Mitchell pool to show ‘dive-in’ movie Friday

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Mitchell residents typically have two options to watch movies on the big screen: Luxury 5 Cinemas and the Starlite Drive-In.

Friday, there is a third option: the Mitchell Outdoor Aquatic Center.

As a part of Summer Splash, Mitchell Telecom will sponsor a “dive-in” movie night at the center.

“Summer Splash, for us, has been around for three years,” said Scott Peper, subsidiary manager at Mitchell Telecom. “It kind of all started as an idea of a community event so people can enjoy a great waterpark … we’ve always wanted to tinker with it.”

Mitchell Telecom and Mitchell recreation and aquatics staff chose “Dolphin Tale” for the dive-in movie.

“(Mitchell Telecom) told us which ones they had available and we narrowed it down to ‘Dolphin Tale,’” said Jamie Henkel, recreation coordinator. “Since we’re going more family oriented, we figured a good family movie.”

Underwater pool lights will stay on during the movie, but buckets and sprayers will be shut off, Henkel said. Other lights will remain lit, leaving it darker near the screen.

When Summer Splash began, the idea of showing a movie was there, but there wasn’t the staff or manpower to have people all day and for the movie at night, Peper said.

“I know other towns have done something like this,” he said. “For us, it just seemed like a natural extension of what we do on a day-to-day basis.”

Admission for Summer Splash is free for the entire day. Games are being planned, such as inner tube races and volleyball, Henkel said.

In past years, Henkel said an average of 800 people have taken advantage of the summer event. With the addition of the movie, she isn’t sure how many people will come. Peper gave an estimate of one million before laughing.

“I have no idea,” he said. “I don’t think there’s anything to draw it against … I’ll be surprised by whatever the number is.” Peper said some of the attendees will be pool fans, hanging out in the water as they watch the movie. But the event is something different. “There’s a novelty of it,” Peper said. “You can swim a little, watch a little, do both.”

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