moyers will be upgrading the movie screen and projection room as they prepare to open this season with The Super Mario Galaxy movie on April 3rd. According to Moyer, only 275 drive-in theaters remain in operation in the USA.

Jessica took to Facebook this week to thank the community for their help in raising funds to keep the drive-in theater experience alive.

“Because of our fans and our community, we’ve secured funding for a new projector and soon, we’ll be the only drive-in theater in Kansas with a 4K laser projector. That means brighter images and movie nights that feel even more magical under the stars, but more than that, it means the future of this drive-in is stronger because of you.”