PHOTOS: Opening night at Wolseley, Sask.'s Twilite Drive-In Theatre
The Twilite Drive-In's towering screen stands out from the vast rolling prairie that surrounds it — a landmark along the TransCanada highway between Regina and Winnipeg.
As daylight fades, a golden light is cast over the nearby town of Wolseley and the fields and farm equipment that surrounds the theatre's screen.
Around 6:15 p.m. CST on Friday, cars start lining up for the 8:45 p.m. (or dusk, whichever comes first) showing of Trolls — the first movie that's being shown at the Twilite this year.
Horns honk at various milestones through the evening. First, when the lights above the screen turn on and again when a presentation that displays ads, physical distancing requirements and other messages, starts to play.
Finally, horns honk almost in chorus with the familiar chant "show, show, showtime" that's said before every movie starts at the Twilite.
Some of the audience drove hundreds of kilometres to see the movie. Others came from nearby communities.
For some, Friday night's drive-in movie experience was part of a blossoming tradition and celebration of nostalgia.
For others, it was more than what they'd expected.
With the COVID-19 pandemic, the opening of the Twilite and a handful of other drive-in movie theaters that still stand in Saskatchewan was in question.
Owner and operator Don Zaba said he was told a few weeks ago that he'd be able to open his gates.
It's just the second time in the Twilite's 66-year existence that the theatre opened later than expected.
In 2011, Zabra said flooding delayed the start of the season for about a month. He estimated the COVID-19 pandemic has cost him about the same amount of time.
Physical distancing guidelines are gradually being lifted across Saskatchewan. Drive-in movie theaters have their own set of guidelines to adhere by to ensure COVID-19 isn't spread further.
Along with the Twilite Drive-In, a number of drive-in theatres opened for the first time on Friday night.
The Prairie Dog Drive-In, located in Carlyle, Sask., allowed half the number of cars to enter than it would before, and opened on Friday night.
In the Saskatoon area, a pop-up drive-in event called Cinema Under the Stars took place on Friday night and had events scheduled through the May long weekend.
