It’s 2018, and people from across Florida are gathering for one of the few remaining low-cost family nights at this community staple just outside a mobile-home park in Lakeland, roughly three miles from an Amazon fulfillment center.
Silver Moon Drive-In Movie Theatre, where a family of four can snag a pizza and a double feature of current movies for under $25, is marking its 70th year of operation.
Its new proprietor, Chip Sawyer, 25, aims to preserve his grandfather Harold Spears’ legacy even as Florida land values keep climbing.
“Most reasonable people, seeing just the numbers, would probably sell the property to a developer,” says Sawyer, who assumed ownership of the theater and Joy-Lan Drive-In in Dade City after his grandfather passed away in 2017. “But I’m not going to do that.”
Sawyer is one of many drive-in operators across the U.S. keeping moviegoing affordable as traditional cinema prices rise. You might even have one not far from where you live.
Affordable Family Nights
At the Cobb Theatres Lakeside 18 & IMAX, about ten minutes from Silver Moon, an evening for a family of four can quickly become expensive.
With adult tickets beginning around $11.50 and children’s passes at about $8.03, simply getting seats costs more than twice what most drive-ins charge. And concessions? A $20 combo is treated like a splurge for popcorn and two drinks.
At Silver Moon, hundreds of locals and visitors from places like Winter Park — roughly 65 miles away — Clermont, Haines City and other Florida towns converge on the two-screen venue each weekend, Sawyer says.
“You get two movies for five bucks a person — where else can you find that?” asks Brian Bucia, 45, of Clermont, who moved to Florida 14 years ago and discovered the drive-in five years back. “You can’t go anywhere else in Florida and get a deal like that. If we lived in Lakeland, we’d be here every weekend.”
In Lakeland, the median household income sits just under $41,000, roughly 74% of the national median. More than two-thirds — about 125 of the 183 U.S. counties with a drive-in — report household incomes beneath the U.S. median, according to a Savinly analysis of the most recent Census figures.
Counties with these theaters have about 20% of residents living below the poverty line, and 135 of the 183 counties exhibit higher poverty rates than the U.S. overall.
Clearly, these locations provide vital low-cost entertainment for communities that need it.
Bucia, wearing a Silver Moon T-shirt, remembers his family stuffing eight people into a station wagon to visit the drive-in near Atlantic City where he grew up. It’s not only the price point — it’s the sentimental value.
Ginny Dabrowski dons her mother’s original poodle skirt at the 70th celebration. The 50-year-old Polk County resident says she’s cherishing one of her final nights out before traveling to Maryland for cancer therapy.
But the scene also draws younger crowds: at least a dozen teens attended the festivities, including 17-year-old Ashlynn Skeen.
She watched her first film at Silver Moon when she was 2 years old.
Dwindling Drive-Ins
The U.S. has seen roughly a quarter of its drive-in theaters vanish over the past ten years.
As of March 2016, about 206 drive-ins remained, according to the latest available figures from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Data from the United Drive-in Theatre Owners Association indicate a 15% drop since 2007; that group reported 324 sites in 2016. DriveInMovie.com notes a net loss of 73 venues since 2006 — 101 closed and 28 opened — tallying 330 current drive-ins, down from roughly 4,000 in the late 1950s.
While totals differ depending on the source and counting methods, the fact is these slices of Americana have struggled to adapt to the contemporary film business.
Distributors phased out 35 mm film and switched to digital distribution, compelling drive-ins to modernize or risk closure in the 2010s. It cost Silver Moon more than $100,000 to convert to a digital system about six years ago, Sawyer says.
And land — especially in Florida — is pricey.
In the past year alone, the assessed market value for Silver Moon rose by $45,600, which translated to an extra $683 on the property’s 2017 tax bill, according to the Polk County Property Appraiser’s Office.
Recently, Sawyer wrestled with the choice to raise children’s admission to $2, blaming increases in the minimum wage and rising food costs. He says he hasn’t received complaints.
To supplement income, Silver Moon hosts a swap meet charging vendors $5 on Saturday and $15 on Sunday, where shoppers can find everything from produce to antiques and clothing.
“Obviously we operate at night, so with the acreage we own we needed daytime uses,” Sawyer says.
Although community backing and name recognition give Silver Moon hope for longevity, changing distribution models and services like MoviePass make Sawyer uneasy.
Still, DriveInMovie.com owner Nick Hensgen reports six drive-ins planned to open this year — the first time in decades that more have opened than closed, he said. For ideas on hosting outdoor screenings, see drive in movie theater ideas.
A New Generation
After I pass the Silver Moon sign and pull into a line of more than 20 cars waiting to park for the anniversary celebration, a breathless, bearded millennial jogs up to my window. He hands me a koozie and a pen with the Silver Moon emblem and barely says, “Enjoy!” before dashing to the next car.
I learn 15 minutes later it was Chip Sawyer.
“I just go where I’m needed — overseeing the finances, managers and maintenance, trying to keep it running smoothly,” he says, noting he spends 10 to 25 hours a week on the property. “But I’m also out in the trenches doing what needs to be done.”
That mirrors descriptions of Harold Spears, Sawyer’s grandfather, in local stories and from attendees at the 70th celebration. He worked on-site until three months before his death at 87 from multiple myeloma, even as the disease made standing difficult.
“He was here as long as he possibly could be,” Sawyer says.
At 15, Sawyer started selling tickets at Silver Moon, which meant giving up weekends to shovel popcorn until after 1 a.m. He began working at Publix in 2012 — and now works in corporate finance — yet still finds time to help at the drive-in.
Sawyer holds a master’s degree in business but has long loved history. (His favorite film is “Casablanca.”)
“Drive-ins played a significant role in American culture, so being able to keep that going is hugely rewarding,” he says.
The dedication of Sawyer and his staff keeps Silver Moon viable, though he prefers not to disclose financial specifics.
Locally, the theater serves as a community hub, many attendees said at the anniversary event.
“I think the Silver Moon means everything to Lakeland,” says John Kunkel, 24, Sawyer’s best friend since kindergarten.
Looking ahead, Sawyer doesn’t plan massive changes to the site — at least not yet.
The $100,000 price tag for a third screen, the hurdles in securing county permits, and being hemmed in by a railroad and a highway limit Silver Moon’s expansion opportunities. The theater is, however, exploring more concession choices and operates a mobile screen it brings to events in downtown Lakeland.
“So long as people keep coming out, we’ll be here,” Sawyer says.
Alex Mahadevan is a data reporter at Savinly. His favorite movie is “Kicking and Screaming.” No, not the Will Ferrell one.
