SAPULPA, Okla. — There's nothing like an old-fashioned drive-in movie theater.
However, drive-ins are few and far between, nowadays. Despite that, one drive-in over in Sapulpa says it's going strong.
Tee Pee Drive-In originally opened back in 1950 — before falling on hard times, like thousands of drive-ins across America.
Drive-ins numbered over 4,000 in 1958, according to Kerry Segrave’s book “Drive-in Theaters: A History from Their Inception in 1933.” Things like the rise of television, home video, and much more brought hard times.
Tee Pee Drive-In was resurrected last year, however — rejoining the little over 300 drive-ins that are still open, mostly in rural areas.
However, what's fascinating is that — similar to how vinyl records keep enduring, in spite of music streaming — there were reports of drive-in theaters seeing a resurgence in popularity during and after Covid.
Chuck Foxen, Tee Pee Drive-In's manager and film programmer, told 2 News that he sees many moviegoers wanting this cinematic throwback.
"I just think that the drive-in experience is just such a cool thing," he said. "The other night, I got to come out here and do some tests and get the just— I just felt the magic of it when the movie came on, the lights are on, the trailers over here, and it was just really cool experience."
"You're underneath the stars," he added. "It just reminded me of being a kid in a drive-in. Such a throwback experience."
Tee Pee Drive-In is about to kick off its second season. Foxen told us he expects people to keep turning out in droves, like last year.
"Anytime there's ... an advancement with technology, then there's a growth in the analog," he said.
"You can stream almost everything at home nowadays. But you know what that's like — it's distracting, and you can pause it, and all that kind of stuff," Foxen continued.
He then said that drive-in movie theaters give "that throwback experience."
"It's just so cool to be out here and kind of watching it — like, this communal experience with other people, watching a film, and ... get a bite, and it's just kind of cool," Foxen added. "It's a little bit like a mix between watching a movie and camping."
This is Tee Pee Drive-In's lineup of films for April:
- April 4: "This Is Spinal Tap"
- April 5: "The Never Ending Story"
- April 6: "Grease" and "Little Shop of Horrors"
- April 8: Music from "Dark Side of the Moon"
- April 18 & 21: Chicago & Friends in Concert
- April 27: “A League of Their Own”
It's going to start things off on April 4 by "turning it up to 11" with "This Is Spinal Tap." Musical fans will certainly get a kick out of their singalong double-feature of "Grease" and "Little Shop of Horrors", April 6.
Since the showings all start around 8 or 8:30pm, Foxen recommends arriving two hours before showtime. That also gives people plenty of time to hit the concession stand.
People can buy a ticket at the box office there — or ahead of time, on their website.
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