BELMONT, N.C. — Movie magic has made its way back to Belmont.
Nearly a decade after it closed, the Belmont Drive-In reopened Friday. Gates opened at 6 p.m., and the Pentecost family had been working hard up to that point to get everything ready.
Casey Pentecost, the daughter of the owners, said the drive-in closed at the end of the 2014 season due in part to the cost to maintain the drive-in and the complications getting a digital projector of the right size to accommodate current industry standards.
The family has since secured the digital projector, though, and are ready for lights, camera, action.
The drive-in first opened in 1948 with a capacity of 150 cars, according to CinemaTreasures.org. By 1953, it had grown to a 340-vehicle capacity on a 4-acre field along McAdenville Highway near Belmont Abbey College.
Casey Pentecost's grandparents Bill and Peggy bought the drive-in in 1983. Peggy has since died, and the family says the grand re-opening is all for them.
The drive-in currently sits just over 300 cars. The cost is $25 per car, cash only. That price includes two movies.
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