Pop-up drive-in theatre in works for mall space
Contactless payment for concessions, tickets to enhance safety of experience
For the first time in 14 years, Regina will once again have a drive-in movie theatre.
Regina Drive In Movies will screen its first film on June 5 at the Northgate Mall parking lot.
The pop-up drive-in is being put on by All In Event Services.
Jennifer Edworthy, who runs the company with her husband, said the two decided to start the theatre after the Re-open Saskatchewan Plan was announced.
Edworthy’s company specializes in putting on weddings, Christmas parties and corporate events. With the COVID -19 public health order putting restrictions on gatherings, the businesses’ summer season became barren.
“As you can imagine, this summer we have a lot of time on our hands, and we wanted to do something to give back to the community,” said Edworthy during a phone interview on Friday.
Drive-in theatres were allowed to begin operating on May 15 with precautionary measures in place to ensure social distancing. Regina has not had a drive-in theatre since Cinema 6 shut down in 2006.
Edworthy has purchased a 40-by-20-foot screen from the United States, and is working with a company to get the rights to commercially screen the films. The sound will be broadcast to vehicle radios through an FM transmitter.
The biggest challenge was finding a location that was the right size and price. Edworthy said she had to check out 15 different locations before finding one that worked.
The theatre will be able to accommodate 65 vehicles. Customers will be charged $30 per vehicle, and concessions will be available through contactless pickup. All ticket and concession purchases will be done through contactless payments.
Under the government’s guidelines, vehicles must be separated by a minimum of five metres. Edworthy said she’s hoping this will be adjusted so they can accommodate up to 100 vehicles.
“We’re asking all of our people to stay in the vehicle. So we’re hoping for an amendment for two metres in between each vehicle, which is just one parking spot in between instead of two parking spots,” said Edworthy.
The plan is to screen a movie every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with Fridays being reserved for family-oriented movies. The first weekend, audiences will be able to see Frozen 2, Captain Marvel and Jurassic World. The drive-in will not be screening newly released films, as those are being reserved for traditional theatres.
Edworthy said the reaction she’s been getting has shown there’s definitely a pent-up demand for movie nights outside the living room.
“It’s been amazing. People have been awesome. You can really tell that they’re looking for something to do, something for their families especially, and this is just such a unique experience for most people,” said Edworthy.
It’s not yet known when regular movie theatres will be able to operate again. The government has listed theatres as part of Phase 4 of the reopening plan, which has not been assigned a date yet.
When cinemas are back up and running, Edworthy fears that will signal the end to their drive-in theatre. She said industry policies stipulate that a drive-in can only operate 20 to 30 kilometres away from a commercial theatre.
In the future, Edworthy said they are hoping to offer the drive-in experience to other communities in southern Saskatchewan.
For more information, check out the theatre’s Facebook page.