Movies: Worth a trip to Waterville
The Nifty Theatre in Waterville is, well, darned nifty.
Sure, its architecture is striking — arched ceilings, slat-wood floors, exotic tropical murals — but it’s the feel of the place that’s distinctive: a pocket of history where hard-working townspeople had fun, and lots of it.
OK, this century-old wooden structure hasn’t quite returned to heyday glory of the 1920s, ‘30s, and ‘40s. But a group of town residents are trying their best to boost its usefulness and prominence in this wheat land community.
Through September, the Waterville Arts Assciation, in conjunction with the Friends of the Library, is re-energizing the Nifty with a series of movies and live performances. Celluloid hero John Wayne kicked it off last weekend in his feel-good western “The Cowboys,” and following weekends will feature an art film (“Days of Heaven”), a chick flick (“Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day”), and a comedy (“Wayne’s World”).
The Nifty also hosts a secondary series, Monday Matinees, that features more local offerings, mostly movies but also live performers. Coming up Sept. 15 is Hank Cramer, a real singing cowboy from Winthrop who croons about loss, love and good horses. Other offerings will feature documentaries about swimming the Columbia River and on the bitterroot plant and how it fit in our regional history. The series debuted with a locally-made documentary on the early history of Soap Lake — the healing waters, the crowded sanitariums and, yes, the nudist colony. Nothing but the naked truth.
Details: Best of all, the Nifty is thrifty. Admission is $5 to the Saturday movies, which start at 7 pm. And the Monday Matinees only cost $1. They start at 1:15 pm. Popcorn is also just $1. The Nifty Theatre is located at 201 Locust St. in downtown Waterville. For more info, call 293-6070 or visit wartsa.org.
4 Comments
Nice piece…an enjoyable read. We’d love to attend a matinee, were it not 52 miles one way from our house to the theater. These days we count it in gas..four gallons.
Hmmm.
Well, LINK transit (www.linktransit.com) provides a reliable service up here and what better way to enjoy the beautiful scenery along the way. Carpool with a group of friends, brush the dust off your motorcycle, think outside the box.
I just now inquired at Link. After we get to Leavenworth to catch the bus–$1.50 for seniors for a one day pass–we ride to the station in Wenatchee..one hour. We wait…she wasn’t sure how long…to catch the bus to Waterville and ride another hour. We would take a lunch as we’d need to leave home about 9:45 or so to get the first bus. I assume we could be in Waterville in time for a little walk, necessary after a two hour ride, and a potty break before the matinee at 1:15. Assume the matinee is 2 hours..I don’t really know..so we catch the next bus after 3:15 for Wenatchee. We might be home by seven. Hungry.
Anyone who saw us on a motorcycle would call 911, our kids, and the sheriff.
I know this sounds negative, but it wouldn’t work for us. However, you have given me an idea. On a day we have to drive to Wenatchee for business, we plan to take the bus to Waterville and back. No movie..just to explore Waterville. We’ll look over the theater while we’re there.
This is a really cool little theater. Mike, thanks for your coverage of some of the simple things in life. Sometimes they are the best.