The Pride’s Corner drive-in movie theater in Westbrook, Maine, reopened on Saturday to a sold-out crowd of moviegoers who packed the lot for a showing of the 1939 classic Wizard of Oz.
“It feels very nice because I’ve been inside so long,” said Emma Ferris, one of the moviegoers. “It feels good to be able to see a movie again.”
A local ABC news affiliate reported that guests were required to park their vehicles between poles that were specifically installed to ensure that each car remained at a safe distance apart and that social distancing and mask-wearing guidelines were also enforced on the premises. Attendees were also allowed to sit in front of their cars but not at the sides of them.
“The general public has been doing a great job — they’ve been following the COVID-19 requirements and recommendations so it’s gonna be a great evening,” said Jeff Tevanian, the operator at Pride’s Corner, according to WMTV 8.
The Pride’s Corner was not the only drive-in theater to have recently garnered a large crowd.
On Friday, the Capri Drive-in Theater in Branch County, Michigan, was also packed, as moviegoers flocked in defiance of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s stay-at-home order.
The drive-in theater opened for business for the first time all year on Friday night — just hours after governor Whitmer held a press conference slamming businesses in Michigan defying her orders.
Drive-in movie theaters have increased in popularity as draconian lockdown measures have been established by politicians in response to the Chinese coronavirus pandemic.
In fact, this new “pandemic generation” currently has more than 300 drive-in theaters available to them across the United States, which is down from about 4,000 in 1958, according to a report by the Middletown Press.
The concept of drive-in events don’t just stop with movies, as Florida is about to host what is likely the nation’s first-ever drive-in music festival.
The festival, called, “The Road Rave” promises “a full festival main stage production” headlined by DJ Carnage, who is calling the event “North America’s first-ever drive-in festival of the COVID era.”
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
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