I challenge anyone to find a more nostalgic pastime than attending a drive-in movie. I would guess that most people have never been to a drive-in movie at all. Those who have attended likely did so only once as a sort of novelty. This is a shame. Especially given the seemingly never-ending discourse regarding just how bad the movie theater experience has become for so many people. Sub-par food at outrageous prices, ‘convenience fees’ on tickets, and more and more releases being exclusive to streaming services. The list goes on, but for most people shelling out $50 for a movie night seems like a bit much. In comes Fort Collins’ very own Holiday Twin Drive-in.
Where have all the drive-ins gone?
Drive-in theaters, although increasingly rare, offer a wonderful alternative. Growing up, my family would go to the drive-in theater in my hometown with reasonable frequency. The mild (non-existent) winters of Southern California made it possible for the drive-in to remain open year-round. The price of admission was cheaper than the proper theater in town. Best of all, you could bring your own food and drinks in. OK maybe that wasn’t technically allowed. Maybe hiding your friend in the trunk beneath a blanket was frowned upon too but we still did it.
Even as a kid, sitting in the back of a minivan with the seats down is extremely uncomfortable. You would need at least three pillows in order to see the screen without having to hoist yourself up on your elbows or lay in some other kind of uncomfortable position. The alternative was to bring lawn chairs and sit outside the car. But anything below 50 degrees felt like I was on the verge of frostbite.
Going to the drive-in was the closest I ever felt to being a kid in one of those coming-of-age movies. A romantic warm summer night with a startling lack of supervision. Kids running free with their tongues blue from candy and ketchup stains on their shirts. There was always a feeling when I watched these films that kids didn’t really get to live like that anymore, that parents knew how dangerous it was to leave your child unattended, so playdates were limited to the living room and the backyard.
It wasn’t until later when I was telling someone how my town had a drive-in that I realized for a brief moment, I did have that kind of childhood. It seemed like every kid in town would be there on the weekend as the sun was setting. Running wild from trunk to trunk or climbing the massive metal beams that supported the screen. Pretending the large parking lot was a playground. Completely free of responsibility and thoughts of what we needed to do in the next week or even the next hour. Just making trouble anyway we knew how.
It’s fitting that in writing this article I learned the drive-in theater I discussed closed down after “years of struggle.” It had been open since 1961. Many drive-in theaters will share a similar fate. Holding on for dear life, trying to find ways to bring people into an experience that is almost extinct. Luckily, there are still plenty of drive-in theaters that are just fine, and many that are thriving.
COVID changed the world in trillions of different ways. Some of these ripples managed to help businesses that had been struggling for years. As the lockdown wore on and games of Monopoly were driving families to the brink of destruction, drive-in theaters suddenly became the perfect business. They offered an experience outside of the house that allowed for social distancing. The family outing would no longer involve hiking or driving around town in circles. Instead, you could sit and pretend like things were normal for a little while.
What to expect from Holiday Twin Drive-in
Holiday Twin Drive-in offers this same retro experience with a few modern touches. Located in the shadow of Horsetooth Reservoir, it is one of the last drive-in movie theaters in the state. While thousands of other Drive-ins have met the fate of the one in my hometown, it’s inspiring to see just how busy this place gets during the summer months. Families, couples, and weekend tourists are able to watch the latest movies from the comfort of their cars. There are two different screens, one that tends to show two family-friendly movies per night, and another that tends to have movies closer to a PG-13 rating. But the movie you end up watching is almost an afterthought to the experience as a whole.
The marquee greets you as you drive up and enter the line of cars paying for tickets. If you’re lucky as I was, you’ll receive a bag of local kiwis from the cashier. The type of random giveaway that makes places like this so wonderful. Once you have picked a movie and paid , the lovely attendants will direct you to the proper screen. Be careful or you could end up watching the wrong movie. This is an awkward adjustment to make once the film starts rolling as it requires you to drive in the dark or blind everyone with your headlights. The employees take care to sort cars by height, so you won’t need to worry too much about getting there three hours ahead of time if you drive a mini cooper.
Food options at Holiday Twin Drive-in
Although there is a special place in my heart for hot dogs of questionable origin and fluorescent orange liquid cheese products, having legitimate food options available at a movie theater is a welcome change. Burgers, hot dogs, fries, and other crowd-pleasers are all cooked to order at the snack bar. Candy, popcorn, and soda are also available, as well as a small beer garden. All of this gives you the perfect excuse to arrive early and watch the sunset while sipping a margarita or local brew.
A couple of beers and a sunset later, the snack bar will slowly begin to clear out as people head back to their cars for the start of the movie. The old-fashioned intro that signifies the movie is about to start is the perfect cap on the pre-movie experience. Then, all that’s left to do is grab some popcorn and a blanket and settle in.
There are plenty of reasons that a drive-in theater is not a perfect alternative to a movie theater and that’s okay. It can be cold, there is no surround sound, and instead of people blocking your view, it will be cars driving by. But personally, if I were to name the 5 best experiences of my life, I can say I wasn’t perfectly comfortable in any of them. The magic of a place like Holiday Twin Drive-in is far more unique than people give it credit for and something that everyone should experience before it is too late.