Drive-in movies planned for Jefferson County Fairgrounds

FAIRFIELD – Take a trip back to the heyday of drive-in movie theaters with the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center.

The arts center is planning to show four outdoor movies on four consecutive nights from Dec. 17-20. The center initially planned to show the films in the parking lot west of the center on its inflatable 33-foot screen. However, arts center Executive Director Lindsay Bauer said that since announcing the event on Facebook Tuesday, the response from the public has been overwhelming. So many people are eager for entertainment that the arts center had to move the event to a bigger lot at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds.

Bauer said the plan is to show the films at 6 p.m. each night, and then again a second time later that night or even a third time depending on the attendance. The parking lot west of the center can accommodate 40 cars.

'We wanted to give the community something to do safely,” Bauer said. 'We've been blown away by the response, and we're already looking for a larger location to host us. We want to serve as many patrons as possible, and our wee-little parking lot might not do the trick.”

The center is asking patrons to supply one non-perishable food item for each member in their vehicle. The food will be donated to The Lord's Cupboard food pantry in Fairfield. Those who bring food items will then receive access to the film's audio, which will be broadcast over the radio. The center will run a concession stand selling pop and popcorn to cover the cost of the films.

All four films have a Christmas theme. Due to the license the center has for the films, it cannot identify them in print or on the radio, but it can do so on its Facebook page and website.

Bauer said the center has been interested in showing films for a long time even before the pandemic hit. It formed a committee to bring first-run movies, foreign films and art house films to the Sondheim Theater. But showing films inside has not been an option this year.

In fact, the center had no events for months until reopening for small gatherings in September, such as small wedding receptions. But as COVID-19 cases rose in October and November, Bauer said the center had to put the brakes on hosting indoor gatherings.

The pandemic has hit the center hard. With no shows or events, it's not been able to generate revenue for much of the year. Bauer said the center is looking at a $350,000 funding gap due to the loss of revenue and added expenses from extra sanitation.

'That's a scary number to stare at,” Bauer said. 'We may not be looking at business as usual until next fall at the earliest, and operating in a compromised way until then. This is an important time for our supporters and community to come together.”