During the pandemic, you may find yourself bored while you’re stuck inside, or yearning for a new form of entertainment to keep you busy. With in-person cinemas falling in popularity due to the pandemic, it is important that we find a safer and more sanitary to view films when they are released. The drive-ins are a great source of entertainment, and it’s even better because of how easy it is to social distance. 

There aren’t too many drive-in theaters around the Sonoma County area, so your visit to one of them is bound to be something to remember. While the movies playing aren’t always the most recent or most popular, it is still a great excuse to get out of where you’re sheltered in place and try something new.

With that said, there are three drive-in theaters within a 50-mile radius of Sonoma State University. There’s Cameo Cinema in St. Helena, West Wind Solano Drive-In in Concord, and Lakeport Auto Movies in Lakeport.

Cameo Cinema, located in St. Helena, is only about 17 miles away from Sonoma State, and they offer a lot of great movies if you can get tickets before they sell out. On their website (https://www.cameocinema.com/drive-in-movies), they have specific pandemic guidelines for social distancing, which would be a great place to visit if you’re unsure about how establishments are handling their sanitation. Gott’s Roadside restaurant even offers in-car delivery service if you have tickets to any of the showings, or you can eat at their outdoor picnic tables. Tickets are set at $35 per car, and $40 per car with a jumbo-sized Orville Redenbacher’s popcorn. However, tickets are limited to 42 cars per showing, so they are bound to sell out quickly, so make sure to plan your night out accordingly. 

West Wind Solano Drive-Ins, located in Concord, is roughly 55 miles away from Sonoma State, and they offer a variety of different movies every night. While there aren’t a ton of restaurants around for mid-movie snacks, there is a restaurant named Kinders across the street that offers some delicious barbecue. General admission is $8.50 per person, and tickets for kids aged 5-11 are priced at only $2.00. “Family Fun Night” is every Tuesday, so general admission is lowered to $5.50 per person. On their website https://www.westwinddi.com/blog, they have a blog where they post about future events, so be sure to stay up to date on what they have to offer for the community.

Lastly, Lakeport Auto Movies, located in Lakeport, is about 70 miles away from Sonoma State. This theater is great at keeping up-to-date on the movies they are showing, and they are quick to get the new showtimes out to the community. The first tab you see on the website (https://www.lakeportautomovies.com/index.php) is “COVID Rules”, so they make it clear that they are trying their best to be as safe and sanitary as possible. 

For first-timers who might be confused about how drive-ins work, they have carefully laid out instructions on how to navigate the premises. This is especially helpful for college students who might not know their way around a drive-in theater, and will definitely help to garner more business of all ages. Their website is easy to navigate and straight to the point, both of which are great reasons to give them a visit soon.