Plaza Classic Drive-In Tour Begins Thursday – What to Know Before You Go

To paraphrase an old proverb, if the audience can't come to the Plaza Classic Film Festival then the Plaza Classic Film Festival must go to its audience.

Because of the pandemic and the restrictions that have been placed on businesses and residents, El Paso's annual home grown movie festival is hitting the road this week and taking its movies on a parking lot drive-in tour across town.

The 2020 incarnation features 11 consecutive nights of pop-up drive-in movies at various locations. If you're looking for the where, when and hows of this year's movie tour, you've come to the right place. You have questions, we have answers. Here's what you need to know before you go:

What are the movies and where are they being shown?

Thursday, July 30
Beatles’ Yellow Submarine sing-along version in the lower level parking lot of Ardovino’s Desert Crossing in Sunland Park, NM.

Friday, Saturday July 31-August 1
Jaws and Charlie Chaplin’s The Kid on July 31, and Smokey and the Bandit with the Marx Brothers’ Duck Soup on August 1 at El Paso Community College Valle Verde Campus on Hunter.

Sunday, Monday August 2-3
Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds on August 2, and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial on August 3 at Camp Cohen Water Park, the former Cohen Stadium site.

Tuesday, Wednesday August 4-5
Jurassic Park on August 4 and Selena on August 5 on the El Paso County Coliseum grounds.

Thursday, Friday August 6-7
1956’ Godzilla, King of the Monsters August 6, and Young Frankenstein and the original Frankenstein on August 7 at the paved lot in the southwest corner of The Hospitals of Providence East Campus.

Saturday, Sunday August 8-9
The Rocky Horror Picture Show August 8 and Casablanca on August 9 outside the hangar on the northwest corner of El Paso International Airport property.

How much and where do I get tickets?

Tickets are $25 per vehicle, including double features. On sale at plazaclassic.com/schedule.

What will the movies be shown on?

32-feet by 18-feet screen attached to a portable stage, except at the airport, where the 50x30-foot hangar doors will be painted white to act as the “screen”.

When is show time?

Gates open at 7:30 p.m., pre-show programming begins at 8:30 pm followed at 8:40 by the first movie (if it’s a double bill), classic comedy short or cartoons at 8:40 pm.

How long will the evening last?

Most nights the event will end between 11 pm and midnight.

How does parking work?

Parking is first-come, first-served. Vehicles will be parked in a checkerboard pattern with spaces between them.

How will I hear the movies?

Via FM radio. The frequency will be posted on the screen before the program begins.

Can we bring our own food and beverages?

Yes, but no alcohol. Concessions will only be available at Ardovino’s DC and the Coliseum.

What about pets?

No, pets are not allowed.

What kind of safety measures is PCFF taking?

Law enforcement officers and emergency medical technicians will be on hand as will parking attendants and law enforcement officers who will direct traffic in and out of each venue.

For your and everyone else’s safety, stay inside your vehicle, unless you need to use the restroom. If so, wearing face covering when you trek back and forth is required. Sitting outside is prohibited unless watching from the bed of a pickup truck, but if that's how you'll be doing the viewing then masks are required the whole time you're outside.