The Vue Dale Drive-In Theatre in Wenatchee, Washington will light up the big screen under the stars for the last time at the end of the 2010 season, according to an article by the Wenatchee World:

The 57-year-old Vue Dale Drive-In, one of only seven drive-in movie theaters left in the state, will go dark due to a variety of factors, said Bryan Cook, general manager of Sun Basin Theatres, the movie company that owns the Vue Dale and indoor theaters in downtown Wenatchee, East Wenatchee and other locations around the state.

The two-screen, 650-car outdoor facility — a relic from the 1950s age of motoring — has become a victim of advancing technology, dramatic shifts in movie-going habits and rising property values, he said.

Closure of the drive-in also figures into Sun Basin’s plans for construction of a new 14-screen multiplex, the Gateway Cinema 14 in north Wenatchee’s Olds Station. Financing of the new $8 million multiplex could be partially funded by the eventual sale of the 11-acre Vue Dale property, although long-term plans call for use of the property by light industry or development of condos or apartments.

Click the Read link below to view the full article and to see photos and interviews from moviegoers at the drive-in.

Drive-in movie lovers are going to have to do some driving to enjoy their movies the old-fashioned way. The closest drive-in to Wenatchee is the Valley 6 Drive-In Theatres in Auburn, about 2 1/2 hours away. For those willing to see movies indoors, there are three movie theaters within 20 miles as well.