I grew up on 7th avenue North in the late 60’s and early 70’s. I went to Lake Agassi Elementary that was at the end of our street. 7th ended at Boyd Dr. that stopped at the Star-Lite Drive-in. My friends and I would ride out bikes through the grounds. The English Coulee ran aside the theater. There was a trail that we accessed the western side of the river from the drive-in on our bikes. I remember collecting bottle caps as a kid from the Star-Lite mostly beer caps I’m sure. Unfortunately my Mom didn’t see the value in my efforts and sent the whole collection( a very loose definition of the actual thing) to the landfill. Anyone who knows the drive-in screen up close knows of the rung ladder on the backside that accessed the screen. My friends and I used to challenge each other to climb up it trying to best each other. Grand Forks then was a very different place than today. We used to play ball on a field that Engelstad Arena now sits on, hang out at the “Highway Host”, and fall asleep to the sounds of the Friday night races at Rivers Cities Speedway that thank goodness is still around today. I loved that theater because of all the fun it gave me and my friends and of a time that has long since disappeared when parents didn’t worry about their kids being MIA for the entire day. I live in the Detroit area now and there are a few surviving drive-ins that have adapted and have a loyal following. The hey day may be gone, what with surround sound, IMAX theaters and lounge chair seating, but the charm of the drive-in still lingers for this movie-goer, and the Star-Lite is still my first choice. I’m glad to see others feel the same.
I grew up on 7th avenue North in the late 60’s and early 70’s. I went to Lake Agassi Elementary that was at the end of our street. 7th ended at Boyd Dr. that stopped at the Star-Lite Drive-in. My friends and I would ride out bikes through the grounds. The English Coulee ran aside the theater. There was a trail that we accessed the western side of the river from the drive-in on our bikes. I remember collecting bottle caps as a kid from the Star-Lite mostly beer caps I’m sure. Unfortunately my Mom didn’t see the value in my efforts and sent the whole collection( a very loose definition of the actual thing) to the landfill. Anyone who knows the drive-in screen up close knows of the rung ladder on the backside that accessed the screen. My friends and I used to challenge each other to climb up it trying to best each other. Grand Forks then was a very different place than today. We used to play ball on a field that Engelstad Arena now sits on, hang out at the “Highway Host”, and fall asleep to the sounds of the Friday night races at Rivers Cities Speedway that thank goodness is still around today. I loved that theater because of all the fun it gave me and my friends and of a time that has long since disappeared when parents didn’t worry about their kids being MIA for the entire day. I live in the Detroit area now and there are a few surviving drive-ins that have adapted and have a loyal following. The hey day may be gone, what with surround sound, IMAX theaters and lounge chair seating, but the charm of the drive-in still lingers for this movie-goer, and the Star-Lite is still my first choice. I’m glad to see others feel the same.