Packing up the car, truck or minivan with blankets, pillows and snacks (but shh, don’t tell the owners!) and heading to the Big Island Drive-in is a Flin Flon summertime tradition that will continue now that the business has new owners.
Dawn and Dan Hlday, who also own the Flin Flon Chicken Chef, will open the Big Island Drive-in season tonight with a showing of Jurassic World.
It is the first movie to hit the big screen after a complete digital system upgrade was done earlier in the season. The film has an expected show time of 10:30 pm.
Jurassic World, which was originally released to theatres in May, will run tonight through to Wednesday, July 15.
This season’s schedule will also bring Pitch Perfect 2 and Terminator Genisys, along with other movies.
This year’s drive-in season has been cut almost in half as the result of the renovations and final sale of the business, but the Hldays see a bright future and big shoes to fill.
“We want the legacy of the drive in to live on,” said Dan, standing behind the refinished snack counter.
And while the building and lot did undergo a facelift, both Dawn and Dan felt it was important to stay as original as possible.
Some fresh paint, new countertops and the old film projector on display give the drive-in concession building a retro feel with a modern twist.
Moviegoers will still be able to order the much-anticipated pickled eggs and pickles, along with favourites such as nachos, candy, slushies and popcorn.
In the lot, speaker posts have been removed and new hills have been made to create better parking spots for vehicles.
Moviegoers will also notice a new ticket booth – in the same location as the original booth – as they pay their admission.
A mother of two very excited young boys, Dawn says her children are just as excited to be a part of the experience as they are to go to the movie.
“The first night I was sitting down with the concession list Rogan (their eldest son) was right there with me making a [price list],” said Dawn. “He’s been involved in the whole experience – even painting.”
The Hladys know that, like their own family, many in the community consider going to the drive-in a family tradition.
“We didn’t want to see it close,” said Dawn. “We wanted to keep it going for the community.”
The opening of the drive-in has been a hot topic in the community, both through word of mouth and social media. A Facebook post about the reopening of the Big Island Drive-in was shared about 8,800 times.
Dawn says she’s even heard of residents from The Pas making the trek to walk movies on the big screen.
“Not a lot of people get to experience the drive-in,” said Dawn. “But if you’re from a town with one or participated in one, it’s huge.”
Perhaps just as important, Dan says it’s important for them to keep the facility open in a time when so many businesses are closing.
“The biggest thing is keeping it in the community,” said Dan. “With all the talk of the businesses closing and burning down, we want to keep it here.”
It was an easy decision for the Hladys, who say it took all of five minutes for them to send an inquiry about the business after they heard there was a chance the drive-in could close.
The Big Island Drive-in and the Stardust Drive-in in Morden are the only two operational drive-ins left in Manitoba.
