Spring is officially here, and it will soon be time again for movies under the stars. The Tiffin Drive-In Theater will be opening its gates for the 2023 season on Friday, March 31st, with the release of the Dungeons & Dragons by Paramount Pictures. This will mark the 74th year for the theater, which opened in June of 1949.
The theater has undergone a two-year renovation, beginning with two new drive-in screens in 2020, and a total rebuild of the theater’s concession stand and projection facility in 2021. The 50s retro style concession stand was dubbed the Moonlite Diner after the new facility opened in April of 2022.
The building also houses the movie projection system, which consists of two state-of-the-art laser projectors, including Screen 1’s unit, which is the newest, brightest, sharpest, most powerful laser cinema projector in the world.
“The movie presentation on our drive-in screens is the best in business,” said owner Michael Cole. “And before and during the show , we have a wide menu of quality foods and refreshments, served to you by a great crew of local kids whom we are very proud of.”
The theater continuously strives to improve the experience. An example this season is the addition of a new TurboChef pizza oven. It will allow the theater to offer quality made-to-order pizzas prepared onsite, and bake them in only three minutes.
“Speed is so important to us on a busy night,” Cole said. “The new combo of quality ingredients and the new oven really improves our pizza game.”
Plans are also underway to erect a new children’s playground on the property. Families will be able to bring their kids and let them run off steam before the show at dusk. The theater projects completion of the project sometime in the fall.
The Tiffin Drive-In Theater is a two-screen drive-in, with double features on each screen every show. The sound is delivered by FM radio signal, which you can tune in on your car radio or portable radio.
More information about opening weekend will be announced on the theater’s Facebook page, and on their website at www.tiffindriveintheater.com. You can purchase advance tickets on the website, or at the box office the evening of the show.
Through April and part of May, the theater will be open on Friday and Saturday only. Beginning on Memorial Day weekend, it will be open Fridays through Tuesdays. Shows through April start at 7:30 p.m.
Memorial Day weekend will also mark the season opening of the Moonlite Diner’s daytime schedule, which will feature a new daytime menu of melts and other diner favorites.
