When the biggest snowstorm in years dropped about a foot of snow onto the country’s oldest operating drive-in late last month, the owners of North Whitehall Township-based Shankweiler’s Drive-In Theater were unsure how to approach the cleanup in time for the weekend’s screenings of the horror movie “The Iron Lung.”
Had it not been for the help of some 40 local volunteers, and the call to action from the movie’s director and star, the showings might have been canceled.
“It was really cool,” owner Matt McClanahan said. “Unexpected.”
After the storm, a snow plow came in and cleared the lanes at the drive-in, but did not clear the grass, where cars typically park during the showings. Husband-and-wife owners McClanahan and Lauren McChesney took to social media to explain the situation, and followers recommended that the community help out.
Not long after, they announced a “shovel party”, in which volunteers could help clear the snow and get a complimentary pass for sometime this season, as well as popcorn, in hopes to get the space cleared for the weekend showings.
The couple purchased the theater in 2022. There had been snowstorms during that time, but none that required plows for the field. This was the biggest one in several years, and cleanup was going to be more extensive as a result.
“We weren’t sure if it could be done,” McClanahan said.
The event caught the attention of YouTuber Mark “Markiplier” Fischbach, who directed and starred in the film, and he reached out to the theater to see if he could help. He shared it on Instagram, and encouraged people to come out and lend a hand if they could. He also paid for food and snacks for the roughly 40 volunteers who showed up.
Friends, neighbors and fans of Fischbach brought shovels, snow blowers and plows to help clear the spots out. They planned to clear the snow for about three hours, but it only took about half that.
With the help of the community, the spots were cleared for the weekend showings, which were attended by a few hundred people.
“You won’t find a more unique venue playing that movie,” McClanahan said.
As a business owner, he said, it is their job to support the community.
“When that support comes the other direction, it’s never expected,” he said. “And it’s heartwarming.”
Another positive aspect of the cleanup was that it showed people that the drive-in is open year-round, something that was normal for drive-ins back when they were more prevalent, McClanahan said.
“The Iron Lung” will be screened again Friday and Saturday. The drive-in will be closed Sunday for the Super Bowl, but the theater still will be selling jumbo popcorn ahead of the game. The following weekend the theater will have “date night” showings of “Wuthering Heights” for Valentine’s Day.
“It’s become an important wintertime escape for a lot of our regulars,” he said.
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