Drive-ins make return to Delco’s Rose Tree Park
With coronavirus squashing most of the summer, Delco is putting up the lights and letting the cars stream into Rose Tree Park for an old-time classic with pandemic-proof fun: A drive in!
“It’s been a really tough summer because everything’s been canceled,” Delaware County Councilwoman Elaine Paul Schaefer said, referring to the calling off of this year’s Summer Festival in Rose Tree Park and the Delco Senior Games. “It’s just one thing after another.”
So, to bring some fun and frivolity back - in a safe way - Delaware County Council, the county Parks and Recreation Department and Visit Delco PA have partnered to host drive-in movies at Rose Tree Park this month. For
$10 a car, folks can see “A League of Their Own” at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9; “Trolls” at 3 p.m. or “Silver Linings Playbook” at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10; or “Angry Birds III” at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11.
Showings are limited to
150 cars and registration is required at DelcoMoviesInThePark.com.
Guests must bring their own food and drinks as there will be none available onsite and once there, they’ll tune into an FM
station, which will be announced, for listening.
As a result of Schaefer and staff from Parks & Rec and Visit Delco PA brainstorming to see how to bring Delco together in a fun way, the idea of the drive-in emerged.
“We’ve been looking for things to do outside in a safe way,” Steve Byrne, executive director of Visit Delco PA, said, adding they had
started talking about the idea in the early summer and started looking into it. “Every one of us said it was great.”
A concern he had heard from other productions was that the screen was too small to see, so Delco officials wanted to make certain that all of the 150 cars parked would have a great view. It’s also waterproof and will be able to be seen either night or day, rain or shine, as long as it’s not a torrential rain. Byrne explained it’s an LED screen similar to those seen in baseball stadiums.
At Rose Tree Park, near the first responders’ memorial, the screen will be 11 feet by 18 feet and will be elevated 15 feet up in the sky.
“You’re going to be able to see it, it’s going to be lifted,” Byrne said.
There will be volunteer flaggers directing traffic to their parking spots on the grass, he said.
He added that a nominal fee was attached to ensure those who registered would attend, while making it affordable.
“We wanted to make it a community event,” Byrne said. “It’s not going to be a money maker for us, it’s going to be an event for the community.”
He explained that as this was the first time Delaware County was hosting a drivein, they wanted to focus on the movie and not concessions. Besides, he explained, “We’re trying to prevent congregating right now ... This way it keeps in the car and it keeps it safe.”
He said his office has begun to get calls from people excited about the event and time to do something with their family.
“It’s just giving them a chance to have quality time together,” Byrne said. “It’s giving them an opportunity to do something together and enjoy their time.” Schaefer agreed.
“Lots of communities around here are doing it,” she said, adding, “The movies they picked could not have been better.”
Whether it’s a one-time event or annual has yet to be seen, although all the organizers hope if it’s repeated, it’s not because of COVID.
“I think movies in the park is a great idea and a great way to bring people together,” Schaefer said. “I want them to come and enjoy a nice evening with their family and their friends and have a little bit of a return to normalcy. An event like this can help bring people together while they’re also safe. We’re all in this together.”
To register to attend one of the four showings, please visit DelcoMoviesInThePark.com.