Community Rallies To Support Dell Rapids Theatre Film Projector

Going to the movies has become a bit of a lost art. Between the endless list of streaming services, the soaring price of tickets and popcorn, and that whole global pandemic thing, the traditional trip to the theater has taken a real hit.

Still, if you ask me, nothing beats watching a blockbuster on a towering screen with booming surround sound, where your living room can’t distract you with doorbells, barking dogs, and that series of chimes the washing machine makes once the laundry cycle is complete.

That’s why supporting local theaters is more important than ever.

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Right now, one Sioux Empire theater could use a little love. The historic Dells Theatre in Dell Rapids is dealing with a major plot twist: its film projector decided to ride off into the sunset over the weekend.

According to Dakota News Now, a key part of the projector failed, sending staff on an impromptu road trip to Omaha in search of a replacement. The good news, the mission was successful, and they found a replacement part. The bad news is that it’s more of a Band-Aid than a long-term fix.

The theater desperately needs a modern projector, one with a price tag of about $40,000.

To help cover the cost, the Dells Theatre has launched a GoFundMe page. So far, they’ve raised just over $10,000, leaving about $30,000 to go.

If you’d like to help keep the magic of the big screen alive in this small South Dakota town, you can chip in by donating here.

And if you’d like to learn more about the theater’s long, storied history, you can do that here as well.

The Remaining Drive-In Theaters In South Dakota

If you were born last century...you know, in the nineteen hundreds (ugh)...you may have spent a summer evening in the car watching movies. I don't mean on your phone, I mean at the drive-in movie theater!

If you were in Sioux Falls in the 1970s and '80s you may remember seeing Jaws and Indiana Jones at The East Park or the Starlite Drive-In. Both drive-ins opened just after World War 2.

The East Park didn't make it out of the '70s, closing in 1978. The Starlite survived long enough to see the birth of home video, closing in 1985.

FLASHBACK: Remember the East Park and Starlite Drive-in Theaters in Sioux Falls?

Drive-in movies had a bit of a resurgence during the pandemic. They were a way to go out and do something social without getting out of your car.

If you tried one during that time, or you remember the fun of a warm summer evening watching movies on that giant screen there are still places in South Dakota and around Sioux Falls you can do it.

Gallery Credit: Ben Kuhns