NORTH WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. — Good Morning, Lehigh Valley!
On Friday's edition of the ABC-TV show "Good Morning America," an excited crowd at Shankweiler's Drive-In held up hand-painted signs and bright yellow buckets of movie popcorn.
At 8 a.m., ABC News correspondent Ike Ejiochi drove up in a white convertible and reported live from the oldest continuously operating drive-in theater in the country.
"The Lehigh Valley is an area steeped in tradition, and Shankweiler's has been there for a long time entertaining generations of movie-goers, under the stars. To be able to continue that tradition for the future generation is an enormous honor."Shankweiler's co-owner Matthew McClanahan
On camera, Ejiochi later got doused with the buttery popcorn, which Shankweiler's co-owner Matthew McClanahan swears is the best in the Lehigh Valley (the trick is to use pure oils, including coconut, McClanahan said).
As a gift to McClanahan and co-owner/wife Lauren McChesney,
Ejiochi presented them with a proclamation from the Pennsylvania Tourism Office.
The "GMA" host called Shankweiler's the "fabric of the community."
"We have a mother, daughter here who have been coming here for four generations," Ejiochi said. "We have another family who said they remembered listening to the movies in their backyard."
McClanahan said he also was a longtime moviegoer at Shankweiler's.
"The Lehigh Valley is an area steeped in tradition, and Shankweiler's has been there for a long time entertaining generations of movie-goers, under the stars," he said.
"To be able to continue that tradition for the future generation is an enormous honor."
'Thrilled to be here'
The "GMA" segment was part of the morning program's "50 States in 50 Weeks: America the Beautiful" series.
The Pennsylvania segment also featured stops at Hershey's Chocolate World in Hershey, as well as in Philadelphia and Scranton.
Allentown also got a shout-out during the "90 Seconds of Pennsylvania" portion for its ties to the Liberty Bell. Berks County native Taylor Swift also got a shoutout.
"I'm thrilled to be here, even though this is a little outside of our operating hours."Shankweiler's co-owner Matthew McClanahan
The "50 States" series launched on July 3 at Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, and coincides with "GMA's” 50th anniversary and the nation's 250th.
"I'm thrilled to be here, even though this is a little outside of our operating hours," McClanahan said, jokingly, during the live segment.
After all, the owners are used to working nights at the drive-in they bought in 2022, which opens at dusk, not dawn.
The morning show's crew filmed part of the segment last week at the theater where the couple shared their cute story of meeting — straight out of a movie.
McClanahan was managing another drive-in when he first laid eyes on McChesney, who was a regular customer who parked in the same spot close to the snack bar.
"Right after we started dating, we started talking about how it would be to own a drive-in, what we would do if we had one," McChesney said on the show.
'Huge honor'
The couple bought the theater from Paul and Susan Geissenger, who had owned the property since 1984.
"It's a huge honor for this historic theater to get this kind of national recognition," McClanahan said via email
"The majority of Shankweiler's existence has been as a quiet neighborhood theater. So to see the community rally behind us to elevate it to a new level has been inspiring, and a recognition that I feel this theater has deserved for many years."Shankweiler's co-owner Matthew McClanahan
"The majority of Shankweiler's existence has been as a quiet neighborhood theater.
"So to see the community rally behind us to elevate it to a new level has been inspiring, and a recognition that I feel this theater has deserved for many years."
In June, they announced on social media that "GMA" was taping there and asked for theater-goers to bring their vehicles — all they had to do was sign up to be part of their email list and watch for all the details.
Those spots filled up quickly, according to McChesney, who said Tuesday that the drive-in would be closed to the public during Friday's early morning taping.
Guest brewers, theme nights
As seen Friday on "GMA," the theater maintains its old-time charm, most notably the historic sound horn.
McClanahan and McChesney also have added modern touches to the 91-year-old venue.
While there is the traditional concession stand, the couple also holds theme nights and brings in guest brewers and distillers to give movie-goers a little buzz on their blockbuster night.
They are hold non-traditional drive-in events, including a Farm and Food Festival with Crooked Raw Farm on Sept. 20.
In a 2024 interview with LehighValleyNews.com, McChesney told LehighValleyNews.com that attendance among 18-to-34-year-olds had nearly doubled year-over-year.
Shankweiler's is open year-round, rain or shine.
During fall and winter, it is only open on Saturdays and Sundays.
It posts current movies and showtimes social media and its website. Tickets are $12 for adults; $8 for ages 4-12 free for ages 3 and younger.
