Phase 2 allows drive-in theater to reopen

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The Wheel-in Motor Movie Theater in Port Townsend opened for the summer 2020 season last weekend after Jefferson County moved into Phase 2 of re-opening from the COVID-19 shutdown.

Drive-in movies, which seemed the perfect social distancing activity, were until recently not allowed under Gov. Jay Inslee’s “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order.

The drive-in, which is celebrating its 68th year this summer, traditionally opens in April, but was on standby for several weeks as the owners continually pushed back its opening while trying to stay abreast of the most recent health guidelines.

Earlier this month, a petition to designate Washington state’s five drive-in movies theaters as exempt from the stay-home order began to garner support. It was started by Darrell Bratt, owner of the Blue Fox Drive-in in Oak Harbor. Bratt argued that to designate outdoor drive-ins the same as traditional movie theaters didn’t make sense and that the nature of drive-ins easily allowed for social distancing. The petition on change.org gathered more than 80,000 signatures. 

Eventually, drive-ins got the go-ahead to open once their respective counties moved into Phase 2 of reopening under Inslee’s “Safe Start” plan. Jefferson County officials expressed support for the drive-in theater to open during Phase 2 while working on the county’s variance application to the state.

Wheel-in Motor Movie owner Rick Wiley said for the first couple weeks the drive-in is open, they’ll play a selection of classic movies since Hollywood production and release schedules have been disrupted by the COVID-19 crisis.

The theater will operate at reduced capacity to allow more room between cars and will only take advanced reservations via online purchases.

Over the first weekend the double-featured Steven Speilberg’s “Back to the Future” (1985) and George Lucas’ “American Graffiti” (1973).

Bob Brill of the Pacific Northwest DeLorean Club said he heard about the drive-in opening weekend on TV, so he contacted Wiley to ask if he could bring his restored DeLorean to the showing of “Back to the Future.”

The classic car — used in the movie as a time machine — was parked outside the concession stand and offered as a photo opportunity to moviegoers.

This coming weekend the Wheel-in will play Steven Speilberg’s “E.T. the
Extra-Terrestrial” (1982) and “Jaws” (1975).