Oak Hill — As a byproduct of the Covid-19 pandemic, outdoor entertainment options are again highlighted, including drive-in movie theaters, a feature that was once a staple of Americana.
Three Fayette County men ran with it and opened the Starlight Drive-In on Lochjerry Road. Participating in Fayette County’s long-running Meadow Bridge Drive-In.
The Oak Hill Theater opened in mid-June with “Jurassic World: Dominion” and “Ambulance.”
“This has been a lifelong dream for about 25 years,” said Chuck Miller, who owns the theater with his partner brother Tom Miller and Tom Miller’s brother-in-law Teddy Gray. He speculated that the trio would discuss the fact that properties were available and the drive-in would be a good project. “
“It was Covid that really moved it,” explained Tom Miller. “Since it started, we were definitely looking for people to do something. We sort of put our heads together. This is something.
The 10-acre site was previously used to store road equipment, scrapers and other equipment. The company then purchased it for warehouse use before authorities decided to move it out of state.
“It’s been 14 months non-stop,” said Chuck Miller. “We did all the soil work and all the excavation. We built the screen (40 feet high and 100 feet wide). We built the cone.
The theater-goer menu includes hot wings, pizza, Philadelphia cheesesteak, barbecue, and ice cream. The main course menu also boasts a selection of feature films currently on offer.
They recently added a swing on the premises so some patrons can enjoy a movie outside the car. We’re trying auto shows and flea markets. “As long as people keep coming and supporting it, we’ll keep adding it.”
Car shows and flea markets are not regular and can be the context of specific events. “Later, I hope to do more special events, such as concerts,” said Chuck Miller, who said the facility could eventually transform into his 24/7 event center. I pointed out that there is. The property is large enough to “open up even more opportunities for further expansion.”
The theater is open every Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The expected start date is around mid-March. “I want to run as deep as possible this year,” said Tom Miller.
Admission is $8 per person, and children 5 and under are free. “But for that he has two functions,” he emphasized Chuck Miller.
The theater can accommodate 450 vehicles, with a small area that holds about 25 side by side. Drainage “isn’t an issue” in setting up the property, says Chuck Miller.
According to Tom Miller, the man put a “substantial” amount of money into the project. This includes a $130,000 Christie laser his projector and an FM transmitter that feeds through his car stereo, his affliction noted. Starlite will be sent a cartridge containing the movie to be loaded into the projector. “The key will be emailed to Sam He loaded into the drive,” Chuck Miller said. “It’s about locking and unlocking movies for a certain amount of time.”
Starlite has about 10 employees.
“Everybody in the community said, ‘We have nothing to do,’ so we decided to go out and do something for Oak Hill, Fayette County. Come on,” said Chuck Miller. “The service was very good.”
For more information on the theater at 3948 Lochgelly Road, visit Starlite Drive-In on Facebook or the company’s website at starlitewv.com.
Email: [email protected] or follow @gb_scribe on Twitter