Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, drive-ins are back in style again, from concerts to movies to raves. Now one local drive-in theater has just reopened. Deco’s Alex Miranda is talking shop at the Swap Shop in Fort Lauderdale.
Paul Reubens (as Pee-Wee Herman): “Hey, the big scene is coming up, you guys.”
Pee-Wee’s friends: All right!”
Pee-Wee and his pals did it.
John Travolta (as Danny Zuko):”Would you wear my ring?”
Olivia Newton-John (as Sandy Olsson): “Danny! I don’t know what to say.”
So did Danny and Sandy in “Grease.”
And if you’re a movie lover who’s hoping to catch something on a big screen anytime soon, drive-ins could be your new best friend.
John Blyth, Swap Shop: “You can come in and sit in the trunk of your truck, pop the hood of your SUV, lay in the back with your kids, cuddle up, bring your own snacks. You can enjoy yourself.”
Scott McMahon, customer: “We’ve been cooped up. I have two young kids. Having us all in the same house has definitely been a challenge, so getting to go out and do this, I think it’s a great opportunity.”
Here in SoFlo, the Swap Shop in Fort Lauderdale is the place to be for some entertainment that totally follows social distancing guidelines. Because you get to leave the house, but you never have to step out of your car.
John Blyth “Vehicles will be mandatory to be six feet apart. Security will go around and make sure that everyone’s distanced. You’ll have to wear a mask if you leave your vehicle to use the restroom, and that will be the only reason you leave your car.”
Movie screenings aren’t the only things happening at drive-ins these days, either. Just this weekend, cars lined up at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach to hear DJ D-Nice spin some tunes.
DJ D-Nice: “I haven’t played in front of an actual audience in two months, and that’s never happened since I started DJ-ing, in like 15 or 16 years.”
The drive-in concert was a celebration of Florida’s first responders, and you could tell people were excited, because they never stopped honking or dancing.
The Swap Shop is currently playing the films “Crawl,” “Trolls World Tour,” “Furious 7” and “8 Mile.” They recommend arriving 45 minutes before the movie starts. Showtimes are between 8:30 p.m. and 11 p.m.
FOR MORE INFO:
Swap Shop
3291 W Sunrise Blvd.
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311
www.floridaswapshop.com
DJ D-Nice
http://d-nice.com
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