Drive-in movies are one of my favorite things, but they are almost extinct. Seems like all the ones near me have been transformed into weekend flea markets, which makes me a little sad. There's something magical about watching a movie outside, so this summer we've been showing a few movies right in our backyard.
My husband made the screen out of an old queen sized flat sheet, stretched across some spare wood he had in the garage. The support legs in back fold in, so we can pack it flat and leave it in the garage when it's not in use. Luckily my brother happens to have a pretty good projector, which hooks right up to the computer so we can play directly from a DVD. You'll need some speakers too, we used two sets and it was nice and loud. And it's always nice to let your neighbors know in advance what you're up to. We try and start our movies right at dusk, so they are over by 10 PM. We bring all our blankets out to the lawn and spread them out, luckily it doesn't get too chilly here in California.
All my brothers and sisters came to town the first week in August and one night we gathered at my house and watched a movie outside. The kids were bundled with blankets, arm in arm with their cousins (there are 12 in all). Most of the adults gathered inside the house and talked and played cards. Bowls of popcorn were passed around. A few of the littlest children fell asleep under the stars. All around, a lovely night.