Submitted photo
The Midway Drive-In in Mifflintown has been sold, but will operate as usual beginning in May.

MIFFLINTOWN — Timothy and Lacie Wert of Burnham admit they’re new to running a drive-in movie theater and learning a lot as they go.

Other than the obvious.

“Of course, having kids, we like to watch movies,” Lacie said.

After talking to the previous owners and having several family discussions, the Werts decided to buy the nostalgic Midway Drive-In in Mifflintown. The sale for the theater and neighboring River’s Edge RV Park and Campground was finalized on Dec. 1.

The Werts were more interested in purchasing the campground; however, the drive-in and campground were sold as a package. The Werts own other business ventures, including the Family Island Campground in Sunbury.

Lacie heard over the summer that the drive-in and campground were for sale.

“Our attention was really on the campground,” she said. “We both grew up in Mifflin County. We knew the Midway was a very well-loved part of the community there.”

Running the businesses will be a family affair as their teenage son works in the fast food industry and can help with the concession stand. Their daughter also wants to help with the campground.

The Werts listened to their children before deciding to make the purchase.

“It was a process,” Lacie noted. “It really had to feel like it had to be the right decision for our family. We will run and own this as a family.

“The more we looked into it, the more it started to feel right,” she added. “And here we are.”

Lacie posted on social media in mid-December about the sale as rumors were running rampant.

“You may have heard, the Midway Drive-In is under new ownership, but that doesn’t change a thing! So, mark your calendars now! We’ll be opening May 12th!” she wrote on the drive-in’s Facebook page on Dec. 14.

She was surprised at the response. In a little over a week, her post was shared 154 times, liked 652 times and received 68 comments.

“There were so many rumors that we wanted to put that out there, so people could stop worrying,” Lacie said.

The Werts have also tried to ease customers’ minds by announcing they will keep ticket prices the same as last year. Drive-in ticket prices are $8 for adults and $5 for kids. Ticket sales will also remain cash only. And the staff has been asked to remain.

They are planning to open the drive-in on Mother’s Day weekend rather than Memorial Day.

“It will give us some experience before we get busy,” Lacie explained.

They also plan to open the gates 15 minutes earlier to allow movie-goers more time to set up. They don’t plan to make any other changes with the Midway.

“Drive-ins are kind of a nostalgic thing,” she added. “That’s part of the fun of them. We are kind of old souls. We like vintage stuff.”

In preserving the drive-in, which opened in 1950, the Werts will keep the drive-in theater, box office and concession stand the same. The snack bar menu is the same from the 1980s: popcorn, hot dogs, ice cream, soda pop and candy.

They do plan to make basic repairs around the drive-in and do some painting.

“We don’t want to change the feel of it,” Lacie said. “The kitchen is spotless. We were blown away by how clean everything was. What’s really important is the operation changes that I posted.”

The RV park and campground is newly constructed with 64 flat, level sites situated along the Juniata River. Only seasonal sites are offered at this time, and the 2023 sites are sold out. The Werts have started a waiting list for 2024.

All sites have water, sewer and electric hook-ups. There is also access for water activities, such as kayaking and tubing, as a river-front deck for campers’ viewing pleasure.

The Werts are also planning a flea market on the grounds on Saturday, June 3, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“The property is only used on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays,” Lacie said. “If it goes well, we might try it more than once.”