A movie under the stars. Sounds beautiful, doesn't it? Anyone who has seen "Grease" knows what a drive-in movie theatre is. I used to watch that movie and desperately wanted to go to one, but we didn't have them where I live. Well, on Sunday night I got my wish.Corey took me to the Keysville Drive in Movie Theatre this past weekend. The Keysville Drive in Movie Theatre is about 21 miles from Farmville, off of Route 360. It's not too difficult to find. It's address is actually 134 Highway 360, but GPS doesn't pick it up. Once you get on 360, it is easy to find. It's this cool bright blue building that houses the concession stand, so it's not hard to spot. They also have directions on their website, www.keysvilledrivein.com.
It cost $6 per person (Children 3-11 get in for $3), and that gets you in for the night. They usually play a double feature, sometimes featuring a third movie. This past weekend they played "Despicable Me," "The Last Airbender" and "The Expendables."
The actual theatre has a big lawn, with rows you drive up into. Corey and I stayed in the car, but a lot of people pulled out lawn chairs and blankets to watch the movie outside. We tuned the radio to 91.1 which played the audio, making it really easy to hear everything that was happening during the movie. The screen is huge, so it can easily be seen from any spot in the theatre lot.
There is a full-service concession stand, offering the basics like popcorn, nachos, soda and candy. They offer other snacks such as French fries, ice cream, fruit snacks, and onion rings. They even offer chicken nuggets, chicken patties, and hot dogs, among other things. The prices are pretty cheap and shouldn't break the bank.
For September and October, they will offer movies on Friday and Saturday. They take a hiatus over the winter, but they come back strong in February, showing movies on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. That schedule lasts until June. In June they add "Carload Wednesday" and "Half-Price Popcorn Thursday."
This is an alcohol- and drug-free location, and they ask that you do not bring outside food into the theatre. They have frequent user cards for tickets and concessions, so if you visit regularly you can get in and eat for free.
This definitely beat all my expectations. We pulled in to about the middle of the lot, and even though there were rows of cars in front of us we had a great view. We turned the car on accessory and tuned the radio for crystal clear sound. We rolled down the windows and let the crisp September air into the car, and it was a particularly clear night so the stars were sparkling in the sky.
It costs us $12 to get in, and I think we spent like $8 on dinner. It made for a very cheap date night, and it was much more enjoyable then the standard dinner and town and movie in a closed theatre. If you don't have any plans this weekend, check it out! I'm sure Corey and I will be there again.
