The Vintage Drive In located in Avon, NY displays double-features on screens like the one pictured above. Audience members can watch from the safety of their cars, sit with their trunks open, or bring chairs to sit on the grass with. Guests must pay $10 individually in order to earn a spot among the cars for movie watching. (Courtesy of Madelyn Dewey/Arts and Entertainment editor).
We all miss socializing, even the most introverted among us, but in our current situation, there is little to do to rectify this dilemma without endangering others’ lives. That said, most of us have formed bubbles—small friend groups in which interaction is limited to those inside the group— to survive the crushing weight of loneliness.
Pictionary is only fun for a few nights before we all want to kill each other. What else is there to do sitting on the same couch, staring at the same four walls? We long to be outside, to feel the comradery of being around people, to feel connected to something. For a little while, at least, the Avon Vintage Drive In satisfies those needs.
Located at 1520 West Henrietta Rd. in Avon, NY, the Vintage Drive In is only 15 minutes from campus. Grab the friends you’re quarantining with—and only those friends, please—and designate somebody to drive, somebody to be on aux and somebody to shout directions from the back seat.
As far as tips for the drive-in go, you might want to bring a blanket because it can get chilly at night this time of year. If you can, bring along a physical radio—your phone won’t work—to use instead of your car radio. This can help assuage any fears of the car battery dying. If you have a few lawn chairs, throw those in the trunk too. Depending on how COVID-safe people around you decide to be, you can choose to sit next to your car on the chairs to enjoy the movies. Note also that bug spray might be useful if you choose to sit somewhere other than the car.
There’s an option to BYOS, bring your own snacks, to the drive-in. You’ll have to pay $8 as a food fee upon entry, so keep your budget in mind when you pack the car. Otherwise, you can order online from the takeout restaurant right in the Drive In and feast on hot food whenever you want it.
Tickets per-person are $10 unless you’re younger than 11 years old, which might be hard to fake. Since the Drive In has grown increasingly popular during the global pandemic, there’s also now an option to reserve a spot for your car so you’re guaranteed a seat at your films of choice. These spots are $15 extra on top of your ticket price, so again, it might be worth it just to show up and see what happens.
The theater has four big screens and plays two movies per night on each. The first film begins at around 8 p.m. and the second begins at around 10. You can choose to stay for both films or show up only for the first one—it’s up to you. Just make sure to follow standard drive-in etiquette, which includes turning your headlights off if you can do so safely and avoid leaving in the middle of a film if possible.
Lightning bugs will begin to come out at sunset. If you’re bored of the movie, look toward the trees—you’ll see them flitting between bushes and around the grass. The bats might sneak out, too, but they’re harder to spot and only linger for a second. On a cloudless night, you’ll be able to see the stars more clearly than normal. Trace the constellations with a finger.
Apart from your friends, whom you can chat freely to in your car until you fog up the windshield and decide to crack a window, you’ll hear the hum of various conversations from the cars beside you and from the people seated on the grass. Occasionally, someone’s mom will laugh a little too loud at a scene that isn’t particularly funny, but it will fill you with warmth. We are not alone.