Melody Drive In Owner Hopes to Reopen Soon

Wind from Friday's storm reduced screen one at the Melody Drive In to a pile of rubble.
Wind from Friday’s storm reduced screen one at the Melody Drive In to a pile of rubble.

The Melody Drive In should be back in business by the weekend. Co-owner Fred Heise, Jr. tells WKVI news the goal is to open with movies on screen two Friday, a week after strong winds ripped down screen 1 and caused extensive damage to the ticket booth at the popular Bass Lake attraction. Meanwhile, Heise is waiting for an insurance adjuster to assess the damage before the piles of debris can be hauled off. Nobody was injured.

Heise says his long-term goal is to replace the damaged screen, but until then he says movies will rotate through on the remaining one.

“We’re going to have to shuffle a little bit as far as the types of movies and when we’re going to play certain movies, so if people can just be a little patient we will play everyone’s movies. We may have to wait on a few of them, but we will eventually get around to them,” Heise says.  Before opening for the season, the Melody Drive In underwent a digital upgrade. Heise says the past weekend has been quite trying for his parents. He adds the entire family will be fine, and says they appreciate the outpouring of support from friends and neighbors.