Daily News

West Springfield Drive-In to Open April 23 on Big E Fairgrounds

WEST SPRINGFIELD — West Springfield Drive-In, in partnership with Eastern States Exposition, will open on Friday, April 23 on the Big E Fairgrounds. The drive-in will feature two 45’ by 60’ screens and be able to accommodate 300 cars each, in a safe and socially distant family experience. The drive-in, to be located in the Gate 9 parking area, is authorized to show new-release content, once available, as well as special livestream concerts and other events.

The drive-in will be open on weekends through the springtime and then seven days a week during the summer season through Labor Day. Movies will begin at a time consistent with sunset. Closing for the Big E, scheduled for Sept. 17 to Oct. 3, the drive-in will then reopen October through December for holiday-themed experiences. Movies will be announced weekly, and ticket sales will be available at the time of the announcement. In addition, a full concession stand will also be available for guests to enjoy not only popcorn, but popular fair foods such as fried dough, fried Oreos, and cotton candy.

“We are pleased to bring this safe and socially distant family experience to the residents of West Springfield and the surrounding communities,” said EJ Dean, president of FestEvents. “During the global pandemic, we successfully operated several drive-in theaters across the state of Massachusetts, and we are grateful our partner, the Eastern States Exposition, is maximizing the use of the fairground space for the benefit of those in the community.”

Gene Cassidy, Eastern States Exposition president and CEO, added that “our fairgrounds is the perfect setting for a drive-in theater, and we are excited to welcome movie fans in April. Some may recall the Memorial Drive-In, just down the street. We are delighted to carry on that tradition of safe, family fun and look forward to working with EJ and the FestEvent team.”

Hiring for the West Springfield Drive-In is underway. Visit www.wsdrivein.com for details, or connect on Facebook at www.facebook.com/westspringfielddrivein.