99W goes Digital
Last summer drive-ins across America faced a crisis: switch to digital or go dark. Thirty-five millimeter film met the cutting room for the final time at the end of 2013, and many drive-ins had not been able to make the costly switch to digital, but a savor showed up in the form of Honda. Honda, under the title of Project Drive-In, said they would donate digital projectors to five drive-ins (the later announced they were keeping the voting open to save a few more) in America, based on your votes! “My” drive-in (that is the drive-in closest to where I live), the 99W, was in the running, and I blogged about Project Drive-In last August, and asked for you to vote for the 99W, unless of course your hometown drive-in was in the running. Thankfully the 99W WON! Getting a new digital projector installed during their off-season this last winter! I would like to thank each and every one of you who voted for the 99W, and it is thanks to you that Patrick and I got to go to this beloved icon last night.
Patrick and I had been meaning to get to the drive-in, now that we own a car, but other commitments prevented us from attending until last night. After pulling in, Patrick and I walked around the property and ended up chatting with Brian, the owner of the 99W, and he invited us up to the projection booth to take a peek at the new digital projector, a tombstone for film that he made, as well as get quite the view from atop the concession stand!
Brian shared some of the background about the 99W with us, that the area was originally all orchards, and the battles that the drive-in continues to face, such as ambient light from continued development around the property. It was a true treat to visit the projection booth and look out on all of the cars waiting for dusk as the cottonwood trees waved in the breeze.
If you live in the Portland-Metro area, I can’t encourage you enough to visit the 99W. It’s a true treasure of our area. If you don’t live in the Portland-Metro area, remember that Oregon has the Milton-Freewater Drive-In, and a drive-in in La Grande. Not in Oregon? Use Drive-ins.com to find a drive-in close to you!
Visit the 99W Drive-In at 3110 Portland Road (aka Highway 99) in Newberg.
Outfit
Blouse: Wanderlust, Portland, Oregon
Jeans: Double Rivets by Freddies of Pinewood
Mocs: Thunderbird by Minnetonka
Belt: I don’t remember…
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That is crazy! I didn’t know that about drive-ins. I’ll have to check around my area and see if any of the drive-ins here were affected! Cute outfit btw 🙂
Gosh, I love drive-ins. When I was in my teens, I remember the drive-ins were always packed, such great nostalgia. Great outfit! You always look so cute in Freddies.
I live in the Portland area and am just going to have to go to the drive -in. I haven’t been in a long time since it is a distance from my home. You reminded me of how much fun it is. I agree, you do look cute in those Freddies.
On a side note, I wanted to ask about your freddies. Could you maybe give a comparison of the “classics” vs. these “rivets”? Are the back pockets smaller on the rivets? Is the fit realitively the same? Hope you don’t mind me asking…btw you inspired me to buy the classics a while back, love them!
I don’t mind you asking at all! I would start I like the Double Rivets more that the Classics. I can’t put my foot on what it is exactly, but I feel like they hang better on me. The Classics seem like they want to pull forward, and accidentally create a tapered look, which I don’t like. The Rivets just seem to lay better. I also like the fact that there are two buttons for the waistband, so these actually fit me better, as I have an odd numbered waist measurement. The back pockets of the Double Rivets are smaller, but not by much. Also, the Classics have very pale tan stitching, while the Rivets have a copper colored stitching on them.
Great! That really helps with my decision to purchase. Thanks so much for the info Janey :).
I love drive in movie theaters. It’s such a shame there are so few around anymore. There was one in my home town when I was growing up, and I remember how much fun it was to hang out there in the summer. Sadly, it’s closed a few years back, but I’m so glad that your’s was saved. I had no idea about the digital projector issue.
Ever since watching Grease I have wanted to go to a drive in. Sadly they don’t really exist in the UK so I haven’t made it to one yet. It is great that you managed to help save yours.
Great drive-in theater outfit – those riveted Freddies look awesome on you. There’s one drive-in still in our region of the province, about two hours away, and Tony and I are deadset on finally making it there this year (we haven’t been before; I was last at a different drive-in down near Vancouver when I was 13 or 14, but it’s now been more than half my lifetime since then).
That’s awesome about 99W winning – way to go on all you did to help make that possible!
♥ Jessica