Making Capital Region Memories at the Drive-In Movie Theatre

Memorial Day Weekend

The weather may not be cooperating as we'd like, but with or without the sunshine, there's plenty to do and see as we gear up for Summertime here in the Capital Region.

Memorial Day parades, cookouts, bonfires, camping, lake life, and concerts are a few of our favorites.
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Did You Go to the Drive-In as a Kid?

One of my favorite things as a kid was when we packed into my Dad's Buick Regal and hit up a Drive-In movie theatre in the Capital Region. I don't know if I remember ever making it through the second movie without falling asleep.

Still, I remember how our parents told us to sneak in food under a blanket—and sometimes the rents would try to sneak a cousin in for free by hiding them in the trunk!

Ah, the good old days.

I haven't been to the Drive-In movies in years, but they still hold a nostalgic place in my - and many from the Capital Region's hearts.

One Drive-In Closed This Year

There were as many as nine still left here in the area, but sadly, one of them recently closed.

Dwight and Leigh, owners of the Greenville Drive-In in Greenville, New York, announced earlier this month that they would not open this year.

"Due to our ongoing out-of-state eldercare commitments, Leigh and I have made the difficult decision to not operate the Greenville’s Drive-in 32 for the 2025 season," they wrote on their Facebook page.

In addition, they wrote, "For the past 10 years, the community around the drive-in has been truly special, and we will be incredibly sad to miss seeing and serving (the community) that we’ve come to know and love."

Despite having one less nostalgic screen to watch an outdoor movie on, eight seasonal drive-ins remain within an hour's drive of Albany.

Some are more high-tech than others, but even the weathered ones are equally loved for their vintage charm.