THE DRIVE-IN IS BACK

 

 

 

Few things scream “simpler times” like the drive-in movie theater. Mention the iconic pastime and you conjure up nostalgic images of baby boomers in poodle skirts and John Travolta stranded and mooning over Sandy.

 

Fun Fact: While the drive-in is most often associated with the 1950s, it was born during the Great Depression. Richard Hollingshead opened the first patented drive-in in 1933 because his mother was uncomfortable squeezing into the 1930’s tiny movie theater seats.

Fun Fact: At the peak of the drive-in theater’s popularity in the 1950s there were more than 5,000 screens in fields and parking lots across the country!

 

 

 

Fun Fact: In the 1970s, as the cars got smaller, fewer families were heading to the drive-in. Proprietors rebranded, focusing on more grown-up fare like the 1970’s slasher films.

Fun Fact: Cue 2020 and it’s easy to see why the Drive-In Movie Theater is the perfect fit for modern socially distanced gatherings! Lucky for us, while there are only about 300 professional theaters in operation, 2020 has seen a boom in pop-up drive-ins!

 

This fall, Greenwich International Film Festival has been proud to partner with Sebass Drive-In Events to bring family friendly films to our community, including Mary Poppins Returns and Jumanji: The Next Level. Hopefully these events will continue to light up the Horseneck Parking Lot well into the Fall!
https://www.gwchdrive.com/

 

Here are a few other drive-in theater options in our area:

Pleasant Valley Drive-In Movies:
Located on the outskirts of Litchfield County, in Barkhamsted, CT, this gem has been in operation since 1947! The 3 acre lot can host 250 cars. Films will run through early October! https://www.pleasantvalleydriveinmovies.com

 

 

Mansfield Drive-In Movie Theater
Located in Mansfield, CT, this 3 screen, 40 acre complex has been in operation since 1954! Films will run through October!
https://mansfielddrivein.com/about/

 

 

Stamford Museum and Nature Center
While not a traditional drive-in theater, Stamford Museum and Nature Center has turned its north parking lot on Scofieldtown Road into a drive-in. Check out their website for showings this October.
https://www.stamfordmuseum.org/exhibitions-and-adults/nights-out/nightsout/