By Liz Swaine | Downtown Development Authority
After eight weeks of staying at home we’ve got just what you need- a unique family outing with an emphasis on fun AND safety! Apex Communications and Events, LLC, Summers Social, and the Downtown Development Authority are setting up a giant movie screen Friday, May 29 through Sunday, May 31 for an old-fashioned drive-in with all the appropriate social distancing!
The New Normal Drive-In will be open three nights for six different features. We will kick it all off on Friday, May 29 with Wall-E at 6 pm. Say hello to Axel Foley and Beverly Hills Cop at 9:30. Start off with wizardry on Saturday, May 30 with Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban at 6 pm. The night wraps up at 9:30 with Jaws. (You may never go in the water again!) Sunday, May 31 we start off at 6 pm with a band of adventurous kids in The Goonies. We end the New Normal Drive-In weekend with the hilarious Caddy Shack at 9:30. Tickets are $25 per car per movie and can only be purchased online (thru the New Normal Drive-In Facebook Event Page). Event updates can be found on Facebook at New Normal Drive-In and at www.downtownshreveport.com/new normal
Only 100 tickets will be available per showing, so get yours quickly. Ticket sales will close at noon the day of each showing (or when the movies sell out) and no tickets will be available for purchase at the door.
The New Normal Drive-In will be at Texas Avenue and Milam Street, behind the First United Methodist Church. There will be cones and Shreveport Police officers helping with traffic entry.
“We love the idea of an old-fashioned drive-in movie,” says Liz Swaine, executive director of the Shreveport DDA. “It’s a rare opportunity for people to do something that used to be a common event every Saturday night. It’s also a great way to share love with some downtown businesses.”
Two of those businesses, Abby Singer’s Bistro at Robinson Film Center and Retro Down Town Café, will be providing food service for movie-goers each night.
“We encourage those attending to purchase a meal or meals from these restaurants that have been hurt badly by the Stay-at-Home orders and COVID-19,” says Swaine. “Each has tasty dinner options available for just $10 that can be ordered via links on the Facebook Event PagePage.” The pre-orders will be pre-bagged and available for pick up at the drive-in theater with social distancing enforced. In addition to meals, cookies, banana pudding, chips & salsa, brownies, popcorn and other snacks will be available for pre-purchase. No food will be available to purchase the night of the movies.
You’ll have great food and see a fun movie- but wait- there’s even more! Attendees are encouraged to dress up like characters in the movie and take selfies in their vehicles. Selfies tagged with #beafanofSB will pop onto the giant LED screen during intermission and a selfie winner will be given a Family Membership to Sci-Port Discovery Center (valued at $250).
In addition, each movie night the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra Conductor Michael Butterman will lead what we believe is the first-ever ‘car horn symphony’ in the U.S. along with some smart phone symphonies so every car will be able to participate.
The Drive-In parking lot will open one hour prior to each showing. No motorcycles or motorhomes will be allowed, but cars and trucks are welcome. To adhere to social distancing guidelines, only specific parking spaces will be allowed to be used- these will be marked with large round stickers. Spots are not reserved, they are first come, first served. A port-a-let restroom will be available, along with hand sanitizer, Lysol spray and a handwashing station.
As with all fun things, there is a lot of fine print and here it is. Movie goers are encouraged to come with those persons that they have been staying at home with and will not be allowed to set up chairs outside of their cars, per social distancing guidelines and city requests. Social distancing will be strictly enforced. No ticket refunds will be given for bad weather. Notice will be put out 24 hours in advance in case of cancellation for bad weather.
The LED movie screen is far superior to the typical blow-up screens; the images will be much more colorful, sharper and more vibrant. They will be vibrant and visible even before the sun goes down. Sound for the movies will be via car radios.
Tasty food options will be available each night, courtesy of Abby Singer’s Bistro and Retro Down Town Cafe. All meals are $10, and there are add-on options, too.
From Retro Down Town Cafe, you can order 1. Organic Chicken Salad Wrap and chips- $10, 2. Zesty Chicken Salad Wrap and Chips- $10, 3. Club Turkey and Bacon Wrap and Chips – $10. Chips and Salsa- $5, Banana Pudding Cups- $4, Chocolate Chunk Cookie- $2.50, Walnut Brownie- $3.50, Bag of Popcorn- $1, Soft Drinks- $2.
Abby Singer’s Bistro will be offering 1. Chicken Caesar Wrap with potato chips or a fruit cup & canned soda or bottled water – $10. 2. Portabella Mushroom Wrap with potato chips or a fruit cup & canned soda or bottled water- $10.
You will be able to order directly from the restaurants through links on the movie ticketing website. Tickets will go on sale for the six movies on Monday, May 18 thru the Facebook Event Page.
Enjoy our fun ‘New Normal’ Friday, May 29- Sunday, May 31!