Apr 15, 2018 3 min read

It may have felt like it took a little longer this year, but for the most part, dare we venture to guess that spring has finally sprung in western Pennsylvania?

Along with the abundant sunshine, warmer breezes, fresh blooms and rebirth of vegetation, there’s another equally telling sign in the Herald-Standard readership area that spring is here — the big screens come alive.

We are fortunate to have still in operation four drive-in movie theaters within 35 miles of each other. That’s a big deal, considering there are fewer than 350 still in existence in the country, according to the United Drive-In Theatre Owners Association (UDITOA).

In our area, we have the Comet Drive-In in Connellsville, the SkyView Drive-In in Carmichaels, the Evergreen Drive-In in Mount Pleasant and the Brownsville Drive-In in Grindstone.

While we look forward to opening weekend each year, we know it hasn’t been an easy ride for these cinema operators over the last decade as technology grew by leaps and bounds and owners were faced with a costly challenge, to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars, to continue on. Digital technology came with a hefty price tag, but it was a price they would have to pay as films were no longer being made on 35-millimeter film, and they would have to convert to stay open.

And yet, somehow, they all made it through.

As the new season opens for all four theaters, we are happy to see not only the smooth transition to digital technology in full operation, but upgrades to the theater properties, preserving the sweet nostalgia that make these gems a treasured community asset.

Owners turned to community, in the hopes of fundraising the money needed to not only buy the new projectors, but also make needed climate control upgrades to the booths that housed the equipment. And the community responded well.

We applaud these owners for their dedication to overcoming the great financial burden as well as community members and organizations that recognize the value. In 2014, the Honda’s Project Drive-In award of $14,000 contributed to transition costs for the Brownsville Drive-In. And most recently, the Greene County Tourism Department awarded the SkyView Drive-In a $5,000 Capital Development and Improvement grant so that owners there could update the restrooms and sidewalks on the property.

For decades, drive-in goers have proven that the theaters are a sought-after source of affordable entertainment — from nostalgic first dates in the 1950s to the popular choice of family outings today, where SUVs line up, hatches open, the aroma of popcorn in the air and the shadows of kids dance on the giant screen behind them as they play football until dusk hits and the first of two movies begins.

While we acknowledge that we should push ever forward into a world of technology and grow with the demands around us to ensure our rural communities prosper, we feel it is equally important to never let our grasp go of those riches that make our small towns unique.