Following the news of its closure, moviegoers rushed to experience one final showing on Sunday night before losing Regal Lebanon Valley, the last movie theater in Lebanon.
Friends Joshua McConnell, Ian Weaber, Thomas Chobanoff, and Josiah Wyatt are based in Lebanon but have temporarily separated as some headed off to college. They said they only found out about the closure on Saturday and decided to meet up at the theater to say goodbye by watching “Sonic the Hedgehog 3.”
“It’s sad,” McConnell said. “But the mall has been going away slowly, so it’s kind of inevitable.”
Lebanon Valley Mall has lost many stores throughout the years. Among the closed businesses are FYE and GameStop, which the young men said, along with the theater, held many memories.
“I used to come to all the midnight releases for GameStop, but I think the digital marketplace is trying to kill that,” Weaber said. “Every Marvel movie, we’d come here.”
Now that the 10-auditorium theater is closing for good, they said they will likely rely on Flagship Premium Cinemas in Palmyra.
But Weaber said he’s still hopeful that a new theater will take Regal’s place.
“I’m trying to look on the bright side of things, and surely, someone’s going to buy it out again, and we’re going to get another theater here in Lebanon,” he said.
If his hope comes true, this wouldn’t be the first rebrand for the multiplex.
The theater was previously Great Escape Lebanon Valley 10, opening to the public in 2006, and was sold to Regal in 2012. It rebranded to Regal Lebanon Valley in 2014 and stayed in operation until a temporary closure during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read More: Sunday screenings appear to be last for Regal Lebanon Valley; future uncertain
Also visiting the theater Sunday night were Crystal Garcia and Alejandro Escobar, who stopped in to watch “Babygirl.”
They are both from Lebanon but said they typically travel to Flagship in Palmyra to watch movies in the adjustable seats.
After learning of the closure news on Saturday, they bought tickets for Sunday night.
They said they were sad to see the theater go, but it made sense considering the other store closures throughout the mall.
Garcia said she hopes the space will become something young people in the area could use to hang out and stay out of trouble. She said an arcade could be nice.
“I really hope it becomes something for the kids and the teenagers. Just get them off the streets and have something fun to do because we don’t really have much in Lebanon to go and do,” Garcia said. “It helps motivate young people so they can go out, have fun with their friends, and don’t have to worry about stuff in the street.”
Regal employees and their manager said they were instructed not to comment on the closure.
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