Drive-In Dude and Pop-up Movie Tour Founder Michael Silver had to close his event business based in Pensacola due to the pandemic. But the event planner turned his experience into a new venture. Silver and his crew travel to cities and host Pop-up Movie Tours.
With an inflatable screen that is 35-feet wide and has 800-square feet of viewing space, Silver and his crew are creating drive-in movie experiences throughout Florida that allow for social distancing but get friends and families out of their houses and keeps them entertained.
Silver rented a parking lot at the Oaks Mall adjacent to Dillard’s and debuted Shrek on Thursday night. About 60 cars filled with up to 8 people showed up paying $26.88 per vehicle.
Pat Lavery, owner of Glory Days Presents! and High Dive invited Silver to Gainesville and is a sponsor of the event.
“We are Happy to be working with High Dive and get some of his staff working,” Silver said about hiring some of Lavery’s employees to help out in Gainesville.
Chanler Beckham, 16, from Cedar Key was lounging in the bed of a pickup truck with five of her friends who just graduated high school and was enjoying watching Shrek for the first time. “This is the way to watch a movie,” she said.
Other moviegoers said it was a chance to get out of the house and do something.
The weather forecast seems to be cooperating with Silver with minimal chance for rain in the upcoming shows.
The schedule of movies is:
Frozen II (Friday June 19th at 7:50 PM)
Jurassic Park (Friday June 19th at 10:20 PM)
Guardians of the Galaxy (Saturday June 20th at 7:50 PM)
The Goonies (Saturday June 20th at 10:35 PM)
Monsters Inc. (Sunday June 21st at 7:50 PM)
Twister (Sunday June 21st at 10:10 PM)
Candy and drinks will be available at the event. Buy your contactless tickets here: https://thepopupmovietour.com/events/gainesville-tickets/