Our short jaunt through Virginia ended up with a double shot of Retro Roadmap goodness when we found out that right up the hill from Dude’s Drive In Restaurant was the StarLite Drive In Movie Theater!
(this is the sign, practically in Dude’s driveway)
When we asked our car hop waitress about the drive in theater she confirmed that the place was still running, and had just closed up that past weekend for the season. The screen is visible from the parking lot of Dude’s so how could we resist the urge to investigate a bit?
The internet reveals that the place has been around since 1952 and is one of the 9 remaining drive ins in the state. There is just the one screen and- cool beans- still uses the speakers you hook to your car window to get the sound for the film.
Speaking of sound (and again relying on the internet for this info) it is reported that The Starlite has a cool tradition of playing the song Stardust, at sundown before the show begins. This song “haunts my reverie” every time I hear it, so I will use this as an excuse to haunt you folks with it as well, as it is one of my faves.
Long live the drive in movie theater and the great American songbook!
Starlite Drive In Movie Theater
275 Starlight Dr
Christiansburg, VA 24073
(540) 382-2202
See the Starlite Drive In Movie Theatre on the Retro Roadmap!
It’s always encouraging to see a drive-in still in business. And who’s smoother that NKC? Nobody!
Gunnar- I agree I’m always psyched to see a DI still in business. NKC- what a voice, kids these days don’t know what they’re missing (ha! I sound like Old Betty not Mod Betty!)
I love that the place still uses the traditional speakers. The only semi-recent time I’ve been to a drive-in was a handful of years ago. I may have told you the story already, but Jon’s car at the time had “day lights” and we didn’t know how to turn them off to have the radio on (turns out it’s simply pulling the emergency brake up does the trick). Sooo we had to listen to the movie as best, as we could, from the radios of the cars next to us. Were the speakers the traditional kind, we could’ve enjoyed the feature proper. ;)