Portland Expo Center will host six bike-in movies in August

driveinpsoter

Bikes welcome too.

Don’t let the event name and marketing fool you, next month’s “PDX Drive-In Movie Spectacular” at the Portland Expo Center (located at end of MAX Yellow Line, I-5 and Marine Drive) welcomes bike-in customers too.

The event invite caught my eye because I’m a huge fan of drive-ins. My family and I have enjoyed several nights in the back of our mini-van at the 99W Drive-In in Newberg. But I’ve always thought it’d be great to have a drive-in with a bunch of bikes instead of cars.

While the folks at the Expo Center have put a strong auto-centric spin on the event, they are also encouraging people to show up on bikes. Here’s more from their press release:

The Portland Expo Center is pairing two of America’s great passions this summer – the automobile and the silver screen. If you grew up going to drive-in movies, you know what a treat it is to travel with your family or date to see a movie in your car. Many think those days are long since gone, but worry not! The Portland Expo Center is creating an authentic drive-in movie experience to be played on a giant screen this summer on Expo’s 53 acre campus! Don’t have a car? Don’t worry, we have special pricing for bikers and those riding transit too!

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While folks who show up with a car can listen to the movie via a special FM station, organizers will also have outdoor speakers turned up for those who get their by bike or foot. Tickets are $5 per person if you walk, bike, or take MAX. (It’s $15 per carload and we’ve asked if they’d consider the same rate for per bikeload. We’ll update this post when we hear back.)

Here’s the schedule:

  • Thursday, August 13 – The Day the Earth Stood Still
  • Friday, August 14 — Ghostbusters
  • Saturday, August 15 – American Graffiti
  • Thursday, August 20 – Young Frankenstein
  • Friday, August 21 – Poltergeist
  • Saturday, August 22 – Star Trek II- Wrath of Khan

There’s a major Oregon Department of Transportation underway right now on N Denver Ave and the Columbia Slough path — both of which are the main bicycle access points to the Expo Center. ODOT is supposed to have it completed by fall, but even if it’s not done, we’ll make sure they have a safe and convenient detour in place by August 13th.

Imagine rows of bikes and people wrapped in blankets munching on popcorn under the stars while watching a great movie on a huge screen! Fill your cargo bike bin or trailer with blankets and pillows and mark your calendars for August.

More info and pre-sale tickets at ExpoCenter.org.

UPDATE, July 14th: After asking organizers of this event about ticket pricing for cargo bikes and family bikes, we’ve heard back. They’ve decided to charge just $5 for all bikes – regardless of how many people are on it. You can get tickets online or buy them at the door.

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Founder of BikePortland (in 2005). Father of three. North Portlander. Basketball lover. Car owner and driver. If you have questions or feedback about this site or my work, feel free to contact me at @jonathan_maus on Twitter, via email at maus.jonathan@gmail.com, or phone/text at 503-706-8804. Also, if you read and appreciate this site, please become a supporter.

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9watts
9watts
8 years ago

Fun.
And don’t forget the Hawthorne Hostel’s annual Bike-In Movie Sept. 19th!
http://www.portlandhostel.org/2015/06/18/save-the-date-bike-in-movie-coming-saturday-sept-19/

gutterbunnybikes
gutterbunnybikes
8 years ago

Just rode down that path from the Columbia River path on Sunday. That stretch by the PIR it’s pretty jacked up right now. Not sure I went the right way through all the barriers many were knocked over, but ended up going down past PIR then east along the Slough to Vancouver instead of the usual N. Denver.

Actually worked out a little better for me since I was leaving the 3 speed ride early to meet up with my brother in law for the bike play in Ladds circle.

TJ
TJ
8 years ago

The PIR Slough Route is a mess. For awhile the gate was unlocked. Then locked, but easy to go around. Now the fence is much larger and detour is confusing. I don’t fully understand why the Slough path behind PIR is closed — are they repaving it too (please)? Seems one could access via the PIR gate and skirt the primary construction?

Chris I
Chris I
8 years ago
Reply to  TJ

When I rode east along PIR trying to get to Denver last weekend, I encountered a locked barbed wire fence that was huge. I suppose a small group could have passed their bikes and climbed over, but I wasn’t able to do that. This was a Sunday, when absolutely no construction was happening. I had to detour all the way back to N Portland Rd. Really annoying.

Rebecca
Rebecca
8 years ago

The Northwest District Neighborhood Association has done two Bike-In Movies at Wallace Park. The last one, showing Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, had over 1,000 people come with several hundred of people arriving by bike.

If you’re active in your neighborhood association, consider doing one! Portland Parks & Rec makes it pretty easy to do through their summer movies in the park program. It’s a good way to encourage people to try biking with their family & learn the Neighborhood Greenway routes… the Sunday Parkways mentality of getting people to try new things by making a party out of it.

Dwaine Dibbly
Dwaine Dibbly
8 years ago

Drive-in movies are great! I may be off the bike for a while later this summer, so the “Max plan” may have to do. Going to be tough to smooch in lawn chairs…. 🙂

AndyC of Linnton
AndyC of Linnton
8 years ago

It’s the one month to bike out to the drive-in! I love it in all it’s glory!
Blankets, sweaters, etc. etc. come home with the sun coming up at 5…
99W are the best people, too!

AndyC of Linnton
AndyC of Linnton
8 years ago

And I’m excited to hear the update about any non-automobile users for this Drive-in. Thanks.

AndyC of Linnton
AndyC of Linnton
8 years ago

Oops! Answered my own question. Dang sun being out forever…