Moses Lake movie theater set to welcome back patrons Saturday
CASEY MCCARTHY | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 4 years AGO
After months of being closed down due to the pandemic, Fairchild Cinemas in Moses Lake gets set to finally welcome back patrons this weekend.
Casey McCarthy/Columbia Basin Herald
Fairchild Cinemas Moses Lake theater manager Andrew Jensen cleans up floors inside one of the theaters on Thursday as staff get set to welcome back patrons on Saturday.
New countertops for the concessions area were just one of the renovations that took place at Fairchild Cinemas in Moses Lake while the theater was closed to patrons.
Theater manager Andrew Jensen cleans the aisles between the seats in one of the theaters at Fairchild Cinemas in Moses Lake on Thursday.
Andrew Jensen, Fairchild Cinemas theater manager in Moses Lake, sits inside an empty theater on Thursday as staff work to finish up some last minute work before the cinema reopens this weekend.
MOSES LAKE — After finishing up some work on the interior, Fairchild Cinema is set to finally welcome back patrons this Saturday afternoon.
Andrew Jensen, Moses Lake theater manager, said it feels strange coming back after being gone for so long.
“Getting back in the swing of things will be tough,” Jensen said. “But we have a lot of regulars that come here often, and a lot of us are eager to see them again, we haven’t seen much of them.”
Jensen said it is a nice feeling being back in the theater on Thursday as staff worked to wrap up some final touches. He said plans are still in flux, but he expects as many screens to be open as they are able to. Capacity is limited to 25 percent, with reserved seating helping to keep patrons safely distanced.
“People do that kind of naturally in the movies, they tend to give each other space because no one likes being in a pack in a crowded theater,” Jensen said. “I think it should be fine.”
Jensen said the cinema will have six movies available this weekend but wasn’t sure of the exact list of films. Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” and “The War With Grandpa” are a pair of movies he said he expects could be available this weekend. A concrete schedule should be decided today, he said.
Masks and shields will be used to help keep patrons safe. Cleaning and sanitizing will be doubled to ensure patrons feel safe returning to the theater, he said.
The time behind closed doors allowed the Moses Lake theater to finish up work and renovations as well. The concessions have new counters that Jensen said were desperately needed in addition to some painting to help give the lobby a more unified look.
Bathrooms were completely redone as well, with new sinks, countertops, toilets and stalls.
“They completely re-hauled those, much nicer looking,” Jensen said.
Shows are expected to start around 2 p.m. on Saturday and go through the typical late shows around 9 p.m. Right now, he said the plan is for limited shows on Sundays, and the theater will remain closed Monday through Thursday.
“Right now, that’s what we’re working with,” Jensen said. “It’s still kind of in flux, things could change. But, hopefully that will just be more expansion as things open up.”
