One of my clearest memories from childhood is seeing the 1978 disaster "epic" Avalanche - starring Mia Farrow and Rock Hudson! - with my family, and roaring at the ridiculous dialogue (even though, at age 10, I barely understood why it was ridiculous) and effects (which even a 10-year-old knew were shoddy). To this very day, I'll exit some piece of crap at the cineplex and think, "Well ... at least it wasn't Avalanche-awful ... ," and terrible though it was, the movie - or rather, my family's reaction to the movie - remains one of my absolute favorite film-going experiences.

Saw it at the drive-in.

All of which is a roundabout way of saying: Take your kids to a drive-in. Or if you don't have kids: Get yourself to a drive-in.

You may be saying, "But the Quad Cities doesn't have a drive-in!" You'd be right. We do, however, have four drive-ins within reasonable driving distance: the Blue Moonlight Drive-in in Galesburg, Illinois; the Grand View Drive-in in Grandview, Iowa; the Autovue Drive-in Theatre in Galva, Illinois; and the 61 Drive-in Theatre in Maquoketa, Iowa. (All of which, it should be noted, are open through October, so there's still plenty of time to visit one.)

And for the two or three area drive-in fans not yet aware, the Quad Cities are scheduled to unveil their first outdoor theatre in more than two decades with the Reel to Reel Drive-in, set to open in spring 2009.

What follows is a look - albeit an incomplete look - at where drive-ins have been, where they are, and where (fingers crossed) they're going. But the best way to appreciate the experience, of course, is to visit one yourselves. Great movie, good movie, or Avalanche-awful movie, I have yet to meet someone who doesn't have happy outdoor-theatre memories.

"Inside, Under the Stars" - The Drive-in Returns to Davenport

"Four or Five Hours of Fun" - The Rise and Fall of Drive-ins

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written by BRUCE LACOSTE, August 21, 2008

OPENING NIGHTS ARE ALWAYS THE BEST, SO WHY NOT MAKE IT MEMORABLE FOR LIFE FOR SOME LUCKY PERSON. LOOK UP THE PADUCAH DI IN KENTUCKY ON DRIVE-INS.COM AND YOU WILL SEE A PIC OF THEIR "FIRST NIGHTER" TICKET FOR THEIR OPENING. YOU COULD DO THEM BETTER BY HAVING A RAFFLE FOR A GRAND OPENING AWARD OF A "FIRST NIGHTER" PLAQUE COMMERATING THIS AWESOME DAY. MAYBE A SPEAKER FRONT WITH YOUR DI'S NAME AND A BRASS PLAQUE WITH THE REEL TO REEL TICKET DISPLAYED ON THE FRONT. MAKE TWO, ONE FOR THE WALL IN YOUR OFFICE AND ONE TO GIVE AWAY. AGAIN CONGRATS ON THIS PROJECT. ALL THE LUCK YOU CAN HANDLE.
BRUCE

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written by David Darby, August 27, 2008

Congratulations to us on the return of the Drive-in the QC. We've been without one for far too long. I have many fond memories of the BelAir and Oasis. Another drive-in that is in decent driving distance is Iowa's oldest drive-in, The Valle theater in Newton Iowa. First run double features, and your kids get in FREE! Travel a couple of hours down scenic US Route 6, watch the movie, and stay inexpensively at the Mid-Iowa Motel, or down the road a wee further at the Archer in Altoona. Either motel will run you about 40 dollars for a twin, and you get to stay in a clean 1940's era motel to boot! Iowa is full of hidden treasures! http://www.valledrive-in.com/

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