Fredericksburg drive-in movies canceled on opening day

The Fredericksburg Expo and Conference Center has canceled their plans for a drive-in movie theater that was set to premiere today.

The drive-in was supposed to air movies from Thursday through Sunday, but all have been canceled for this weekend.

“Regretfully due to unforceen difficulties the drive-in movie series for June 11-14, 2020 has been canceled,” read a post on the Expo Center’s Facebook page, @fredericksburgexpocenter.

The Expo Center did not respond to Potomac Local New’s request for comment on why the event was canceled.

Refunds will be provided to those who have already purchased tickets.

The theater is being spearheaded through the Fredericksburg Expo and Conference Center with assistance from the Fredericksburg Nationals and the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce.

“We’ve obviously been closed since mid-march and haven’t been able to host any events, so we were trying to find some unique and different ways to bring the community together and do something for the community, so we decided on this drive-in movie series,” said Marlene Camp, General Manager of the Fredericksburg Expo and Conference Center.

This idea was first proposed by Seth Silber, whose family operates the Fredericksburg Nationals minor baseball league and Expo Center.

“As we begin to emerge from the health crisis, we are thrilled to be able to provide benefit to the community by committing to provide 10% of all profits to important community organizations,” Silber said.

The drive-in movie theater will provide sponsorships for the Fredericksburg Nationals along with a number of charitable sponsorships. One such sponsor is the Sunshine Ballpark Foundation which will receive 10% of the first weekend’s proceeds.

Tickets can be purchased on the Fredericksburg Expo Center website at $45 per vehicle. People can also order a concession package and a merchandise package for the Fredericksburg Nationals online.

There will not be a concession stand on site.

“Since we don’t have a concession stand set up on site, everything does need to be preordered, and the reason we’re doing that is for the safety and security of not only our guests but our employees,” Camp said.

The number of vehicles allowed on site will be limited to 140-150 cars. To allow for social distancing, vehicles will park in every other space and have an assigned space to park. They are encouraged to arrive an hour before their movie airs.

The movie will air on a screen provided by OHM Productions out of Purcellville, Virginia. The screen will be mounted on a tractor-trailer 17-feet off the ground. 

“It’s over 6,000 pounds, and it’s a 32 by 17 foot screen. It offers 69 billion display colors. It’s LED so the screen can be seen in bright daylight. It really has a great range for people to be able to see it from near and far,” said Camp.  

The sound will be broadcasted using an FM radio station. 

On weekdays, there will be two showings at 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. On weekends, there will be three showings at 12:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m., and 8:00 p.m.

The first movie that was supposed to air on Thursday, June 11 was “Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark.” 

Other featured movies that were going to be played on the first weekend include “Bumblebee,” “Secret Life of Pets Two,” “Jurassic Park,” “Sonic the Hedgehog,” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows.” These showings have all been canceled.  

The Expo Center is following safety guidelines issued by the Virginia Governor’s Office and Virginia Health Department. 

This includes maintaining social distancing and wearing a mask. Restrooms are limited to two people, with the exception of parents and children. 

“We really ask people to be very observant of their social distancing guidelines and to be sure that they are following those guidelines as put forth by the state,” said Camp.

A full movie schedule and additional details can be found on the Fredericksburg Expo Center website.