The advent of drive-in theaters in America dates from 1932 when the Automobile Movie Theater in Camden, New Jersey first opened for business.

Baby Boomers propelled drive-in’s popularity with more than four thousand across the country by the mid-1950s.

But, by the 1960s the industry started its inexorable decline, driven by soaring land prices and the advent of cable TV and video rentals.
By the turn of the century less than 450 theaters remained in business across America.
Today in Virginia there are only six Drive Ins still operating.
Over in Lexington, the town came together and formed a non-profit to save the revered Hull’s Drive In.
Not too far away in Christiansburg (Virginia’s fourth largest town), the Starlite first opened in 1952 and it remains as one of six drive ins still chugging along in the entire state of Virginia.

Starlite Drive In entry and screen, Christiansburg, VA
Personally, I have a fondness for Drive ins, dating from my high school days when a car load of us would cram in to a friend’s sedan, often with two or three stuffed in the trunk to keep the cost of entry to a minimum, of course.
Today, the drive ins still in business attract the gamut of fans, from families who often bring the entire clan and put the tailgate down to watch the show.
At the Starlite in Christiansburg, the allure captures everyone from university students to couples and seniors alike.
There’s even a nearby drive in of a different sort, located on Roanoke Street in Christiansburg, the iconic, Dudes Drive In curbside-service diner with its iconic Dude Burger, and fries of course.
Popcorn, legendary hot dogs and Cokes are mandatory accessories to complete the Starlite experience--with the Starlite hot dog a multi-generation favorite.
When we stopped by for an in-person visit at the Starlite, the owner, Peggy Beasely, was indisposed so we met up with her assistant, Brenda Flora.

We were hoping to chat with Peggy subsequently via phone. But, sadly, less than a week later, May 12th 2024, Peggy passed away. For now, the show goes on with Brenda at the helm at the Starlite.
Come along and join Brenda to discover the rest of the story of the Starlite, past and present.

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