It is no secret that college students tend to find themselves strapped for cash, while having to spend any money that they do have on necessary items, such as food, clothes and books. It is hard to find something fun to do that is also cost effective. The Varsity Theatre in Canyon has a way of helping out the students at the university; they have a free movie night.
On every other Sunday throughout the semester, the Varsity Theatre holds what they call free movie night, where college students are able to see a movie without having to pay to get in.
“It is really nice to get to do something like this for free,” Francesco lo Sauro, freshman History major, said. “You know, when you are a poor college kid, every little bit helps. You have to save up and not spend a lot of money on stuff like movies.
Aside from the financial appeal of free movie night, there are other things about the theatre that students like.
“I like the Varsity because it is a good place to just unwind and relax after a long week,” David Lakey, senior Biology major, said. “It is cool to get to just go sit back and watch a movie to get some rest and get rid of some stress, and when it’s free, that makes it even better, of course.”
Students also enjoy the short distance between the university and the theatre, adding to the appeal.
“The other theaters are in Amarillo, and the closest one takes about 15 minutes to get to,” lo Sauro said. “I like when the Varsity has a movie that I have really wanted to see and I can just walk across the street and go see it. I save money on the ticket, of course, since the Varsity is cheap and sometimes free, and on gas money as well.”
The Varsity Theatre shows a popular movie that is out every week that. They get great business by showing good family movies that everyone can see, and also showing other movies that most people want to see.
“I remember checking out the Varsity when I was at WT,” Josh Mills, a former student at West Texas A&M, said. “I got to see some pretty good movies over there, and a lot of the time it was free on Free Movie Night.”
The Varsity Theatre is located at 2302 4th Avenue in Canyon, right across the street from the Panhandle Planes Historical Museum. They have a showing every weeknight around seven p.m. and usually have three showings a day on the weekends.
There will be six free movie nights this semester, one of which already occurred Sunday. The dates for the other five free movie nights are February 16, March 2, March 16, March 30 and April 13.
One thing to keep in mind when going to a free movie night is that admission to the movie is free, but the concessions will be at normal price.
“Even when it isn’t free movie night, it’s still a lot cheaper to go to the Varsity than anywhere in Amarillo,” Lakey said. “At the other theatres, if you decide you want some popcorn or something, it costs more for all of that than it does to actually get in and see the movie. At the Varsity, everything is cheaper and you don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to get a snack.”
The Varsity Theatre is a great attraction for not only college students, but the entire community of Canyon. It is a great place to catch a movie if funds are low, and the free movie nights are very popular among the students of the university.
