Greenville Drive-in to reopen with new operator

GREENVILLE―The iconic Greenville Drive-in 32 is anticipated to reopen next month under new management.

Scene One Entertainment CEO Joe Masher made the announcement on Friday in an exclusive interview on NEWS10. The Schenectady-based company operates cinemas in five states and recently completed the purchase of Spectrum 8 Theaters in Albany. It also owns Huck Finn’s Playland.

Masher said that while the ink is not yet dry on the agreement to take over Drive-In 32, he is planning for a May 15 reopening.

“It’s going to be a great summer there at the Greenville Drive-in,” said Masher.

Masher has been working closely with husband and wife owners Dwight Grimm and Leigh Van Swall who purchased the drive-in back in 2015, reviving the landmark that’s screen had been dark for multiple years.

But last spring, the couple announced the difficult decision to not open for the 2025 season due to ongoing out-of-state eldercare commitments.

“For the past 10 years, the community around the drive-in has been truly special and we will be incredibly sad to miss seeing and serving of all our regulars, our staff, our vendors and the wider community of the Northern Catskills that we’ve come to know and love,” Grimm and Van Swall had said.

Since taking over the drive-in, the couple upgraded the projection system and audio transmission to modern digital platforms. They added a biergarten to the concession stand, offering local beer, wine and specialty cocktails. A stage was also constructed, allowing musicians to perform ahead of movies.

It may also hold the world’s most famous outdoor movie screen.

In July of 2020, pop-country singer-songwriter Taylor Swift released her music video for “This Is Me Trying” which has received more than 27 million views on YouTube. The background for the lyrics was the big screen of the Greenville Drive-in.

The unexpected fame prompted Grimm and Van Swall to host annual Taylor Swift karaoke and appreciation nights, something Masher intends to carry on.

He also plans to continue the tradition of showing both first run movies and retro titles.

The Greenville Drive-in was opened by Peter Carelas in 1959, a time when outdoor cinemas were at their peak with more than 4,500 of them nationwide. Today, there are only about 300 remaining in the country and less than two dozen left in the state.