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Garden Drive-In owners preparing to open

With social distancing plans in place, the old-fashioned drive-in is opening next week.

HUNLOCK CREEK, Pa. — The Garden Drive-In has been a staple in the community of Hunlock Creek for over 60 years, and once again, starting next month, you'll be able to watch a movie under the stars, with some new changes.

Come May 8, the drive-in will work to make your movie experience contactless and touchless. That will mean ordering and paying for your tickets and concession stand food online.

Doug Barbacci, who has owned the drive-in for 35 years, says while he is excited to open, his goal is to make sure everyone stays safe.

"We can't stop you from being contactless in your own car, but otherwise, when you get out of your car, you won't have any, you don't need to have any contact if you don't want to," Barbacci said.

Gaby Winn, who has been going to the drive-in since she was 6 years old, just can't wait to take her little one to the movies.

"We're excited because we've gone there my whole childhood. My whole family went so then when I got with my boyfriend and we're going on six years, we went every summer. So now this summer, we want to take our little one with us so she can experience the things we got to experience growing up," Winn said.

The Garden Drive-In, which holds 600 cars, will have to cut capacity by about 50 percent and follow proper social distancing guidelines in order to open.

People we spoke with say following these protocols will not change the overall feel of watching a movie on the big screen.

"If you want to actually go and do it, do it with your family, you'll have to deal with it because it's not that much of a big deal."

Under the current stay-at-home order, Barbacci says it feels like we've gone back 50 years and he thinks the drive-in ties right into that.

"It's kind of old-school entertainment, family fun, things you can do together and we've never lost that feeling, so the fact that you know we have some folks in the community that is saying the same thing, that we enjoy that and that's what we hope for."

Despite everything that's going on, Barbacci says as long as people are staying safe and enjoying themselves at the Garden Drive-In, the outdoor theater will be open and operating for the community.

RELATED: Circle Drive-In Theatre to reopen this weekend

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