Still Not a Warehouse: 88 Drive-In Theatre Reopens for a 49th Season

The drive-in reopened the weekend of Friday, May 9, with showings of Minecraft and Sinners.

May 10, 2025

Image: Commerce City's 88 Drive-In movie theater opening for the season on April 24, 2015.

It's not over until it's over for the 88 Drive-In. Brandon Marshall

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Denver lovers of the nostalgic movie experience can breathe another sigh of relief — the 88 Drive-In Theatre has reopened for its 49th season.

The outdoor movie theater gave film fans a scare in 2023 when a proposal was submitted to rezone the property for industrial use. Theater owner Susan Kochevar was going to sell the property to a company that intended to construct a large warehouse in its place, saying she wanted to sell it and "step away" from the movie theater business, Commerce City officials said at the time. The 88 Drive-In Theatre at 8780 Rosemary Street in Commerce City has been open since 1972 and run by Kochevar's family since 1976.

But that rezoning application was withdrawn and the theater opened for another season last year.

The drive-in reopened this year on the weekend of Friday, May 9 with showings of Minecraft and Sinners and will keep movies rolling Thursdays through Sundays, with the box office opening at 7 p.m., rain or shine. Admission to see all features is $10 per person and free for kids under 12 and a classic menu of pizza, popcorn, nachos, burgers and funnel cakes make up the concessions. You must have a working FM radio to hear the movies.

The 88 Drive-In Theatre is the last of its kind in metro Denver, with the nearest other drive-ins in Fort Collins, Pueblo and Buena Vista.

Kristen Fiore is the Westword Culture editor. They escaped Florida in 2021 and have been loving the seasons and lifestyle in Denver ever since. Kristen previously worked as an editor at Colorado Community Media and at The Villages Daily Sun as an associate managing editor and senior entertainment reporter. Their work has won awards for social justice reporting, features writing and news writing from Top of the Rockies, Florida Press Club and Florida Society of News Editors. Kristen plays the keyboard/keytar/synthesizer, writes music and poetry, and dabbles in too many types of art to list.

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