Owners who are keeping their facilities open said that seeing a movie at a drive-in can require little to no human contact, largely because patrons are, of course, confined to their cars during the showing. “At the drive-in, you’ve got to be in your own car.” “I don’t think we fit into the gathering category personally because all the gathering places are places where you are confined with a bunch of people,” said Mercille, whose drive-in remains open. Doug Mercille, owner of the Starlite Drive-In in Cadet, Mo., said it’s a “gray area.” But some drive-in owners said they aren’t sure whether their theaters should be considered gathering places. And in situations where high-risk populations are involved, the organization has said gatherings of 10 or more people should be canceled. “The drive-ins that are doing well are in areas that have not been hit hard yet with the outbreak.”Īs the coronavirus spreads, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recommended that events including 50-plus people not be held for the next eight weeks. “They are following local ordinances and/or made business decisions to do so,” said John Vincent, president of the United Drive-In Theatre Owners Assn., a nonprofit industry advocacy group. Now, though, several among the country’s 305 drive-in theaters are experiencing a surge in interest as traditional movie theaters, theme parks and other entertainment options are forced to close because of governmental advisories designed to increase social distancing during the coronavirus outbreak.īut some operators have temporarily closed their drive-ins this week because of the coronavirus outbreak among those that shut down were the Family Drive-In Theatre in Stephens City, Va., and the West Wind Capitol Drive-In in San Jose. “So, Day Two of home school, we are all cooped up in the house, and this was a way to go out and still be distant from other people but not at our house,” Coogle said.ĭrive-in theaters have long been viewed as an anachronistic diversion - perhaps worthy of an occasional visit, if that. She said the widening pandemic made her feel she couldn’t go most places - including a conventional movie theater - and she yearned for a distraction. Moments before previews began, Coogle stood near her car under a darkening sky and considered how the coronavirus had upended daily life. On Tuesday night, however, she decided to visit it for a showing of Pixar Animation Studios’ “Onward” with her 9-year-old son and friends. Brenna Coogle frequented the Paramount Drive-In as a child growing up in Lakewood but hadn’t been there in about 30 years.
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