WIND GAP, Pa. - The Gap Theatre in Northampton County is making a comeback! The theatre first opened its doors in 1947 and was an iconic fixture in the Wind Gap community for decades before closing in 2020.
The landmark locale has been restored and re-opened Friday night for a double feature of Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark and Temple of Doom. Moviegoers lined the block.
For Janice and Ted Cooper, the memories started flooding back.
"Years ago, we took our kids here when they were little," said Ted Cooper.
Janice Cooper is excited that her hometown theater is back in business.
"I think it's a good thing for the community to bring people together more and to see old films again," Janice Cooper said.
Wind Gap native Kyle Mahaney has followed along with the Gap's restoration and already has plans to come back for weekly showings.
"Been a big fan of the Gap for a long time," Mahaney told us.
Dave Wright made the trip from Somerset County, New Jersey to see Indiana Jones in 35mm. Wright found out about the Gap from his local film club.
"This will only be the second theater in the entire country, there's the New Beverly in Los Angeles, which is exclusively 35mm and then there's going to be the Gap," Wright said.
So grab some popcorn and find a seat for "the return of the great adventure."
"To be honest I've never seen it, so it makes it doubly exciting for me," Janice Cooper said.
WIND GAP, Pa. - The iconic Gap Theatre in Northampton County is turning the lights back on after a five-year hiatus!
On Friday evening, the one-room cinema is showing a double feature of Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark and Temple of Doom. In the history of The Gap, it's more like "Back to the Future," as a long tradition resumes.
The staff of Wind Gap's Gap Theatre geared up for opening night Friday, loading the film, stocking the candy, and setting out t-shirts. But this premiere is two years in the making.
"It means a lot. It's been a lot of hard work," smiled Gap Theatre Manager Kaitlyn Drumbore.
The new owners, Harry and Jaime Guerro, have re-opened the 75-year-old movie house in the heart of Wind Gap. Harry Guerro founded Exhumed Films in 1997, and has amassed several thousand 35 mm and 16 mm film prints.
"Every small town like Wind Gap has a closed-down theatre somewhere that's now a hardware store, it's a drug store, they sell tires out of the theater or something like that," said Harry Guerro, hours before showing the first movie. "We didn't want to see this theatre end up that way."
Bringing back the beloved Gap Theatre gives people the chance to have something different to do on a weekend in this small town, and hopefully expand their artistic horizons.
"It's going to open their minds to things they haven't seen before because a lot of people have never seen one of the Lee Van Cleef movies that we're showing on Sunday. I'm sure a lot of people haven't seen it. It'll be good to open their minds, and create new fans," said Jaime Guerro.
Harry envisions great moments and memories ahead.
"We could bring all the movies we want here to Wind Gap, into the Gap Theatre, but if people don't come up, and they don't show up, for the events, it's going to dictate what events we can do and what events we can't do and how many shows we can do and how many shows we can't do," said Harry Guerro.
There's also a stage for live musical performances. There will be movies shown throughout the weekend.