A twin-screen drive-in movie theater is coming to a site in Bear.
Last week, it was announced via Facebook that permits had been secured for The Bear Drive-in site behind Lowe’s on East Songsmith Drive.
The site mentioned in the post is being prepared for excavation with stakes in place. In addition, a “coming soon” portable sign was moved to the farm field.
According to a Facebook message, the theater is aiming for a July opening.
The drive-in theater has been teased for a couple of months on its Facebook page with a photo of equipment and the announcement of the purchase of a popcorn machine.
Drive-in theaters disappeared in Delaware decades ago due to changing lifestyles, cinemas with multiple screens, and rising real estate prices.
Pop-up drive-in theaters appeared during the pandemic as sit-down theaters remained closed due to Covid-19 restrictions. In recent years, portable, inflatable drive-in theater screens have become available, allowing pop-up theaters with short runs.
The theaters have survived in the region with southern New Jersey having that state’s last screen, with a dozen drive-ins operating within a 150-mile radius of Philadelphia.
Before the pandemic, communities around the state, including coastal areas, set up pop-up movies in parks and other sites. The movie nights have resumed with the end of restrictions.
In the Lewes-Rehoboth area, Lefty’s Alley & Eats screens family-friendly movies that are projected on a screen-like area of a building.
