CHRISTIANSBURG, Va. – As we enter a socially-distant summer, options for activities can be scarce.
One option, though, is opening up Friday: the Starlite Drive-In Theater in Christiansburg.
The theater first lit up the night sky in 1953.
"April through September is normally my season," said Peggy Beasley, the owner.
This year, they're opening late, but not because of COVID-19.
"People quit coming before this started," Beasley said.
Beasley said business slowed after a noise ordinance was established in 2016.
“I played first-run movies, but I couldn’t get nobody up here because they couldn’t hear it,” Beasley said.
At the beginning of May, Beasley opened the snack bar to help with a lack of funds.
“That’s why I opened the curb service part,” Beasley said. “Selling food from the snack bar, just to make some money to get to the distributors to send me a film.”
It was successful, and now she's ready to take on a crowd.
“We’re opening tonight, the movie “Clue”, one showing only,” Beasley said.
Under normal circumstances, 250 cars can fit in the drive-in with two cars in between each set of speaker poles. But on Friday, they’re going to reduce that number to 110 to maintain social distancing.
“I don't know what to expect with the crowd…” Beasley said.
Beasley said many people have told her how excited they are to have the drive-in open again, and, that extra business may be the silver lining she needs during this uncertain time.
“I think it will be a good crowd tonight if it doesn’t rain. I don’t know what it’s gonna do,” Beasley said.
The drive-in is showing “Clue” on Friday and Saturday night at 8:45 p.m. The gates open at 7 p.m. Next weekend they will be showing Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, also at 8:45 p.m. with gates opening at 7 p.m.