One of the few good things to come out of the coronavirus pandemic is the re-emergence of the drive-in, an entertainment experience that was lost to two generations with the advent of movie megaplexes.
With health and government officials continuing to promote social distancing, studios are utilizing drive-in theaters to draw audiences.
Here are some of the more notable events being held in August.
Kevin Smith’s Drive-In Birthday Bash (Los Angeles)
In honor of the director’s 50th birthday, a special pop-up will be held on Monday, August 3 at Paramount Drive-In Theaters. The event will include a screening of the “Jay & Silent Bob” reboot as well as a Q&A with Smith himself. Catering and merchandise from his popular Mooby’s pop-up restaurant will be served (the physical carry-out location has been extended through August). If you don’t live in L.A., Mooby’s meal kits are also available through Goldbelly. Get more information here.
Rooftop Films Drive-In Festival (New York)
New Yorkers have two locations to choose from: the Queens Drive-In (in partnership with MoMI and NYSCI) on the grounds of the New York Hall of Science in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, and the Brooklyn Drive-In (in partnership with NYCEDC) on the pier of The Brooklyn Army Terminal.
The Queens Drive-In will feature a diverse slate in August, including “Tesla,” “Mad Max: Fury Road” and “The Muppet Movie.” Get more information here.
The Brooklyn Drive-In will screen “She Dies Tomorrow,” “Palm Springs” and “The Outside Story” the last weekend in July. Get more information here.
A Night at the Drive-In (Multiple locations)
Amazon Studios and Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society launched “A Night at the Drive-In,” a nationwide summer screening series featuring a wide selection of films celebrating multi-cultural voices in cinema. Amazon Studios has been hosting double-features curated by the “Black Panther” star with help from his newly formed marketing arm 8788 and Outlier Society, every other week through the end of August.
As part of the concessions for the screenings, all attendees will receive refreshments provided by Black- and Brown-owned businesses.
On August 12, “Do the Right Thing” and “Get Out” will screen. On August 26, “Coming to America” and “Girls Trip” will bring the laughs.
The list of theaters is below. Visit ANightAtTheDrive-In.com for showtimes, tickets and locations.
Vineland Drive-In – Los Angeles, CA
Overlook Drive-In – New York, NY
Solano Twin Drive-In- San Francisco, CA
Sacramento Drive-In 6 – Sacramento, CA
Las Vegas 6 Drive-In – Las Vegas, NV
Shankweiler’s Drive-In – Philadelphia, PA
Galaxy Drive-In – Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX
Showboat Drive-In – Houston, TX
Ford Wyoming Drive-In – Detroit, MI
Springmill Drive-In – Cleveland, OH
South Drive-In Twin – Columbus, OH
Jesup Drive-In Twin – Savannah, GA
Bengies Drive-In – Baltimore, MD
Ocala Drive-In – Orlando, FL
Parkway Drive-In – Knoxville, TN
Midway Twin Drive-In – Cleveland, OH
Glendale Drive-in – Phoenix, AZ
Transit Drive-In – Buffalo, NY
Badin Drive-In – Charlotte, NC
Monetta Drive-In – Augusta-Aiken, SC
Tribeca Drive-In
Tribeca Enterprises, in partnership with IMAX and AT&T, announced the initial schedule for the “Tribeca Drive-In” series, which will feature an exciting slate of over 30 iconic films, comedy acts, and more. Events will be hosted at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX; Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, CA; Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, FL; Nickerson Beach in Nassau County, NY; and Orchard Beach in the Bronx, NY.
The Rose Bowl events wrapped in July, but the others still have screenings through the first weekend in August. Also note that weekend’s screenings at Hard Rock Stadium have been postponed due to inclement weather.
For more information, tickets and locations, visit Tribeca Drive-In. A percentage of ticket proceeds will go to Black Lives Matter.
