Drive-in movies make for a fun option during pandemic

Bummed out by the shelter-in-place blues? Need something new to look at? Something that feels fresh, yet nostalgically comforting?

It might be time for a drive-in movie.

In another resourceful endeavor prompted by the coronavirus pandemic, a San Francisco company called AirGarage is hosting two pop-up drive-in family movie nights this weekend in Berkeley. For $25, patrons can hang out in the parking lot of the Graduate hotel on Channing Way and watch “Onward,” Pixar’s latest animated feature, from the comfort of their car.

It’s a way, organizers say, to have a quasi-social experience and “feel human again during difficult, isolated times.”

And for parents old enough to recall, it’s sure to conjure up blast-from-the-past memories of date nights, ice coolers packed with refreshments and cinematic adventures under the stars.

Berkeley represents the test-pilot program for AirGarage, which repurposes underutilized parking lots to generate revenue for small businesses. AirGarage has movie nights scheduled next weekend in Denver, Colo. and Tempe, Ariz., and if things go well, they’ll do more. (A pop-up grocery is also planned on the same Graduate lot this weekend).

“We have high hopes for it. So far it has been pretty well received,” said Ethan Reznikoff, an executive with AirGarage, who reported on Friday that the Saturday’s showing of “Onward” is sold-out.

While many isolated Americans have relied on cutting-edge computer apps to set up virtual hangouts during the pandemic, the idea of something as old-school as a drive-in theater might make for an appealing option. Indeed, the New York Times recently reported that drive-ins in some parts of the country have experienced an unexpected revival.

As for AirGarage’s small-scale experiment, Reznikoff said the company is “treading carefully” while trying to adhere to state-mandated socially distancing rules. To that end, the parking lot will be limited to 15 cars, spaced at least six feet apart. Moviegoers also must stay in their cars during the movie (No setting up lawn chairs). Restrooms and snack bars will not be available.

The online site promoting the event emphasizes that, “this is not the occasion to grab your friends and drive together. Only come with people that you live with that have practiced social distancing.”

Patrons attending the Berkeley event will view “Onward” on a 20-foot screen and Reznikoff said the company hopes to expand that in the future and add interactive features, such as trivia games. Meanwhile, AirGarage is looking to partner with more small businesses eager to bring in more revenue during the pandemic.

For more information on the Berkeley movie nights, visit eventbrite.com.