An extension of hope
With summer nearing its end, drive-in theater owners in southwestern Pennsylvania have closed up shop for the season.
Facing Friday night high school football, Sunday school nights and unpredictable weather, the beginning of September translates into an early end for the drive-in theater season.
“It (attendance) just fell off rapidly after Labor Day,” said Joe Warren, owner of the Evergreen Drive-In in Mount Pleasant. “A lot of people ask us to stay open longer, but not enough people show up to support us.”
But it may have been the final summer of movies for drive-ins in Greene, Fayette and Westmoreland counties as the businesses are facing a decision — go digital or close.
With a price tag of $75,000, a new digital projector is a hefty burden for the drive-in theater business, which is open only six months out of the year. But a contest sponsored by Honda has come in the form of a saving grace for some theaters.
Honda’s Project Drive-In, a nationwide contest that ran throughout August and into early September, asked people to vote to save their favorite drive-in theaters. Honda has already named five winners, but has decided to extend the contest through Saturday, giving four more theaters the chance to win.
“It was a total surprise to us,” Warren said. “We had no clue they were going to do it.”
The Evergreen Drive-In, along with the Sky View Drive-In in Carmichaels, the Comet Drive-In Theater in Connellsville and the Brownsville Drive-In in Brownsville, are all participating in the contest.
The fifth winner — 99W Drive-In in Newberg, Ore. — was revealed on Sunday, and at first, the announcement dashed the hopes of the local theater owners.
“It would have been really exciting if someone in the area would have won,” said Liz Walker, owner of the Sky View Drive-In.
The weekend of Sept. 6 marked the end of the season for the Sky View Drive-In. Walker said she believes the theater experienced a small increase in attendance this summer, mainly from Morgantown, W.Va., visitors as they lost their local drive-in theater in Grafton, W.Va., last summer.
To avoid the fate of the theater in Grafton, Walker and her husband, Charles Walker, began publicizing the contest last month on Facebook, via posters at the theater, and with support of local businesses. They have also decided to hold a concert from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday featuring local band, Hit and Run. The concert will serve as a fundraiser.
And with the voting extended for a few more days, she’s still hopeful.
“We’re really happy that Honda has extended the voting,” she said. “We’re keeping our fingers crossed, and getting the word out there to continue voting. Everyone needs to know they need to continue to vote for their drive in.”
Charlie Perkins, manager of the Brownsville Drive-In Theater, is also hopeful. When he learned Sunday night that the voting had been extended, he began notifying people to continue voting.
“I am so excited,” he said. “I changed the marquee, asking people to vote. I’m really hoping that we receive one of the four projectors because it would put us one step closer to being able to be open next year.”
Brian Erwin, owner of the Comet Drive-In Theater, said he has been making people aware of the contest in any way that he can.
He has taken out advertising space in local media outlets, and has also plastered posters all over Connellsville.
“It would mean the world to me if I won,” he said.
To vote for a drive-in theater, visit online at projectdrivein.com.
The four additional winners will be announced on Monday.
“If we do win, we’re going to have a huge celebration — a free party at the drive-in for everyone who voted,” Perkins said. “It will be our way of saying thank you.”