Drive-In Movies are Making a Big Comeback, What About Drive-In Bingo?
For older generations, a night at the drive-in movie theater was one of the best social events you could go to. The first ever drive-in movie theater opened in 1933 in New Jersey, although not many people owned cars around this time, so it was not an event that was available for the majority of the population. If you’re interested in the full history of drive-in theaters, you can read more here – https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/the-history-of-the-drive-in-movie-theater-51331221/.
However, drive-in movies became really popular in the 1950s and 1960s, before becoming less popular again in the 1970s. Fans of Grease will remember the scene at the drive-in (and probably the song too), which was set in 1958, although the film was released in 1978. You can see in the video clip https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAcnP62uuXA the height of popularity at the time, with the drive-in packed out with cars of young people meeting up.
The big drive-in movie comeback
After interest waned in the 1970s, drive-in movie theaters made a surprise comeback onto the scene in the last few years and, in 2020, their popularity looks like it is going to surge. It’s not just in the US where we are seeing an increase in venues; it is also in the UK and other European countries that are opening up more drive-in movie theaters.
Technology has obviously come a very long way since the original drive-in movie theaters of the ’50s, so there are some exciting features that can be incorporated now with the quality of the screen and the sound available through Bluetooth in addition to FM, as well as all of the benefits of online solutions.
At the moment, several event organizers are also looking at other options that provide the convenience of a drive-in approach, such as drive-in music concerts and drive-in bingo.
How drive-in bingo works
The drive-in bingo set up varies from one organizer to the next but the general process is to buy an e-ticket in advance. Most events will then have an associated app to download that will enable you to enjoy all of the different aspects of an evening of bingo. It helps to understand how a standard bingo game works, as the rules are pretty much the same, so you might want to visit an online bingo website like https://bingo.paddypower.com/c/bingo-games to learn the rules or freshen up your memory.
There will be a big screen, just like with the drive-in movie theater, where the bingo balls will be displayed. Some events are going all-out with fun bingo hosts to keep the crowds entertained and food and refreshments that can be ordered via the app.
Drive-in bingo events that don’t have apps to play the game on allow you to buy a book as you enter, and then when you get a line or a full house you beep the car horn to indicate to the bingo caller that you have won. After that, someone will come over and check your card to confirm that you have won.
Prizes can vary between big cash payouts and silly, fun prizes, so if you are more of a serious bingo player you might have to do your research to find somewhere that has the kind of prizes you want to be playing for.
Drive-in events look like they will be getting a lot more popular in the next few months so, if you haven’t tried one yet, now is the time to get in on the fun.