Riverside Drive In Theater in Vandergrift Pennsylvania

Cheap Date Idea!

I love a fun date. I actually pride myself on being a cheap date. I also love a good move.

So, drive in movies really fit the bill. Cheap, fun and did I say cheap 😉 $8 per person for TWO movies cheap!

It really surprises me the amount of people I know whom have never attended a drive in movie. That was a fairly regular family outing for me growing up. Once a month we’d be at the Sky View Drive-In in Lancaster, Ohio. (For my Pennsylvania friends, it’s pronounced lane-cuss-ter in that neck of the woods)

I remember watching Finding Nemo at a drive in. At the time of this post, that movie is 12 years old. Wow. And… I was like 19 at the time! I know, I know, shocking.

Anyways, we loved the drive in. And I’m so thankful that my husband and I can share this past time together. I might not be able to keep my eyes opened past intermission, but I still enjoy every minute of it.

We even found a drive in theater near our home in Pittsburgh (north-ish area)!

 

Riverside Drive-In Theatre of Vandergrift Pennsylvania is a typical American drive in. There’s only one screen, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less important or less “good” than other drive ins. I actually liked that there wasn’t a distracting screen flashing behind me or in my car mirrors.

Each row has humps so that you can angle your car perfectly at the screen. On really busy nights, be aware that they may park your car for you to ensure there is room for everyone. Don’t take offense at this, please, this is a great thing! I’ve had to resort to a bad view in other drive ins because a car has taken up more than their fair share of parking. Trust me, you don’t want to deal with that.

Another great thing about Riverside Drive-In is the radio. You don’t have to strap one of those old radios onto the window of your car. You get to use your own car radio for your listening pleasure. This is great for families with sleeping kiddos in the back seat, just adjust the “fade” setting to the front seats only. Or you know, be a jerk or something and put it in the back. There is an original radio in the snack shop if you don’t know what I’m talking about too.

 

Ah, the snack bar. They’ve got your popcorn and pop but also a good selection of hot foods! Hot dogs, burgers, pizza, chicken, foot longs, funnel cakes. The pricing is standard drive in type prices. No refills on the drinks, so buy large and get no ice if you can manage 😉 The fries are big servings. I got a huge pile of cheese fries with bacon on top. Very good and way too much to finish.

 

The snack bar also has some neat vintage things on display. There are posters from the drive in back in the day, an old Pepsi machine that is loaded with glass bottle sodas and the radio I mentioned before. It really adds to the vintage and classic air of the place.

There are a few rules in place and prominently displayed, but really they are easy to follow and not a big deal at all. My favorite rules are:

•No vulgar talk, profanity, or loud voices

•Keep pets on a leash at all time. (You can bring quiet pets!)

•If anyone or anything interferes with your families enjoyment, please report it to the snack bar or ticket booth. (Very supportive of families!)

One thing pretty amazing that Riverside Drive In Theater does every year is Monster-Rama. It’s a whole weekend of movies. They play old school monster movies all night long and allow you to camp out at the drive in. They even play vintage monster movie previews. I cannot wait to go this fall with my husband. It will be an unforgettable cheap date!

 

If you’d like to check out Riverside Drive In Theater, you can visit their website here or follow them on twitter here or like them on Facebook here. There are less than 400 drive in theaters left in the US. Compare that to the over 40,000 indoor movie theaters across the country. Support small business!

Have you ever gone to a drive in theater? What did you see?