Kasson State Theatre aims for fall reopening

(ABC 6 News) – It’s been almost a year since many lost their favorite place to see a movie, the Kasson State Theatre. It was severely damaged after several rounds of July storms. Now, progress is being made to get people back inside.

In October 2022, there was still scaffolding and caution tape on the outside. Now, there is new siding. Speaking of new, owner Darin Steffl has big plans.

“Just in town here, there’s no other arcade I guess. So for kiddos and families, give them something fun here in Kasson. So even if there’s not a movie they want to see.”

The main theatre is getting a neighbor. A smaller one with nine seats.

“We have a second screen upstairs which allows us to show two different movies at a time which doubles our movie count per year. So we can bring in more new releases every year.”

Don’t forget about the popcorn coming from a brand-new machine. Except, there will be less seats to enjoy it in. The tradeoff will be heated recliners.

“[It will] hold 99 seats once we convert to recliners. There was 203 prior with the normal rocker seats so with the new recliners, you lose about half of your capacity.”

Speaking of screens, the original outdoor sign from the theatre’s opening in the 1930s has been renovated. It now has a new screen and LED lighting.

The restoration and renovation of course comes with a price tag. Steffl said there could be a price increase on tickets and concessions from anywhere between $0.50 and $1. Noting there are talks of a potential value day and that in the end, he wants to make movies affordable and keep prices down.

The goal right now is to open in the fall but it all depends on contractors and when they can get the project finished. If the theatre reopens in the fall, Steffl said he might show movies that the theatre didn’t originally get to show as a soft opening.