The Drive-in at Carraway Village, a new drive-in movie theater in Chapel Hill, opened with its first film screening on Wednesday.

Northwood Ravin, an apartment management company that owns Carraway Village, partnered with the organizers of local film festival Film Fest 919 to construct the theater in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The drive-in, located in the mixed-use development off Eubanks Road, came together as North Carolina’s public health guidelines kept movie theaters either closed or at limited capacity.

The theater hosted the first screening of Film Fest 919’s 2020 program Wednesday night, with dozens of cars lined up to watch “One Night in Miami.” Like many drive-ins, the Drive-in at Carraway Village uses a projector to show the film on a permanently-installed screen while broadcasting audio over a radio channel into people’s parked vehicles.

Hours before the screening began, the theater had a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate its opening. Vice President of Development for Northwood Ravin Adam Golden and Film Fest 919 co-founder Randi Emerman were joined by President of the Chamber for a Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro Aaron Nelson and Chapel Hill Mayor Pam Hemminger.

“Some of my fondest memories as a child were at a drive-in theater in the back of a station wagon,” said Emerman at the ribbon-cutting. “We want people to…have a great time, feel safe and be with your families. It’s a way to come out, support the arts, support filmmakers and support the movie-going experience.”

While the theater will be used to screen movies for Film Fest 919 through October 31, The Drive-in at Carraway Village will be around beyond the end of the festival. Both Emerman and Northwood Ravin representatives have said the drive-in will be a permanent business installation in the Chapel Hill community, showing both new and old films in the future.

For more information on showing times for the Drive-in at Carraway Village, visit the mixed-use development’s website.

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