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A Night at the Skyway Drive-In

Photo by Dan Eggert.

The smell of popcorn fills the night air, sitting in line, waiting in the car to enter the drive in and get the spot with the best view. Admission at the gate is $8 per person (only $5 for kids ages 6-11 and free for kids ages 5 and under). So we pull in, tuning our radio to 100.5 for the old timey pre-movie music. The Skyway Drive-In is a relic of nostalgia, tradition.

The drive-in has a few benches down in front; if you get there early enough you can grab a seat there. The first four rows have traditional speakers that you can hook onto your car window. We always just tune in on our radio, turning the car on for five to ten minutes before the first movie to charge up the car battery, and turning it on again between movies to re-charge. Waiting for the first movie, there are kids laughing and enjoying the playground equipment, a group of kids playing Frisbee or catch. The commercials that run before the first movie are a mix of black and white cartoons from ages ago with dancing hot dogs and swarming mosquitoes and of modern-day advertisements for local activities and destinations.

The concession stand commercials always lure me in, and even though we bring snacks along (not discouraged), I always get a foot-long hot dog and an ice cream sandwich. We almost always share a popcorn, wishing we could have brought our cat, who is a popcorn addict, along for the treat. It doesn’t matter what first-run movies are playing at the Skyway Drive-In, it is always an entertaining evening and a unique experience.

Visit doorcountydrivein.com for current show times and information.

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