![]() ![]() On September 10th, 1989, the drive-in premiered its final films: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and Ghostbusters II on one screen, and Casualties of War and Lock-Up on another. Kaos 1989 effort to run a show at the Circus was quashed by outdated county law. ![]() Two days before the event, they were shut down by an outdated, Woodstock-era county ordinance meant to contain rowdy concert-goers. Kaos held a successful show at the Drive-In three years prior, followed by a showing of “Friday The 13th VIII.” The same success was not found at the 1989 event. Anacortes metal band Kaos was behind the event and was set to perform alongside a slew of other metal, punk and hard rock acts. The most notable event from this era was a doomed heavy metal show set to take place at the Circus on September 2nd, 1989. As it would turn out, this revival would be short-lived as well. ![]() In 1989, Timothy Harris revived the drive-in with himself acting as manager. The theater would end up closing in the early 1980s, but its closure was not long-lived. Timothy Harris: Owner of the Drive-In during the year 1989. It all proved to be extremely popular, attracting viewers from Oak Harbor to Mount Vernon and beyond! Unfortunately, all good things have to come to an end. The Circus owners showed everything from first runs, to color cartoons, to hardcore exploitation films - a cash cow for Drive-Ins across America that would introduce the public to new forms of extreme filmmaking. The Circus’ popularity continued for years. Original Anacortes American news clipping promoting the opening of the Circus Drive-In. It was one of the largest traffic jams in Fidalgo Island history back then. Opening day was a huge success with over 400 cars jamming Old Memorial Highway leading into the theater. Following it in a double feature was “Follow The Boys,” a WWII era musical starring Connie Francis, Paula Prentiss and Dany Robin. The first film screened at the Circus was Elvis Presely’s “It Happened at the World’s Fair,” a movie set and shot only an hour and a half away in Seattle. There was excitement in the air leading up to its opening. Word had quickly spread far and wide about the new theater. The duo pulled out all the stops with the Circus: modern concession stand amenities, sweepstakes and raffles, a playground for young children, a 500 slot parking space for viewing, and even a live clown! The Bonholzer couple opened the Circus Drive-In to the public on June 30, 1963. Jim Bonholzer (left) and an assistant preparing for the opening of the Circus. Fate had brought the two to Fidalgo Island and thus began the building of the Circus Drive-In, one of the greatest outdoor theaters in all the Pacific Northwest! The couple instantly fell in love with the lot and the area, and they knew exactly what they were going to use the property for. Touring Fidalgo Island the next day, the Bonholzer’s eyes were caught by a For Sale Property sign extending over both sides of Old Memorial Highway. Forced to head ashore, they found safe harbor in Anacortes where they stayed overnight to wait out the weather. Jim and Lorraine Bonholzer, prominent theater owners/operators from Seattle, were traversing the ebbs and flows of the Salish Sea one day in 1963 when a heavy fog came over them. It was through the workings of serendipity that the Circus Drive-In came to be. It’s a mysterious remnant of a past civilization to the younger crowd and a recognizable and nostalgic image to the older - they may even remember it as the “Circus Drive-In,” once the premiere spot on Fidalgo Island to see first-run films! Leaving Anacortes off State Route 20, there are few sights more iconic or eye-catching than the monolithic drive-in movie theater screen off the north side of the road. The word 'THEATER' has been reduced to only the letter 'R' (2021) ![]()
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