People are looking for things to do this summer and, luckily, an awesome blast from the past has been making a comeback: drive-in movie theatres! A big plus here is being able to relax in the safety and comfort of your vehicle while taking part in a fun, public event.
What better idea for a date night than to cozy up to your partner in the car while watching classic movies and snacking on some yummy popcorn – and being totally safe! Here are what Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal are doing to bring back a summer evening favourite.
Toronto
The City of Toronto created the Drive-InTO initiative this summer in order to bring safely executed entertainment events to select locations across the city. Here are the partners and sites participating in the program:
Ontario Place is showcasing free events in collaboration with Hot Docs, imagineNATIVE and TIFF throughout the month of August.
Cityview Drive-In opened in mid-July at Polson Pier with a series of movies, concerts and special events scheduled for the season. The space showcases a 238-foot screen and holds about 200 cars. Concession snacks and merchandise can be ordered online and will be delivered to your vehicle with contactless delivery.
Movie Night at CF is a collaboration with Cadillac Fairview at Sherway Gardens. For three weekends, the mall’s parking lot is being transformed into a giant drive-in theatre, screening films such as Nut Job 2, Long Shot and The Wild Life. Tickets are $10 per vehicle and are selling fast, so be sure to scoop yours up now. Bring your own snacks to this one.
Friday Night Lights at Downsview Park is screening movies on select Friday nights until September 4. Screenings are free but you need to reserve in advance. Upcoming movies are announced about 2 weeks before the screening, so keep an eye out for what’s coming up next.
Vancouver
The Twilight Drive-In in Langley has been operating since 2005. So, having pre-existing infrastructure as opposed to being a pop-up event, it was able to open in the Spring, albeit with certain restrictions. They have implemented required social distancing measures, such as new vehicle, concession and washroom capacity limits and no walk-ins are permitted. Twilight Drive-In shows two feature films every night of the week and ticket prices range from $14. for a single person in a vehicle to $42. for up to 6 people in a vehicle.
Montreal
The Royalmount Drive-In Event Theatre is billed as ‘Montreal’s first and only fully convertible drive-in event theatre.’ The multi-use Ciné-Parc was launched in June in response to limited access to entertainment due to COVID-19. The site can accommodate up to 250 cars, has a 30-foot stage and a 50-foot LED screen. You can order from the onsite food trucks or buy popcorn and refreshments from the concession. Mobile concession carts also make it easy for you to order any of these snacks from your car. The Royalmount, located at Décarie and Highway 40, will be operating until the end of October.
Ciné-Parc St-Hilaire is located 1 hour from Montreal and features two films for the price of one. The Drive-In has two screens and runs every night so there are plenty of movies for you to choose from. A concession stand is on-site for your midnight snacking (the 2nd film starts at 11:40 pm). Note that films are screened in French.
Located just 20 minutes from Montreal, the Ciné-Parc Saint-Eustache has been around since 1971. The Drive-In is the largest in Canada, boasting an awesome 5 screens, and operates until mid-September. Guests are allowed lawn chairs as long as they’re positioned in front of the vehicle. The Ciné-Parc regularly offers double-bills in both official languages in a true, nostalgic drive-in experience.
All in all, the drive-in movie theatre has been filling a huge void this summer. And no one seems to mind that there aren’t any new movies to see. After all, what could be better than watching a favourite flick with your sweetheart on a beautiful summer night? Sounds like the perfect date to me!
