Small Town, big movies!

This holiday had me so busy baking, cooking, a picnic and so much more.   Sadly out here in western Kansas it is so dry.  There is a burn ban and our chamber of commerce made the executive decision not to have the fireworks this year on the 4th.  The fear of fires is just too great.  We had a blast anyway!  That's just how we do things in a small town. How did you celebrate?

So, with all the holiday fun, my first special highlight of our quaint little community took a little longer that I had expected.  

Let me tell you about one of the great treasures out here in Wallace County, KS.  To say our local movie theater is small would be an understatement.   But what it lacks in size it makes up in other areas.

The Strand has only one theater.  Yep.  You heard me right.  Makes those city theaters look enormous.   I am not sure when the theater first opened but information that I located said it has been opened since at least 1926-1929.  Back then they had performances on the stage in the theater.  The seating capacity today is 195.   Our little community cinema just recently (this year actually) converted to Dolby Digital projection.  We can actually watch 3D movies now!   Before that, it was reel to reel projection.   Don't let any of this scare you.  The movies are current releases so we aren't really missing out on anything.


This theater is community owned and community run.  Since the theater is only open on Saturday and Sunday each week, volunteers (yes, I said volunteers) rotate every weekend to run the concessions and clean up at the theater.  We typically work in teams and only work one of the days out of that weekend.  We are paid with a free ticket to the next movie of our choice, we get to watch the current movie we are working after the concession customers are through, and we get a free soda and popcorn.  Pretty sweet deal if you ask me.  


There is one paid employee.  The ever faithful Jim.  Pictured below, he spends every weekend except I believe 2 weekends (not consecutive weekends either) throughout the year running the theater and projection.  When the reel to reel projectors were in place, Jim had to run upstairs anytime there was an issue with the projection.  It was an art all its own to see him splicing the film together at just the right spots.

Our admission prices and concessions are probably the least expensive you will see nearly anywhere.  Typical prices in cities for a movie are around $10 - $11 per adult and $7 - $8 for children.  Our prices are $5 for adults and $3 for children (ages 4-11).  Tell me, when was the last time you saw those prices in the city?

Our concessions won't break your pocket book either.  Check out these prices!

A family of four (2 adults / 2 children) at a movie here in Wallace County can spend around $25 or less for admission and snacks.  When I lived in the city, we never got out of the theater for less than $60 - $70.

The drawback of a small community cinema.  Limited movie choices.  Here in small town USA, the benefits are so many!  Prices, prices, prices!  Sitting around people you know - no such thing as going to the movies alone here!  We talk and laugh in the concession lines and no one is in a hurry.   I love to watch everyone chatting to the people behind them, in front of them, next to them, or 3 rows down, about things like harvest, girl scouts, 4H, fair, and family.  When our theater is packed, no one has to come up and down the aisles to ask you to move over so others can find a seat, they move on there own to accommodate you or you just go sit next to your friends, even if it means you are separated from the group you came with.  We are all family here!

Come by and hang out with us at the movies.  You won't be sorry you did.  Be sure to say hello to Jim!

Wishing you many blessings from the God Lord above!