By Dorian Young//
Troyce Gatewood and Partners real estate company will continue sponsoring drive-in movie nights at the Frederick Fairgrounds, an event that was brought to the area last fall.
Erica Wiegman, the marketing coordinator for TGP, said that Autoflex Entertainment and Showtime Sound came to TGP in September 2020 asking if the real estate company would be interested in sponsoring the event and TGP leapt at the opportunity. Wiegman said that the drive-in movies are a way for people to get back to some form of normalcy during the ongoing pandemic while still feeling safe.
Many families, friends and couples come to sit in the trunks of their cars, beds of their trucks and front seats to watch movies like “Forrest Gump” and “Back to the Future.” To hear the movie’s sound, viewers can tune their vehicle’s radio to a station corresponding with what’s being projected on the screen.
According to Wiegman, those attending the drive-in movies must socially distance and wear masks when they are walking the fairgrounds. Otherwise, when people are seated to watch the movies, they may be mask-less.
Wiegman said that during the fall, there was an average of over 300 cars coming out every weekend to take part in the event. Wiegman believes this turnout was due to people being more comfortable with the state of things with COVID-19, as well as people being smarter and more aware of what events they feel comfortable attending.
Wiegman also said that she believes the event will continue after this spring because, “drive-in movies are coming back and evolving.”
Ticket prices are per car, ranging from $19 to $34 depending on the location. Tickets are $19 for the bronze section, which is the furthest away from the screen, $24 for the silver section, and $34 for the gold section, which is the closest to the screen.
Wiegman said that $1 of each ticket sold for the drive-in movies will be donated to TGP Gives to help give back to the Frederick community. According to the TGP movie nights website, “TGP Gives was founded on the mission to better [the Frederick] community through acts of kindness and generosity.”
For Wiegman and the TGP team as a whole, the best part of the fall drive-in movie event was that families who couldn’t afford to go to a movie theater or a normal drive-in were able to come and experience a drive-in movie and have a meal.
“[Struggling families] were able to experience something they may never have been able to due to their financial situation,” Wiegman said. She also said that during the fall, the community feedback was extremely positive because of how safe and enjoyable the event was.
This spring, there are four weekends throughout April and June that have Friday and Saturday showings people can attend. The weekend dates are April 9 and April 10, April 16 and April 17, May 21 and May 22, and June 11 and June 12.
There are Friday night double features every weekend, as well as Saturday matinees and evening showings. There are no showings on Sundays.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the TGP website.
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