Drive-In Movies May Be Safe Way To Leave Home Amid Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Coronavirus (COVID-19) has forced many of us to get creative in order to stay healthy. Oklahoma drive-in theaters are no exception.

While some were open to customers Friday night, others are tossing around the idea of opening early.

Winchester Drive-in Theater's 2020 season in south Oklahoma City is around three weeks away.

A lot has changed since doors closed last year.

“We are sitting in a station we've never had before, never thought of,” said Winchester Manager, Jeff Massad.

The spread of COVID-19 has left many inside for far too long.

An ol'fashion drive in movie could be a nostalgic, yet safe cure for the urge to get out.

“We've talked about older movies and opening it up on the weekends for people to come do something,” said Massad. “But we want it to be safe and as sterile an atmosphere as possible for them to not get anything contagious.”

Barbera Egbert closed the Chief Drive-In Theatre near Chickasha this week only to re-open again Friday night.

Many modifications have been made. A walkway has been changed into a walk-up window. Vehicles are being spaced plenty of distance apart.

“They call in all their orders or they can do the online, then they come up to the window, pay, and we give them a buzzer they go back to their car,” said Barbara Egbert, Owner of the Chief Drive-In south of Chickasha. “When the buzzer goes off, they can come and get their food at the back window.”

It's not the drive-in Oklahomans have come to know and love but is some sense of normalcy in a hectic time.

“Even if movies are still streaming at your own home, I think this is still a great way to be out in the world and feel like we're not completely shut down,” said Erich Massad, manager of Winchester Drive-In.

Some school districts are looking at drive-in theaters for graduation and so are churches.

One church has already booked the Chickasha Drive-In theatre for Easter Sunday mass.