photo by drpep from the Carload Flickr pool

The Valley Advantage of Scranton PA clued us in on a smart promotion by the Circle Drive-In of Dickson City. Since mid-September, the Circle has been showing Monday Night Football on its big screen. Attendance has been light, but I’ll bet it would beat any movies shown on a Monday night. Besides, manager Dave Castelli thinks the crowds will grow once viewers spread the word.

Castelli said that he thinks he’s the only drive-in that shows MNF, and notes that the Circle has a licensing agreement with the NFL. That’s a really important step for anyone who wants to bring in a crowd for a game anywhere outside the home, because the NFL keeps a vigilant eye on such endeavors.

The Circle is also scheduled to show a Penn State game on an alumni night Oct. 22, two days before its last MNF event of the drive-in season.

There are other special events planned for the Circle in the months to come. “We’re going to throw everything up against the wall and see what sticks,” Castelli said. “That’s what’s changing about our industry — you have to be a destination.”

For more details and a nice photo from the Valley Advantage article, you really should go read it!

photo by RetroRoadmap.com, used by permission

Cell phones, a satellite dish, a couch, a car seat, a leopard-print bra, and an orthodontic retainer with headgear. That’s a list of some of the stuff that drive-in theater owners have found lying around after their shows were over. Several of those owners were swapping stories about that debris and much more during the United Drive-In Theatre Owners Association‘s annual fall gathering, held this year at the Circle Drive-In (Dickson City PA).

The Scranton Times-Tribune posted a very informative story to let us know about the UDITOA’s get-together. According to the Times-Tribune, about 60 owners attended. They heard from Dave Castelli, the Circle’s manager, about how the advantages that drive-ins have over indoor theaters. At the drive-in, small kids have room to walk around and young adults have the freedom to text in the privacy of their cars.

Another topic of discussion was the economics of drive-ins, many still facing the cost of converting to digital projection or the worry of not knowing when Hollywood studios will stop providing film. Two owners talked about their side jobs (factory worker, CPA) that they need.

There are more details in the article, which would have benefitted from a few photos. In any case, you know you need to go read it!