Drive-In Movie Theaters Offer Entertainment Option During Pandemic
Fifty to sixty years ago, piling your family into the Country Squire to take in a double feature at the local drive-in theater was what you did on a Saturday night. Drive-ins were everywhere back then. Today, there are only a little more than 300 left in the U.S. But drive-in theaters are experiencing a resurgence in popularity amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
As the coronavirus has forced so many places to close for safety reasons, some drive-in movie theaters have still been able to offer a safe entertainment option. Drive-in theaters in Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma have seen a boost in business from a year ago.
Of course, drive-in theater operators are taking the necessary precautions to comply with the rules of “social distancing.” Employees are wearing gloves while handing out tickets. Concession sales are limited or not available at all. And at Hound’s Drive-In in Kings Mountain, NC, customers did not sit in open truck beds or vehicle hatches.
WCNC-TV reports that Hounds Drive-In enjoyed a full house with around 500 vehicles showing up on Saturday night (3/21). Patrons stayed inside their cars as they enjoyed two free movies: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Forrest Gump. In lieu of an entrance fee, Hounds Drive-In asked everyone to bring one canned food item per vehicle. The cans will be donated to a food bank for families in need.
