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| The vintage speakers at the Cascade |
http://www.cascadedrivein.com/
A true, actual, "for real" conversation I had with a pal out in L.A.:
"You have an actual drive-in near you? I'd love to go to one, but there are none out where we live."
"Yep. The Cascade in West Chicago, out west on North Ave. We go all the time! They are the real deal: vintage concession stand, olde-fashionedy speakers for your car, a little grill set up near the screen for your to have a weenie roast. Oh - and they play those retro-cool 'Let's all go to the lobby' commercials between flicks. The spirit of place at the Cascade is undeniably 50s, but with modern conveniences."
"Jealous. Except the weenie roast part. I'm vegan"
And this conversation wasn't the only one of its kind (minus the vegan part). When I mention to folks out of the area that we have a great drive-in theatre only 30 minutes from our house, I get oohs, ahs, "dang"s and "really? Thought they were all gone!"s a'plenty. Most people just consider them a fond memory from their teen-age years, or the backdrop for a scene from the film version of "Grease" (Danny Zuko's immortal words: "Stranded at a drive-in/Branded a fool").
So here's the skinny: the Cascade Drive-In is one of the few remaining outdoor theatres in the U.S. While I was traveling about for my book about another fading icon, the vintage amusement park (www.cottoncandyroadtrip.com), I would keep an eye out for drive-ins because, I kept telling my hubby, "What a great way to finish off a day's trip to an old amusement park: visit an old drive-in!". But alas, I found very few on our journeys. What I did find were abandoned ones, some with only fading, battered screens left, or shells of what were once super-cool neon signage, now advertsing an empty field.
That's why the Cascade deserves your patronage and, well, your awe. In this day of multiplexes and IMAXes, it's heartening to find a wonderful, well-preserved and maintained gem like this. The plusses of visiting are numerous: it's family-friendly, pets are allowed (we love bringing our little beagle, Ivy, who pays little attention to the sounds from the speakers but DOES give undue attention to our popcorn), there's newly-installed digital projection, and you get two movies for the price of one! Besides all that, the concession stand carries just about anything you could possibly want or need for your retro-fun evening, including the usual suspects (popcorn, candy, soda), and the not-so-usual ones (hand-made shakes, burgers, and malt cups you dig into with wooden spoons). And if bugs are bugging you, they sell mosquito repellent. The vintagey kind you burn. Like in this video (which they show before the show): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iL1aCWLuNk
The following are some snaps from our latest visit, just about a week ago. Don't despair if it looks quiet; we got there early, very early, so we could walk Ivy around, I could buy their new snazzy t-shirt, and I we could enjoy the night air before the onslaught of cars drove in. This was a smart move on our part; it was opening weekend for "Iron Man 3" and, eventhough it was a Sunday, the Cascade was jam-packed with film-goers, all enjoying a night under the stars.
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| The screen, awaiting a visit from Tony Stark |
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| The groovy concession stand. This is just one side; it wraps around. |
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| Yes, you're seeing that correctly. An actual vintage baby bottle warmer exists inside the concession stand. Love that! |
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| Kooky, nifty poster inside the concession stand. |
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| Their new, retro-fab t-shirt! Get 'em while they're hot! Only 10 bucks! |
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| The Hubby and the Ivy |
You forgot to mention that it's a great place to make out.
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