Storms that rolled through the area on Saturday caused damage at the Van Del Drive-In outside of Van Wert, causing one of the 2 screens to be blown over from the high winds.
The screen that fell was the second screen on the property, which was toppled over from the reported 60 mph winds. According to their post on Facebook, the screen, which was in place for 15 years, was weighted down by cables that were anchored down by concrete lags that weighed 500 pounds on each of the seven cables.
Rodney Saunders, the owner of the drive-in, says the theatre is insured and they do plan to rebuild the second screen.
They also say that whether they have one or two screens up for the season, the drive-in does plan to open in late April for the 2025 drive-in season.
Saunders says the best way to support them as they cover the repairs is to visit the theatre once it opens.
An exact opening date for this season has not yet been posted to the Van Del Drive-In’s website.
