Goleta's West Wind Drive In Movie Theater is Open and lots of fun!

 

They arrived with blankets, snacks and face masks.

Vehicles of all sizes — SUVs, pickup trucks, vans, midsize cars and compacts — snaked around Goleta’s West Wind Drive-In and filled the dirt parking lot before the red-orange sunset.

With hatchbacks popped open and tailgates down, moviegoers sat back and relaxed while waiting for the film to start.

On Thursday, families and friends enjoyed a movie night at the outdoor drive-in theater as part of UCSB Arts & Lectures’ film screenings. The in-car entertainment is a new attraction for some locals.

“My friend is going out of town tomorrow, so we thought this would be a fun thing to do,” Linda Sessler said. “We have never tried it.”

UCSB Arts & Lectures is offering free drive-in cinema screenings through mid-December at the drive-in theater at 907 S. Kellogg Ave. The film series will feature Selena, Lady Bird, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Spare Parts, Inception, Whale Rider, Yesterday, Cinnamon, Elf and It’s a Wonderful Life.

The organization is planning to show double features once a week through Dec. 16, and most events feature a lineup of two different films, with a few exceptions. Gates open 1½ hours before the first film.

The drive-in attraction is making a big comeback amid the COVID-19 public health crisis, and more than half of the outside venue was filled for Thursday’s movie. It’s a chance to come together as a community while following the latest public guidance on the coronavirus.

Information and photo from NoozHawk.