Since 
our self-quarantines all began four months ago, we’ve all had really stilted social lives, with just about no way to gather together for any shared public activities.
This month, in a limited way, that’s begun to change thanks to the Drive-In phenomenon. It started a few weeks back with the Newton Nomadic Theater’s Secret Drive-In Concert. It sold out in a few hours and the guests loved it.
It’s picked up some big steam this week when Newton Community Pride announced two night’s of Drive-In movies – Field of Dreams on Fri July10, and Sonic the Hedgehog on July 17. Even though they substantially increased the number of tickets (cars) compared to the Secret Drive-in Concert, those two events sold out within a day.
This week Hope is Rising– a free drive-in gospel concert event organized by the NewCity Church was announced for Sunday July 12, It’s designed as a safe space for people of color and allies to recharge and be inspired. I’m sure this will sell out quickly, if it hasn’t already.
Next up on July 19 is a Drive-in Black Lives Matter rally organized by folks from Solomon Schechter School.
All these different kind of events have three things in common:
* Covid safety is managed by having folks stay in their cars and park in alternating spaces
* FM radio broadcast to the guest’s cars are what tie everybody together
* All five of these events are being held in the same parking lot on the old, now unused, Marshalls plaza on Needham St. All five of these are courtesy of the generosity of Northland Development who owns the property. Northland is planning to raze the parking lot in September. In the meantime though they have been incredibly generous and civic minded by offering the use of the property for these varied civic events at no charge during these trying times.
For the months ahead I have a few questions:
- The demand for these events have been off-the-chart due to pent up demand by a nearly housebound city. Should we figure out ways to increase the number, variety and frequency of Drive-In events. If so, what are other obvious suitable big parking lots that might be available for use?
- What Drive-In events most interest you? Concerts?, movies? pie-eating concerts:-), other?
- What comes next? – What will be the next logical non-drive-in, covid-aware way for people to gather safely whenever things loosen up the next increment or two?
Its likely to be a long, long time before our theater can perform in our usual intimate performance spaces packed with people. So in the meantime I’m looking for new ideas to keep me from getting myself into trouble. #IdleHands #DevilsWorkshop
I got to say I am not loving the messaging around these events. Not to have a chip on my shoulder or anything but these feel a bit exclusionary to someone like myself who does not own a car and there are not less than 1% of Newtonites in my position (I forget the number, but I know Newtonville had one of the highest percentages as of the last American Community Survey).
Granted not everything needs to be “for me” I already don’t go to places like Chestnut Hill because of the car-centric design. I am now not able to go the farmers market since it is a real pain to bike that far through tricky areas like Newton Center and Parker Street. The market is a bit sad for us, especially for my wife as she does not bike and would only walk or use transit and now really can’t get to Newton South without a nearly 1.5 hour one-way trip. But we have Watertown and Waltham which are easy to get to so its ok.
So what I ask, is that these events continue but please include some kind of note or accommodation to folks that would walk or bike or wheel. Some space for these folks to setup chair or a blanket and enjoy a show. Reservations are already being done for folks driving, I see no difference in setting a certain amount for folks who can’t or would rather not drive. Thanks Jerry
@John Pelletier – Great point. That’s part of what motivated the post.
Here’s the context. Two weeks ago there had been NO public gatherings of any kind in Newton for the previous four months. When we came up with the plan for the Secret Drive-In Concert, our #1, #2, and #3 concerns were public Covid19 safety. Unlike our typical way of just throwing events together, for this one we spent a lot of time talking to various people in different parts of government, and running all the very specific details of how the event would be managed past knowledgeable folks.
Because a lot was riding on this event going off smoothly and safely, we made a series of very conservative safety related decisions.
* Only park in every other space
* Nobody allowed out of their cars
* No lawn chairs
* No sitting on car hoods
* No pedestrian walk-ins
We knew that there is absolutely no reason all of those things could not be done safely. Our big concern though was once you have a 100 cars worth of people in a parking lot and many of them are now outside their cars – what happens next. If everyone is safe, sane, and compliant with the rules that’s great. If not, there is no way with a few volunteers and 100’s of people to put the genie back in the bottle and we have a Lake of the Ozarks situation on our hands.
The good news – people were all very cooperative and we had no issues with renegades.
Having done one of these successfully, if I were to do one again, I’d definitely like to try loosening the rules a bit, especially to accommodate pedestrians guests as you suggest. I think I’d still stick with people in cars have to stay in their cars, at least for the next one.
The last part of my post above was really asking the same question you’re asking. What’s next? How can we safely get together without cars in the short-medium term.
It’s not as easy as it first seems. You could certainly do a similar thing with squares marked on a playground with people assigned to a square. Human nature being what it is though, depending on all those people staying put is a big leap of faith.
Because we’re dealing with public health concerns I’m constantly wrestling against my natural just-throw-something-together and make it happen. That said, I’m completely sympathetic with your larger point. We definitely don’t want to limit the entertainment options in the city to car owners only.
Maybe there could be a bring-your-own-tent option for pedestrians and cyclists.
…actually unless you were to bring in Jersey barriers, please disregard the above comment – I just remembered a tragedy from last summer in Quebec when a baby was run over in a tent at a drive-in.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/infant-dead-boucherville-drive-in-1.5232759
There are still a few tickets left for Sunday’s drive-in gospel concert – Hope is Rising