The Big Mo celebrates driving in families from around the Augusta area for 25 years

While streaming and other innovations continue to make changes to the entertainment industry, one local gem has stood the test of time.

The Monetta Drive-In Theatre is up-and-running for the season, and this year marks the 25th anniversary since it was re-opened by Richard and Lisa Boaz.

"It's hard to imagine," Lisa Boaz remarked. "It really was my husband's dream. Richard always used to (say), 'If we have fun with it and it pays for itself then the rest is gravy.'"

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Richard Boaz recalled how he loved going to drive-ins as a kid, and that love continued with he and his wife going on dates to their local drive-in in West Virginia. So when he got a chance to buy the old Monetta drive-in, Boaz jumped on it. The drive-in was initially opened in 1951 as a single-screen theatre. It was closed in 1986, and as such, it needed a lot of work.

"There were 30-foot pine trees on the field and weeds, the marquee was just completely covered, the roof had caved in on the box office," he said. "So I brought her out and I was like, 'We've got to do this.' She was much less enthusiastic as I was."

After much time and labor, the drive-in reopened in 1999, eventually expanding to a second screen in 2005 and a third screen 2011. One of the more unique features they created in 2014 was the main field's projector house which resembles a giant peach.

"If you look all up and down the road, there's peach blossoms and peach trees, so I thought, 'You really ought to tap into that,'" Richard Boaz said. "After we went digital, it gave us an opportunity to change something we'd always had a problem with: The projector on the main field, it takes a little distance for it to get far enough in the air that you don't get people's antennas and heads and little kids waving. So, I'd always wanted to get the projector off of the ground."

While drive-ins aren't as common as they once were, the Big Mo continues to offer a steady stream of weekend fun for viewers of all ages at a reasonable price. Every weekend, each of the three screens offers two different movies played back-to-back. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for ages 4-11, and free for younger ages. Ticket holders get to watch both movies at whichever screen they choose, and when most movie theaters charge minimum $10 for one movie, it's a bargain for families.

Often, it's the newest releases, but for holidays and other special occasions, they will have special screenings like when they played "The Nightmare Before Christmas" for Halloween. Whatever's shown, the Big Mo has become a tradition for regulars like Cierra Padilla of Aiken who has brought her 3-year-old son Miles every weekend of his life.

"As long as they've got a kids movie, you can count on us being here," Padilla said. "Everything's reasonably priced, even the concessions, and it still has that down-home feel. I wouldn't want to change anything."

What are her son's thoughts on the Big Mo?

"I like the movies, and the popcorn and candy," he said excitedly. "But do you know what my favorite candy is? Sour worms and Sour Patch Kids. I like sour stuff."

Some have been coming for even longer than the Padillas, like Stefany Filyaw's family. Filyaw was 16 when she got her first job at the drive-in.

"I sold tickets when needed, I worked in the concession stand making food and fixing drinks," she wrote via Messenger. "It was so much fun. I got to meet a lot of people. I worked there for almost three years. I’d go back if Richard and Lisa needed the help today."

Her father became friends with Richard Boaz and would also help out with tickets, parking cars on busy nights, and fixing things around the drive-in. For all that he did, he was recently inducted into the wall of fame. But that wasn't all. As part of the 25th anniversary celebrations, the Big Mo revealed a commemorative cup that is being sold at the concessions stands. It's covered with the names of all who worked there, including the Filyaws.

"I honestly cried," Filyaw said. "It was a very special honor. It was very unexpected. I’m on the cup with my mom, dad who’s since passed, and best friend from high school....Each time I look at the cup I see a different name I remember; 25 years worth of employees and volunteers is a lot. Richard and Lisa always made people feel appreciated."

While the Boaz couple doesn't foresee more expansions going forward, they hope they can continue to offer fond and fun memories for the generations of fans they've attracted.

"I meet so many people who say, 'My parents brought me here as a kid and now I'm bringing my kid here,'" Lisa Boaz said. "I could have never imagined that we'd be doing this for 25 years."

For more information and to see the latest show offerings, go to thebigmo.com.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Monetta Drive-In movie theatre, Big Mo, celebrates 25th anniversary