It's National Drive-In Movie Day. Visit Portage's Midway Twin Drive-In to celebrate.
Today is National Drive-In Movie Day, marking the date the first such venue opened.
You can celebrate at Portage County's own Midway Twin Drive-In on Route 59 in Ravenna, or any of the other drive-in theaters in the region.
The first drive-in movie theater was opened by Richard M. Hollingshead, Jr. on June 6, 1933 in New Jersey, according to History.com.
The advertising slogan used for the drive-in was, “The whole family is welcome, regardless of how noisy the children are.” The first movie shown there was the 1932 British comedy, "Two White Arms, also known as "Wives Beware."
The idea for drive-in movie theaters quickly caught on across the country, and by the late-1950s, there were 4,000 drive-ins in the U.S.
But by the late 1970s, the popularity of VCRs, along with rising property values for drive-ins and many states moving to Daylight Saving Time, caused drive-in theaters to close, according to DriveInMovie.com.
As of 2020, there were fewer than 350 drive-in theaters left in the U.S.
Midway Drive-In
Address: 736 State Route 59, Ravenna
Box office opens: 7:30 p.m.
Screens: Two, double bill
Ticket prices: $25 carload
Concessions: Yes; $10 surcharge for outside food and beverages
Other info: Does not accept cards that require pin numbers, like a debit card. Parking spaces cannot be reserved or held for others. No alcoholic beverages or drugs.
Website: www.funflick.com/midway/
Lynn Drive-In
Address: 9735 U.S. Route 250, Strasburg
Box office opens: 7 p.m.
Screens: Two, double bill
Ticket prices: $7 adults; $3 children 5-11 with an adult; children under 5 are free. Cash only.
Concessions: Yes, outside food allowed.
Other info: Movies are broadcast in HD FM stereo. No pets allowed. A flea market is held 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays from April through October.
Website: www.lynndrivein.com
Mayfield Road Drive-In
Address: 12100 State Route 322, Chardon
Box office opens: 7:30 p.m.
Screens: One, double bill
Ticket prices: $25 carload
Concessions: Yes; $10 surcharge for outside food and beverages
Other info: Does not accept cards that require pin numbers, like a debit card. Parking spaces cannot be reserved or held for others. No alcoholic beverages or drugs.
Website: https://funflick.com/mayfield/
Skyway Twin
Address: 1825 N. Leavitt Road NW, Warren
Box office opens: 7:30 p.m.
Screens: Two, double bill
Ticket prices: $9 general, $5 ages 4-11 and free for under 4
Concessions: Yes; surcharge for outside food.
Other info: Features a separate 2,600-square-foot arena for laser tag games for a fee, starting at $3 a game.
Website: www.skywaydrivein.com
Elm Road
Address: 1895 Elm Road NE, Warren
Box office opens: 7 p.m.
Screens: Three, double bill
Ticket prices: $11 adults, $6 ages 3-11 and free for under 3. CASH ONLY!
Concessions: Yes; cash or credit cards. Surcharge for outside food.
Other info: Dogs welcomed but patrons assume responsibility. The only drive-in in the area with three screens.
Website: www.elmroadtripledrivein.com
Magic City Drive-In
Address: 5602 S. Cleveland-Massillon Road, Barberton
Box office opens: Opens one hour prior to showtime
Screens: Two, double bill
Ticket prices: $25 per vehicle. Credit cards accepted.
Concessions: Yes; $10 surcharge for outside food and beverages
Other info: All trucks, vans, SUVs and large vehicle must park next to yellow speaker poles. Pets permitted on a leash. Rainchecks only issued in a power outage.
Website: www.magiccitydrive-in.com
Blue Sky Drive
Address: 959 Broad St., Wadsworth
Box office opens: Opens one hour before showtime
Screens: Two, double bill
Ticket prices: $25 per vehicle. Credit cards accepted.
Concessions: Yes; $10 surcharge for outside food and beverages
Other info: All trucks, vans, SUVs and large vehicle must park next to yellow speaker poles. Pets permitted on a leash. Rainchecks only issued in a power outage.
Website: www.blueskydrive-in.com
Aut-O-Rama Twin Drive In
Address: 133395 Lorain Road, North Ridgeville
Box office opens: 8 p.m.
Screens: Two, double bill
Ticket prices: $11 adults; $6 under 12. Credit cards accepted.
Concessions: Yes
Other info: No outside food or beverages except for bottled water and food for babies. Select films shown with captions on Wednesday night. Tickets can be bought online and at the box office.
Website: https://www.autoramadrivein.com
Springmill Twin
Address: 1040 State Route 39, Mansfield
Box office opens: Opens one hour before showtime
Screens: Two, double bill
Ticket prices: $10 adults and $5 ages 3-11. Cash and credit cards accepted.
Concessions: Yes; $10 surcharge for outside food and beverages
Other info: Must have a working FM radio to hear the audio; none will be supplied. First three rows reserved for small vehicles. Re-entry requires new ticket. Pets permitted.
Website: www.springmilldrive-in.com
This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Midway, other outdoor venues to visit for National Drive-In Movie Day
