Belmont Drive-In open for first full season since 2014

The Belmont Drive-In is planning its first full season after a soft opening last August, with movies planned for almost every Friday and Saturday night until early December.

The drive-in movie theater is a family business that reopened last year nine years after its 2014 shutdown.

Casey Pentecost, who helps operate the theater with other members of her family, said that August through early December of last year was a trial run for the theater, and it went well. One night, a little over 200 cars showed up.

"Yeah, we actually did really well. We did Friday the 13th on Friday the 13th, played the movie, and that was the busiest night of the season that we had. It was an absolute blowout," she said.

This season opened April 5 with Kung Fu Panda 4 and Ghost Busters: Frozen Empire, Pentecost said.

Ghost Busters will play for two weeks in a row.

The Pentecosts are planning several special events, including weekends featuring classic horror movies and older movies.

One of the biggest changes will be to the concession stand, which will have a second window open to help move the line more quickly. The concession stand is the theater's main source of revenue, Pentecost said.

There are new menu items, including vegan and gluten free options, Pentecost said.

The theater also has a brand new sign.

Admission to the theater is $25 per vehicle, Pentecost said.

Melinda Pentecost, Casey Pentecost's mother, said that the theater was previously owned by her own parents, Bill and Peggy Lawing, who purchased the theater in the 1980s.

"Mom's thing was always your affordable family entertainment center. That's what we try to continue to strive for… Of course everything's expensive these days, but we try to keep our prices as reasonable as possible, with the family atmosphere, being able to keep mom and dad's dream alive," she said. "Because they worked so hard for that theater and they struggled financially and health-wise through the years and still managed to pull it off, and all they wanted was their kids and their grandkids and their great-grandkids to keep the place going for years to come. And that's our goal."

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Belmont Drive-In open for first full season since 2014