Joni Mitchell’s song “Big Yellow Taxi” famously lamented that “they paved paradise and put up a parking lot.”
Jon Gann, founder of the Drive-In at Union Market, says condos are about to take over his movie parking lot.
“This is the 11th year of the drive-in and I fear it might be the last,” Gann told WTOP. “The parking lot that we’ve been having our fantastic film fest is going to be turned into condos or apartments. This is why we’re doing every other week until July because we’re trying to beat the construction. … The Union Market district has grown up from almost nothing into this incredible neighborhood. We’re very proud to have been a part of that.”
After building the D.C. Shorts Film Festival into “The Coolest Short Film Festival in the World” by Moviemaker Magazine, Gann needed another challenge, so he launched the Drive-In at Union Market in 2012. It has since screened outdoor movies every summer, including during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“When I started the drive-in back in 2012, Union Market had just opened, the area was brand new and there was this incredible parking lot with a huge white wall next to it that just screamed, ‘I need to have films shown on me,'” Gann said.
“D.C. had never had a drive-in movie theater within its city limits before, so it would be a first for the city, and as a native Washingtonian, I wanted to bring something truly unique to The District.”
The final season kicked off with “WALL-E” (2008) on April 7, “A League of Their Own” (1992) on April 21, and “The Karate Kid” (1984) on May 5. Next will be Pixar’s “Coco” (2017) on Friday, May 19.
“‘Coco’ we’ve shown in the past and it has always done really, really well,” Gann said. “The market felt that it was a good choice for the final year.”
After that, “King Richard” (2021) screens on Friday, June 2. “While you might have issues with Will Smith (slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars), the film itself is a really great story about the Williams sisters, their rise to fame and their relationship with their father,” Gann said. “It’s a really strong film and we wanted something a little adult.”
As if that wasn’t enough, the coming-of-age classic “Clueless” (1995) screens on Friday, June 16. “‘Clueless’ is pretty timeless,” Gann said. “The comedy still works. Everybody has a happy memory of seeing it either in the theater or at home. It’s just a really fun movie and we know it’ll bring a lot of people out.”
After that, “Top Gun: Maverick” (2022) screens on Friday, July 7. “‘Top Gun: Maverick’ was obviously a huge blockbuster last year,” Gann said. “We know it will be a good draw. Action films always do well at the drive-in. Drive-ins are sort of made for action movies like that, so we’re excited about it. It should be a lot of fun.”
The season wraps with “Hairspray” (2007) on Friday, July 21. “‘Hairspray’ is a fantastic musical version of what was an incredible original John Waters movie. John Waters is the auteur of Baltimore, so he’s right next door. It’s just a fun film. There’s something for everyone, a lot of singing and dancing. People get up and enjoy themselves.”
Each movie costs $20 per car, with a maximum of 170 parking spaces. If you don’t have a car, feel free to spread a picnic blanket and eat food from nearby restaurants, including Lebanese kebabs from Yasmine and homemade ice cream from The Creamery at Union Market. Alcohol is not allowed on the lot, but you can drink on Neal Place.
“It’s a great time, and it’s a great way to spend a Friday night under the stars watching fantastic movies,” Gann said.
“Hopefully it’s not, but this might be the last year, so see it before it’s gone. … We are looking for a place to do it in 2024, but there are far fewer and fewer parking lots left in the city. I’d like to continue to do the drive-in in The District if possible. It’s just a matter of finding a Metro-accessible parking lot that’s large enough.”
Listen to our full conversation here.
