National Drive-In Movie Day
Bring snacks and drinks, comfy blankets, and of course your car and go see a new or old favorite movie at your local drive-in, from the comfort of your car.
Celebrate nostalgia and outdoor entertainment by partnering with drive-in theaters, snack vendors, and hospitality brands to drive foot traffic and create shareable social moments around this retro summer tradition.
- 'Bring Back the Drive-In' nostalgia campaign featuring vintage cinema aesthetics and modern comfort upgrades
- Snack & beverage bundle promotions tied to drive-in attendance (popcorn, candy, beverages)
- Team-building event packages for corporate clients hosting backyard movie nights
- User-generated content contest: best drive-in movie night setup or backyard theater experience
This history of National Drive-In Movie Day is literally the history of the Drive-In theater, and how it was born out of one son’s love for his mother.
In 1933 Richard Hollingshead noticed a recurring problem with theaters, his mother simply was unable to find a comfortable way to sit in the seats provided by the theaters, but loved the cinema. He started trying to come up with a solution, but reinventing the theater seat just didn’t seem a viable solution.
They were already designed to provide the maximum amount of comfort possible while still packing in as many people as possible.
With some time and a lot of experimentation, Richard slowly starting find the best combination of elements for an outdoor movie viewing experience.
This was more difficult than it sounded as he dealt with issues like protection from the rain, best placement of cars for maximum viewing ability, and how to get the sound to broadcast in a reliable and enjoyable way.
Daunting though the task was, he wasn’t going to allow it to get in the way of his ambition, and in May of 1933 he received a patent and opened his first theater. After the success of Park-In Theaters, Inc, the idea spread like wildfire, and drive-in theaters were soon appearing in cities all over the U.S.
They reigned as king of the movie-going experience ever since, until things started to decline in recent years. Efforts are made to preserve them and keep them in operation but, sadly, there are now less than 400 running in the United States.
Enjoy a Drive-In Movie
Drive-In theaters are often cheaper than regular theaters, and on a nice night can be a much more pleasant experience as you lounge out on the grass or hang out in the back of your truck. Some people even barbeque at the ones that allow it. So go out and see this artifact of movie history and enjoy a drive-in movie before the last theater disappears!
Host a Backyard Movie Night
If you don’t have a drive-in theater in your area, another option is to bring the drive-in theater to you. You could have a movie night in your backyard. Unless you’ve got the street space and the facilities to do it, you’re probably not going to be able to have everyone sitting in their vehicles while the movie is on. However, you can get creative and host your own drive-in theater themed night. You can set up different stations in your garden for people to sit and watch the movie. Get the drinks flowing and put plenty of snacks out, and you will have a great time.
Make it a Work Event
If you run a business, you can use this day as the perfect opportunity to do a bit of team bonding and to show your employees how much you appreciate them. Allow them to have the day off or the afternoon off so that you can all spend it watching a movie together. You can easily project a movie on the screen and then you can put chairs out on the lawn if you have one or you can clear out a big office room and put down blankets. Make sure there are lots of great snacks and treats for everyone too. This is a great way to let your employees unwind and to show them just how much they are appreciated. Little things like this can make all of the difference. Plus, your workers will come back to work the following day feeling happier and refreshed.
Get the Community Involved
You could also host a massive community drive-in movie theater night. Depending on where you live, you could speak to the powers that be and find out whether it would be possible to host a drive-in movie night at one of the big parking spaces in the area. You could use it as an opportunity to raise awareness about this dying art, and you could even align it with some sort of fundraising for a community matter!