At its peak in the late 1950s, there were over 4,000 drive-in movie theaters in the U.S., with nearly 70 in Iowa. Today, there are four drive-in theaters operating in the state.
On this episode, we talk with the operators of three of the remaining drive-ins. They create nostalgia and programming that make going to a movie an event for families and communities to connect.
Then, we meet Iowa's new poet laureate, Paul Brooke. Brooke hopes his tenure as Iowa’s Poet Laureate will serve to educate Iowans on what’s at risk if we don’t preserve our environment. His new book Finding Meteorites in Antarctica will publish in the fall of 2026.
Guests:
- Jeff Namminga, co-owner, Valle Drive-In
- Randy Lorenz, co-owner, Blue Grass Drive-In
- Sarah Clasen, general manager, Voy 61 Drive-In
- Paul Brooke, Iowa Poet Laureate, endowed chair and professor of English, Grandview University
