Latest Drive-In News (News Page)

Carload.com Site News (Home Page)

September 4, 2003

The Rocket Drive-In in Durango is unlikely to reopen next spring, according to an article in the Durango Herald. It closed for the season last weekend. The Rocket manager says it has not been sold yet. Source: Durango Herald.

On the other hand, the Holiday Twin Drive-In in Fort Collins is coming off its best season, and its owner says flatly, "It’s just not for sale." Source: Greeley Tribune.

What's it like to live next to a drive-in theater? A great story profiles one NH family who says it's great. Print out this article now to have in your pocket if you ever need to attend a zoning board meeting. Source: Concord Monitor.

The owner of the Route 66 Drive-In in Springfield IL said he had to make a lot of changes to get a derelict facility up to codes in 2002, but the process went smoothly. Source: Illinois State University Daily Vidette.

The Boulevard Drive-In in Kansas City KS is hosting a weekend of classic exploitation movies, complete with "cartoons, vintage snack bar ads and more-or-less live bands." Source: The Kansas City Star.

The massive, 9-screen Ford-Wyoming Drive-In in Dearborn MI is going strong even as the Detroit metro area gets ready to watch movies in the Silverdome parking lots. Source: Detroit Free Press.

The on-again, off-again saga of the Wall Township NJ Speedway adding a drive-in theater is on again. Owners hope to start showing films later this month. The screen will be a dozen 40-foot shipping containers stacked six wide by two high. Source: The Star-Ledger.

August 11, 2003

This morning, Carload's hosting service suddenly became "suspended" (and so was the hosting service's host), and it all trickled down to Carload.com. We're migrating to a new hosting service, and if you're reading this, we've made it. Thanks for your patience and support.

August 7, 2003

The 40 East Drive-In in Reynoldsburg OH was sold to the Ohio Division of Fire Marshal and will close Aug. 14. On an adjacent lot, fire marshal officials had held training exercises including real fires and explosions during movies. The owner said he will not rebuild elsewhere, claiming "There's no way to build a drive-in from scratch today." Source: ThisWeek Community Newspapers.

And now, a common theme:

The Blue Fox Drive-In in Whidbey Island WA is still going strong, open year-round. Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

The Silvermoon Drive-In in Lakeland FL is still going strong, as patrons keep the mosquito repellent handy. Source: Lakeland Ledger.

The Capri Drive-In in Coldwater MI is still going strong, with special rates for pilots at the nearby airport. Source: Battle Creek Enquirer.

The Luverne Drive-In in Luverne MN is still going strong, and it's only three years old. Source: Sioux City IA Journal.

July 31, 2003

Everything you'd ever want to know about the Comanche Drive-In of Buena Vista CO is in a fine article in the Vail Daily. Source: Vail Daily.

Actor DB Sweeney, in Williamstown MA for a theater festival, recommends taking in a flick at Hathaway's Drive-In in Hoosick Falls NY about 40 minutes away. "It's one of the great drive-ins," he said. Source: North Adams Transcript.

The owner of Starlite Drive-In in Durham NC says he hopes he can hold out for another five or ten years. To boost revenue, he also runs a video-rental business and a gun shop. Source: Charlotte Observer.

July 24, 2003

There's one six-screen drive-in left in Las Vegas NV, and it's still popular. It's mentioned in an article that touches on the history of Las Vegas drive-ins and includes a map showing the number of active drive-ins by state. Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal.

There's a fine article about a couple who bought an Indiana drive-in and hopes to build a new chain of them. Source: Johnson County Daily Journal.

The aging owners of the Plaza 21 Drive-In in Beaufort SC say they don't plan to reopen it for the season this year, and that it may be closed for good. Source: The Island Packet.

The Family Drive-In in Stephens City VA attracts patrons from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and all over Virginia. Source: The Winchester Star.

The owners of the Unadilla Drive-In in Unadilla NY say that they're turning a profit and that business is increasing by 25 percent a year. Source: Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin.

Oklahoma's seven remaining drive-ins are doing great business, according to an Associated Press story. Source: KOCO-TV.

July 17, 2003

CNN, CBS News and many other sites picked up an Associated Press story primarily about the Memphis Drive-In in Brooklyn OH, but also about the fun of drive-ins in general. Great quote from the projectionist: "You have more pressure (working) at a drive-in. They've got the horns. They express themselves more easily." Source: CNN and CBS News.

The Skyway Drive-In in Fish Creek WI thrives by showing double features and catering to families. "For the people that live there, it is their theater," said the owner. "For everyone else, it’s a novelty draw." Source: Green Bay Press-Gazette.

In Fayetteville AR, a city planning commission was concerned that the lights from a proposed auto dealership would affect the 112 Drive-In nearby. The architect for the project said six acres of trees would buffer the light. Source: Northwest Arkansas Morning News.

The Sky Vue Drive-In in Lamesa TX still draws in patrons from all over West Texas. Source: KCBD-TV.

July 13, 2003

Today's Denver Post picked up the Cinderella story. Landowner Ken Leiman says he wanted to sell 10 years ago but that his father, who opened the Cinderella in 1972, didn't want him to. "I'm kind of the bad guy," Leiman said, and I won't disagree. Be sure to check out the great color photo online; it's much better than the black and white version in the newspaper. Source: Denver Post.

July 10, 2003

News 4 Colorado picked up the story about the possibility that the Cinderella will close after this season. It quotes landowner Ken Leiman as saying, "Now it's almost strategically wrong not to sell it." But Leiman also said, "It will be a sad day when we have the last show." If it's so sad, why sell? I don't get it. Source: KCNC-TV.

In other news...

Three drive-ins have reopened in Missouri in recent years, and another, the Pine Hill in Piedmont, is doing great business drawing regional residents and tourists alike. Source: The Southeast Missourian.

The world's first digital drive-in, with movies from DVDs and satellite, should open this month at a drag strip in Hagerstown, MD. Source: WHAG-TV.

The Mendon Twin Drive-In in Mendon, MA, still thrives as other small theaters in the region die out. The owners say it's because of their emphasis on family-friendly films. Source: Milford Daily News.

An assembly-line worker and drive-in enthusiast is on track to open a new twin-screen facility in rural Galva, IL, later this year. He says new drive-ins work better "away from the markets controlled by the big chains." Source: Quad-City Times.

July 3, 2003

The Rocky Mountain News story, buried on Page 18A, slipped past me yesterday. Anyway, the owners of the land on which the Cinderella Drive-In sits plan to let developers build a high-end apartment complex on it after the lease runs out in January. The online version has more photos than the print article, so check it out. Source: Rocky Mountain News.

A thorn that had been in my paw for years has been removed. Scott Zimmerman graciously sent a fine marquee photo of the Kar Vu. I'd tell you the story of how I saw a movie there but arrived too late for a decent photo, but it's a pretty dull story. Thanks again, Scott!

In Southington CT, town officials are negotiating the purchase of the Southington Twin Drive-In, which has yet to reopen this year. City officials see the purchase as a way to expand Recreation Park, which borders the drive-in. Source: Record-Journal.

News from 2000-2002
 

June 27, 2003

According to a report published in the Englewood, CO, Herald, plans are in place to build a residential development on the site of the Cinderella Drive-In. In the past week, I've heard from various parties who indicate that it may not be a done deal, but it's a definite maybe. As in this may be the final season for the Cinderella. The Rocky Mountain News is working on a possible feature story. I'll present more details here as soon as I hear more about it.

In Walpole, MA, the Recreation Department is creating makeshift drive-ins by sewing together sheets to cover the side of a building near a field. Patrons can watch from their cars from a nearby parking lot, but the coordinator said they're suggesting blankets and chairs instead. Source: Needham Daily News Transcript.

A feature in the AAA Traveler Magazine spotlights two midwestern drive-ins. A visitor to the Boulevard in Kansas City, KS, claims it's one of the top two in the country, and at the Macon in Macon, MO, the owners continue to use the original 51-year-old equipment. Source: AAA Traveler Magazine.

The community of Van Wert, OH, has rallied around its theater owners, organizing a fund to help them rebuild the Ridgeway Drive-In from tornado damage. Ray Romano, Sparky Anderson and Joe Morgan have donated auction items to help. Source: Van Wert Times Bulletin.

The Collier County, FL, code enforcement folks told the owners of the Naples Drive-In they have to clean up their trash, litter and weed overgrowth by the end of June and keep it clean thereafter. Gotta be a good neighbor! Source: Naples Daily News.

The Skyline Drive-In in Barstow, CA, is having its best fiscal year ever. On June 7, it had its busiest day ever, filling the lot and turning away 100 cars. Source: Victorville Daily Press.

A Brigham Young University student founded Open Air Cinema, which shows outdoor movies in parks at Provo and Orem, UT. He said he got the idea from a similar system in Switzerland and that he thinks it will eventually replace the drive-in. Oh yeah? Source: Salt Lake Tribune.

The co-owner of the Wellfleet Drive-In in Wellfleet, MA, says business has been improving over the last decade. He said the quality of life is great, and there's nothing else he'd rather do. Source: Boston Globe.

The Frederick County, MD, Planning Commission approved plans to build Bumpers Drive-In on the site of the old Monocacy Drive-In west of Annapolis. Neighbors complained about possible trash and noise, but the commission said zoning there allows drive-ins. Source: InsideBaltimore.com.

CNN reports that drive-ins show signs of reviving, but have to put up with weather and real estate values. Source: CNN.

The Southington Twin Drive-In in Plantsville, CT, has closed and is looking for a buyer. But the land value may make it difficult to justify purchasing the site just to show movies. Source: New Britain Herald.

And who else is reopening a closed drive-in theater? How about Moscow, in Russia? Source: The Moscow Times.

At the site where drive-in theaters were invented, there isn't even a plaque. But there is a great story available describing the vision of their creator, Richard M. Hollingshead Jr., on the 70th anniversary of the event. Source: Camden, NJ, Courier-Post.

The Ski-Hi Drive-In in Muncie, IN, has changed hands, and the new owners have improved the concession stand menu. Source: Ball State Daily News.

May 30, 2003

The Tri-Town Drive-In in Lunenburg, MA, is still going strong, but with more families and fewer teenagers in its audience. Source: Fitchburg, MA, Sentinel & Enterprise.

The manager of the SkyVue Drive-In Theatre in New Castle, IN, says crowds are growing and thinks the pendulum is swinging back from home theater to drive-in theaters. Source: New Castle Courier-Times.

The Diamond State Drive-In Theater near Felton, DE, reopened in 1995 and had its best year in 2002. When it was built in 1949, it used three loudspeakers to cover the whole lot. Source: Delaware News Journal.

May 22, 2003

The Hyde Park (NY) Visual Environment Committee is partnering with the Hyde Park Rotary, Scenic Hudson, and the Franklin D. Roosevelt High School Honor Society to restore the stone wall at the Hyde Park Drive-In. Source: Hyde Park Townsman.

May 15, 2003

The fifth annual Provincetown, MA, International Film Festival will include a night at the Wellfleet Drive-In in Wellfleet, MA. Source: Boston Globe.

The head of a three-theater drive-in "empire" in Tennessee says distributors are giving him better movies, and he's doing better business. Source: The Albuquerque Tribune, of all places.

Hoo boy! In Lebanon, OR, the owner of the Motor-Vue Drive-In was looking forward to selling out to Wal-Mart. (Sounds like the fate of the Aircadia in Colorado Springs.) But the deal's been delayed, so he's opening for another season ... so far. Source: Salem Statesman Journal.

May 8, 2003

The big news this week is in Monte Vista, where the Star Drive-In's recording tells us that it's added a second screen. Can the Movie Manor rooms see both screens? Do they pipe in both soundtracks? I've sent an email to the local newspaper there, and when I get a response, or some info from my loyal readers, I'll share it here.

In Van Wert, OH, a tornado destroyed the Ridgeway Drive-In last November. This article from the Times Bulletin says that the owners have given up on the idea of rebuilding it because they don't believe it would "return the investment to justify an additional loan."

The Bennington, VT, Banner profiles Hathaway's Drive-In in North Hoosick, NY. It's celebrating its 55th anniversary.

The Marinette, WI, Eagle Herald ran a story about a Milwaukee man collecting stories about all the drive-ins in his state. That might be me one of these days. At any rate, I've got to update the links page to add his site.

May 1, 2003

There's a follow-up on the Lakeshore Drive-In in Monticello, IN and a photo of its new second screen, all at the Herald Journal site.

An otherwise "perfect" drive-in site near St. Joseph, MO, has one big problem -- lack of a sewer line. Details are in this story in the News-Press.

Reuters reports that the most popular movie theater in Beijing these days is the Fenghua Yuan Drive-in Theater. Of course, some of that has to do with fear of crowds during the SARS epidemic.

There's a nice story about the 95-year-old woman who helped build the Brazos Drive-In in Granbury, TX. Check out the Hood County News feature.

The News-Enterprise of Hardin County, KY, reports that the Knox Drive-In in Radcliff suddenly closed. It didn't mention a reason why. Marquee photo here.

April 24, 2003

A column in the Carlsbad, NM Current Argus shows that another writer has discovered the fun of drive-ins, after a visit to the Fiesta drive-in there.

In NH, "Forget the end of maple syrup season or the arrival of robins. In the Souhegan Valley, the true sign that spring has arrived is the opening of the Milford Drive-In." So says the Nashua Telegraph.

The Lake Shore drive-in in Monticello, IN, was approved by the city council to erect a second screen, according to the Herald Journal.

The Dallas Morning News reports that in Frisco, TX, community leaders asked high school students what they'd like to see in town. By now, you know that they asked for a drive-in theater.

April 17, 2003

The Sky-Hi drive-in in Muncie, IN, has a new owner who's fixing up the place, according to The Star Press there. The article said the owner was attracted by Indiana's refusal to use Daylight Savings Time.

April 11, 2003

There's an excellent article with gorgeous pictures available online from the Kansas State Historical Society. It's a nice walk through the history of drive-ins in our sister state to the east.

April 10, 2003

More than 350 city and business leaders are expected to turn out in Fontana, CA, for a fund-raiser to help transform the Fontana Civic Auditorium into a performing arts center. According to the story in the Riverside Press-Enterprise, one of the planned improvements is a drive-in theater in the parking lot.

April 4, 2003

The Tri-Way Drive-In Theater in Plymouth, IN, has reopened for another season, according to the South Bend Tribune. Its owner said last summer was the best year in the Tri-Way's history, prompting him to invest in a new marquee sign.

The Herald of Everett, WA says that a real estate company, which owns a drive-in theater there, is just waiting until the economy improves and office vacancy rates fall to tear it down and build offices and apartments on the site.

March 2003

The Wichita Eagle reports that the Landmark Starlite opened March 14 with carload pricing.

Two men say they'll build a new drive-in near Pittsburgh, Pa., according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. They plan to call it the Starlite Drive-In Family Entertainment Complex. One of the men had operated a drive-in in the late 1980s, and he said, "I really wanted to be the first person who tore down a mall and put up a drive-in."

In Holly Springs, NC, a high school student (suspiciously named Graham Chapman) told the mayor the town should have a drive-in. The mayor said he liked the idea, but that it would be a hard sell for the town, according to the Triangle News Observer

February 2003

The Autovue Drive-In will open this summer in Galva, Ill., according to the Quad City Times. (Another source says it'll be the Auto View.) The city bought a parcel of farmland for $70,000 and sold 5.3 acres of it to the developer for $18,500 so he could build the drive-in. A great example of using a drive-in for civic pride!

In Council Bluffs, Iowa, a group of real estate investors bought the Council Bluffs Drive-In, and have promised that it will operate for at least four more years. That story ran in the Omaha World-Herald, which I grew up calling the "Weird Harold," but I digress.

The Age in Melbourne, Australia, ran a feature article discussing the history and state of the drive-in down under.

And ChannelNewsAsia reported on a one-night only drive-in festival in Kallang, near Singapore.