The Bright Leaf Drive-In Theatre in Mount Airy, North Carolina has Closed

I just found out that one of North Carolina's drive-in movie theatres has closed. Here is the article about why it closed:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGNovTlUeMM&feature=related

Many people love going to Mount Airy, North Carolina because it is believed to be the inspiration for Mayberry in The Andy Griffith Show. When people go to Mount Airy, they want that 1950's friendly, cheery small town experience. After visiting all the nostalgic shops and having lunch at Snappy Lunch, and doing some more site seeing, a night at the drive-in really completes the whole 1950's experience that people love in Mount Airy. Mount Airy isn't stuck in the past, of course, but it celebrates what was great about the past. Now it is missing one of the most important pop culture experiences of the 1950's:  the drive-in. 

Hopefully someone can buy it and bring back the place that has brought people so much fun for 55 years. Drive-ins are an important part of American pop culture history. At one time there were more than 4,000 drive-ins in America. Now there are less than 400. 

I recently found out that Virginia has a non-profit drive-in, the only non-profit drive-in in the United States. Is there a  way that a group in Mount Airy, or the City of Mount Airy, could make this happen? It would certainly help Mount Airy tourism because people would love the full nostalgic experience when they visit Mount Airy. Plus, people who love drive-in movies are willing to travel far to try out different drive-in theatres. 

As far as I know, there are only six drive-in movie theatres remaining in North Carolina. I remember a few years ago when the Starlite Drive-in in Durham closed. The year before it closed, a fire destroyed the screen. People rallied together and raised enough money for  a new screen. Sadly, the following year, the owner died.

The Starlite Drive-In has remained closed ever since. 

The remaining drive-in theatres in North Carolina are:

The Eden Drive-In: http://retropolis.com/entertainment/eden-drive

Raleigh Road Outdoor Theatre: http://retropolis.com/entertainment/raleigh-road-outdoor-theatre

The Belmont Drive-In: http://retropolis.com/entertainment/raleigh-road-outdoor-theatre

The Badin Road Drive-In: http://retropolis.com/entertainment/raleigh-road-outdoor-theatre

Sunset Drive-In: http://retropolis.com/entertainment/sunset-drive

Bessemer City Kings Mountain Drive-In: http://retropolis.com/entertainment/bessemer-city-kings-mountain-drive-theatre

Shouldn't the city in North Carolina that is most known for 50's nostalgia have a drive-in? I hope it reopens some day soon. What would a summer in Mount Airy be without the drive-in?

The video above is not of the Bright Leaf Drive-In. I couldn't find a video that showed the Bright Leaf. So, I showed a video of what a drive-in looks like when it is being torn down. Sad, huh. That was the Astro Drive-in in Oak Cliff (in Dallas, Texas). The video is 11 years old, so the Astro Drive-In closed in the late 90's. I'll bet many people in Dallas wish they had the drive-in back. Thank you to doctorclu for posting that video on YouTube. 

This summer, when planning your summer driving trip, plan to stop by a town that has a drive-in. Just click on TRAVEL on this site, then click on ENTERTAINMENT. Enter eras only if you are seeking a drive-in from a specific era. Otherwise, leave it blank. Type in your zip code or the zip code of your destination and choose how many miles you are willing to drive to go to a drive-in, then click APPLY. We want drive-in theatres to be around for years. Bright Leaf, we hope you return some day!