Drive-in movie theaters may be one of today’s least-recognized cost savings for family entertainment. And they’ve made significant improvements from our grandparents’ day.
Most noticeably: sound. You don’t roll down your window and hang a crackly speaker on your car door anymore.
“Everything’s FM stereo, over the car radio,” said Joe McDade, owner of The Pike Drive-in Theatre on Route 15 near Montgomery. “Most car stereos are pretty decent today. Plus, you can control the sound to your liking; turn it down during loud action scenes. A lot of people like that.”
Drive-ins used to be something of a re-run channel for the movie world, running shows that were two or three years old. But not anymore.
“Nowadays, we show first-run movies,” McDade said. Some recent films from the Pike include “Transformers 2,” “Up,” “The Hangover,” and “The Taking of Pelham 123.”
The Point Drive-In Theatre on Route 11 between Northumberland and Danville recently ran shows that included “Night at the Museum 2,” “Jack Black, Year One,” “Land of the Lost” and “Up.”
And while early drive-ins usually had only one screen, modern establishments must compete with movie complexes.
“We’re multi-screen. We have three screens,” McDade said of the Pike. Both the Pike and the Point run three movies at a time, starting at dusk.
The price-per-car days may be history — drive-ins now charge per person — but each screen offers a double feature and, as the Point’s recorded telephone message says, “admission price is for both movies, so it’s two for the price of one.”
McDade said the Pike brings in at least one new film, and sometimes more, each week. Acknowledging the tough economy, he hasn’t raised prices in his concession stand, and has even lowered some. He offers everything from the traditional hot dogs, hamburgers, and pizza to pierogies, cheese fries, and funnel cakes.
“All kinds of food you won’t get at the mall (movies),” he said. “How many places do you get funnel cakes?” And though his drive-in was built in 1954, they now advertise online, blending the old with the new. The pet-friendly establishment has had customers from as far away as Texas, Maine, and even England, Customers may no longer win prizes for having the most people stuffed into a car on dollar night, but the Pike does sometimes have drawings on movie posters, gas cards, or movie passes. And the one thing that hasn’t changed over the years is parents bundling their kids into pajamas for a late-night, low-cost movie.
“The family audience is still our biggest draw,” McDade said. “The family can go out together and not break the bank.”
-- Cindy O. Herman lives in Snyder County. Send e-mail comments to her at Cindyherman1@yahoo.com.
News
Not your grandma’s drive-in
- News
-
-
Lewisburg schools face cuts in personnel, programs
Superintendent Mark DiRocco told the Lewisburg school board Thursday night that a proposed block grant system of school budget funding will run the district short of cash that will have to be made up through personnel and program cuts.
-
Mom: Keller's response left her cold
Like many people, Elise Nicol is concerned about Marcellus Shale and the industry's effects on Pennsylvania's environment. The Lewisburg mother of two cares about it enough that she sent an email to state Rep. Fred Keller, R-85 of Kreamer, asking him to oppose House Bill 1950, which passed the General Assembly on Wednesday.
-
Point Township authority concerned by sewer plant violations
Point Township Sewer Authority members Thursday night expressed concerns about a Feb. 3 letter sent to the Northumberland Sewer Authority by the state's Department of Environmental Protection saying that the borough authority has violated the Clean Streams Act.
-
Persing truck fee idea stalls
While Pennsylvania has passed legislation allowing communities to collect impact fees in 35 counties, Northumberland County is not one of them, and business leaders and lawmakers do not think Sunbury Mayor David Persing's plan to try to do his own version of an impact fee will pass muster.
-
Barber draws a crowd
The talk can be spirited at times, ranging from hunting to sports to home repairs. "You hear all kinds of stories," Gene Koehler, of Riverside, said Thursday as he waited for a haircut at The Masters barbershop, 209 Mill St.
-
State board approves table games at Valley Forge casino
VALLEY FORGE — A casino resort scheduled to open this spring in the Philadelphia suburb of Valley Forge has been approved for table games.
-
Doctors telling more adults: Get out and exercise
ATLANTA — A new study shows more and more U.S. adults are being told by their doctor to get off their duffs and exercise. A government survey found nearly 33 percent of adults who saw a doctor in the previous year said they were told to exercise. That was up from about 23 percent in 2000.
-
Former Northumberland County judge and three others die in Florida crash
EVERGLADES CITY, Fla. -- A former Northumberland County judge was one of four people killed Wednesday afternoon when their car collided with a van at an intersection, according to the Naples News. The victims were identified as James J. Rosini, 66, William J. Rosini, 68, Patricia C. Rosini, 65, all of Coal Township, Pa., and Deborah A. Korbich, 59, of Elysburg, Pa.
-
Warden demotes four bosses
SUNBURY -- Northumberland County Prison Warden Roy Johnson was able to trim about $135,000 in expenses by demoting four supervisors. He said Wednesday that he found a way to cut costs without laying off any staff. "I cut out 120 hours of supervisors' pay each week, but I need to fill the correction officer positions," Johnson said.
-
DJ pumps up audience
Every Tuesday evening, Richard Grogg can be found spinning tunes at possibly the most well-attended dance in Snyder County. A resident at the Selinsgrove Center since 1988, the 57-year-old said the thing he likes most about selecting and playing music is "making people happy." "Some people come up and ask for requests," he said.
-
Agency closes adult center
PENNS CREEK -- Union and Snyder County caregivers have had to look farther and wider for another program that can offer respite because the Agency on Aging can no longer afford to provide the service. The adult daily living center at the Penns Creek Adult Resource Center was a helpful program each week to about eight adults from the area dealing with Alzheimer's and dementia. But it closed Dec. 30.
-
New Berlin pushes to acquire school
NEW BERLIN -- The Borough Council sold the property where the New Berlin Elementary School is to the precursor of the Mifflinburg Area School District for $1 back in 1950. It was deeded to the district for construction of a school.
- More News Headlines
-
Lewisburg schools face cuts in personnel, programs
