Project Drive-In
Today I want to talk about something very near and dear to my heart: Drive-ins. The drive-in really embodies all that was wonderful about mid-20th century America, and it is an icon that is disappearing, but there is something we can do!
I love going to the drive-in. It’s one of the few moments that makes me feel like I almost am back in time and I can’t help but smile the whole time I’m there. I love the open space with the speaker posts, families tossing around a football as popcorn wafts from the concession stand and as dusk arrives, hunkering down with blankets to catch a double feature.
Sadly, this icon of the 50s is disappearing, and fast. At their peek, America had over 4,000 drive-ins, but today, less than 400 survive, and by the end of the year, even less may survive. This is due to the fact that motion picture studios have decided to quit producing film to distribute to cinemas, this then forces cinemas still operating with film projectors to spend around $80,000 to switch to digital.
But Honda is stepping up to the plate with Project Drive-In. Normally, I wouldn’t give any attention or credit to Honda, but I greatly admire them for what they are doing. So what is Project Drive-In? Honda will be donating a digital projector to five drive-ins. Yes, only five. So, what you need to do is vote for your drive-in! The five drive-ins that receive the most votes will receive a digital projector. Don’t see your drive-in? Then I would ask that you consider voting for the 99W Drive-In. The 99W may not have the best video on the site, but their heart is in the right place. The 99W been owned and operated by the same family since it was built in 1953. It’s the closest drive-in to the Portland-Metro area, and fills up to sell-out crowds during the summer weekends.
You can also show your support through sharing via Facebook, Twitter and good ol’ e-mail and by donating, all proceeds will go to the remaining drive-ins.
Please don’t let these American treasures go dark. They are a part of our culture and heritage, and we cannot lose them.
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Thank you for posting this, Janey! I live in Austin and there’s a wonderful drive-in outside Dallas that I have happy memories of visiting. I voted!
How cool! I love going to the drive in and I’m lucky enough that there are 3 in my area! I’m off to go vote!
Cool, what a unique and clever advertising idea on behalf of Honda! I always think of drive-ins as being quintessentially American and certainly something I would like to see when I travel America. So what a great idea to save their cultural heritage!
Drive-ins were my generations “date night” spots. They were wonderful as a teen but I remember going with my parents and playing on the playground before the movie even started. The idea was for kids to play hard and be asleep before the film started. Didn’t work for us 3 !!
Drive-in movie theaters hold such a tremendously dear spot in my heart as well (I even wrote a post devoted to my love for, and great childhood memories of, them back in June 2011). I wish more of them still existed and firmly believe that all that can be should be done to keep the remaining handful that still exist alive and going strong. It would be a very sad day indeed, if the last of them shut down and future generations could no longer know the joys of watching a flick on that giant screen from the comfort of your own car (concession stand bucket of hot buttered popcorn nestled in your lap all the while).
♥ Jessica
I really wish that drive-ins were something we had where I live. As far as I know, there’s nothing in my area or any of the neighbouring cities. It looks from Google as if there might be two country-wide. I have tried to vote for your drive-in but I’m not sure if it worked; either way I hope that it gets enough votes.
No more drive-ins in Belgium, so voted so you can keep yours
Well looks like my local drive in didn’t make the list 🙁 http://www.drive-ins.com/theater/txtlast
I voted for your drive-in! Ours was torn down years ago and is now a Lowes. Sigh. The nearest one to us is about 45 minutes away but it is digitalized already. Hope your neighborhood drive-in wins a projector!
I voted for your drive-in! Sadly the drive-in near Winnipeg closed down a number of years ago, despite repeated campaigns to save it. I went a few times and it was wonderful, and I can only hope that it’s something the next generation can still experience.