MUSKEGON, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — As the stay-at-home restrictions are starting to be lifted during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Getty Drive In has announced that it will open for the season this week.
This season marks the 76th opening season of the Studio C-owned theater, which first opened in 1944. The opening day is set for Friday, June 5, with four different movies on the starting lineup – Trolls World Tour, The Invisible Man, Sonic, and the original 1978 Superman.
Officials say that Superman will be the first in a DC Comic Superhero series, which will also feature the original films for Batman, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman over the summer.
The series will extend into July with a new title each week, and new movie releases are anticipated for mid-summer.
“A lot of people have great memories at the drive in from when they were kids,” General Manager Kevin Sims said. “The biggest change has been our transition to digital projection and digital sound broadcast through the radio, but otherwise, we’ve kept a lot the same. It’s like a big family-friendly tail-gaiter; a summertime experience that you don’t want to miss.”
Given the COVID-19 pandemic, adjustments for operations will be in place for each screening:
- All customers are encouraged to pre-purchase tickets online at celebrationcinema.com. Online convenience fees are being waived through July for all purchases. As a bonus, purchasers will be fast- tracked through separate entry lines and be assured a ticket.
- The Getty will open at 50% capacity. Sale of only half the available spaces will enable carloads to space out further from other drive-in guests.
- The Getty will not be accepting cash for payment. Plan for online or credit card transactions only.
- Drive In movie treats will be available at the concession stand, but the line will queue outside. Customers are encouraged to wear a mask while inside the building. Online ordering and delivery direct-to-the-car will be available at some point.
- For the first few weeks of the summer season, The Getty Drive In will be presenting a single feature of an older title on each of its four screens for the reduced price of $5.00 per ticket.
“We exist to create space where story happens,” Emily Loeks of Studio C said. “These are not ordinary times, and we are all doing the best we can to support and serve each other in meaningful ways. This much I can guarantee, The Getty is a magical experience. It will be part of fun memories the community will share about the summer of 2020, and we all need a few of those.”
More information can be found online at this link.
