What do you do when you want to capitalize on the outdoor summer movie trend but you don’t have a lawn? You go old school, drive-in style.
That’s exactly what Union Market in Northeast D.C. is planning to do this summer with D.C. Drive-in, using the parking lot in front of its warehouse-turned-artisan market to host four drive-in style movies.
The artisan food market and is going full drive-in too, with food offerings from Union Market vendors being served to movie watchers in their cars by servers on roller skates. (They’re called car hops, for those of us that have never been to a drive-in.) They’ll be taking reservations for parking spaces at the drive-in, which they’ll hold until 8 p.m. on the night of the screening; after that, parking is fair game.
In classic D.C. multi-modal fashion, there will also be a seating area for those that arrive by Metro, bus, on foot or by bike.
The movies — which will be projected on the three-story, exterior, white wall of Union Market — will have a D.C. theme. The series, which is being presented by ReelPlan, will show the following films:
- July 12: Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
- July 19: Distinguished Gentleman
- July 26: American President
- Aug. 2: No Way Out
I wrote earlier this week about the growing popularity of outdoor summer movie festivals — and the business case for them — and most of the organizers noted that bringing more people into their neighborhood or shopping center is one of the main drivers. In this case, D.C. Drive-In could contribute to Union Market being a bigger Friday night destination, at least for four Fridays this summer.
