It’s the time of year when we see plentyofstories about drive-ins that have reopened for another season, sprinkled with a few worrisome tales of possible sales and closures. (Looking at you, Weirs!) But the kind of news that really grabs my attention is the report of a brand-new drive-in. Thanks to WSET, Lynchburg VA’s News Leader, we know that the 29 Drive-In opened in nearby Rustburg this past weekend. (That link includes a short video, but I couldn’t find a way to embed it here.)
The owners, Candice and Jamie “Papa O” Ohler, said they plan to show a family-friendly movie every Saturday night this season, which began with “Twister”. The 29 can accommodate 40 cars, which use FM radio sound to hear the movies of the screen shown above. The cost is $25 per carload.
The Campbell County Planning Commission gave its unanimous approval to the new drive-in back in February. At that meeting, Ohler said he had held a couple of drive-in events last fall, so he probably built that screen before then.
This place is such a throwback, in so many good ways. Old-time drive-in owners rented their movies outright, as Ohler said he planned for the 29. Some theaters over 100 years ago were back rooms behind candy shops; I’ll bet the “I Scream You Scream” ice cream shop in front of the 29 will do a lot of business on warm Saturday nights.
As far as I can tell, the 29 doesn’t have a separate web presence, although there’s a “Drive In Movie” link at the I Scream You Scream page on Facebook. As soon as I see one, I’ll add it to the Carload Drive-In List. Meanwhile, we’ll all just know it’s there if we’re in the neighborhood on a Saturday night.
Thanks to a friend in the Virginia state legislature, Goochland Drive-In Theater will have its logo placed on an “Attractions” sign on Interstate 64, according to a report yesterday by WTVR, Richmond’s News Leader.
Owner John Heidel had been trying for eight years to get on the official highway sign since out-of-state visitors “routinely drive past exit 152.” The Virginia Department of Transportation has a policy against movie theaters on interstate attraction signs.
This year, after a request from Heidel, state delegate John McGuire submitted a bill to exempt drive-ins from that policy. WTVR reported, “However, before the legislation went to a committee, McGuire set up a meeting with Heidel and state representatives who regulate the interstate signs. Following the meeting, VDOT said they would allow Goochland Drive-In to put their logo on the sign and McGuire withdrew the bill.”
Maybe that wouldn’t make sense for urban drive-ins, but many others are true tourist attractions. It would be great to see more mentions on the interstate, both to direct the rookies and to tell the unaware what a great opportunity they have to experience some live Americana.
It’s Day 331 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey. After watching movies for five nights straight, I had a long drive before an evening off. It took me 4½ hours to drive from the Auto 25 Drive In in Greenwood SC to the Central Drive-In Theatre, a few miles west of Norton VA.
The Central opened in 1952 in the middle of Jefferson National Forest near Blackwood, a tiny coal town. The Theatre Catalog said its owners were H. Kiser and R. Lodge. The Motion Picture Almanacs listed only Russell Large. Was its first co-owner named Lodge or Large? (Actually, I just heard via the Central’s Facebook page that it was Large. Thanks!)
That’s the last we’ll hear of Russell Large, for the next half-century of the Central’s history is the Kiser family. The Kingsport Times-News wrote that “Buddy and Paula (Herron) bought the Central in 2005 from Jeff Kiser following the death of his mother, Agnes Kiser Lay, the Kiser family’s much loved drive-in darling who operated the Central for many if not most of those years since it opened in 1952.” They live in a house adjacent to the drive-in, which is also where the Kisers used to live.
In 2013, the Herrons turned to social media to try to win enough votes to win a free digital projector from Honda’s Project Drive-In contest. “We are a family-run business,” buddy told the Bristol Herald Courier. “We got into drive-ins because it was part of our childhood, part of something we thought would be a good, economical night out for a family. But if you talk about getting a loan for a digital projector and other equipment, a bank might look at you funny, and they’re not lending much these days.”
The Central was not one of the contest winners, yet they must have found a way to acquire a digital projector. Their subsequent GoFundMe page raised less than $7000, but somehow it worked out.
So the Herrons are the latest to run this little jewel, which holds probably fewer than 200 cars. The remote setting is great for reducing ambient light; it only comes from cars on the road and trains that pass across the street from the screen. And the stars, of course.
The Central also has a very nice arcade with a plethora of machines and good burgers at the concession stand. So they tell me. This evening was quite pleasant, but there was no way the Central was going to be open on the Monday after Thanksgiving. It closed for the season almost a month ago.
The embedded YouTube video of the day was uploaded earlier this year by Raven Aerial Imaging. It includes nice drone footage of the misty forest surrounding the Central, plus enough ground-level info to put it in perspective. For a news report from 2013 about the need for a digital projector, you might try this video.
Miles Today / Total: 259 / 38205 (rounded to the nearest mile)
Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: dark / 199
Nearby Restaurant: Who knew there were so many regional restaurant chains? In Norton, I was attracted by the name to visit Pal’s Sudden Service. The cuisine is fast-food basic, not that there’s anything wrong with that, with interesting extensions such as the grilled cheese sandwich on inverted buns. Add “frenchie” fries and a large iced tea, and by the end of the meal I felt like a local.
Where I Virtually Stayed: Norton is one of those towns where, according to TripAdvisor, the best hotel in town is a Super 8. Thank goodness that this again meant that the Super 8 was especially good. There was coffee in the lobby. My comfortable room had all the modern amenities. Breakfast was free and enough to get me back on the road. Best of all, the price was great.
Only in Norton: Just a half hour south of town is an amazing sight at Natural Tunnel State Park. The name gives it away; more than 850 feet long and as tall as a 10-story building, Natural Tunnel was naturally carved through a limestone ridge over thousands of years. William Jennings Bryan called it the “Eighth Wonder of the World.” They’ll be adding Christmas lights again this weekend.
