Mahoning Staff Party
Mahoning Drive-In Theater - Lehighton, PA
Prior to this season, the Mahoning was a special place to me where I made friends and enjoyed movies. It became even more special to me this season when I was welcomed onto the staff.
Mahoning Drive-In Theater - Lehighton, PA
Prior to this season, the Mahoning was a special place to me where I made friends and enjoyed movies. It became even more special to me this season when I was welcomed onto the staff.
This is the lot crew, who are affectionately known to each other as the Black Dragons. Beards are not mandatory despite all evidence to the contrary in this phot. That's Alex on the far left with Bruno in the center and John on the right in the back row. The middle row is Darryl on the left with the lot crew manager Dave in the center and me to his right. Kneeling in the front is Rob on the left and Donnie on the right. Donne surprised us with the awesome Black Dragons jackets that we're wearing. This is a genuinely good group of guys and I'm proud to be one of them.
Sandy (the merch manager at the Mahoning) surprised us with these great t-shirts at the staff party. I can't believe I'm now wearing a large. There's no way I could have fit into this at the start of the season. My weight has fluctuated quite a bit throughout my adult life, but I'm not a young dude anymore and I'm really going to have to keep it in check going forward.
My wife is an amazing woman. I can't imagine that there are very many people in this world who would be alright with their partner spending four nights a week at a drive-in theater for six months out of the year, but she is always loving and supportive.
Our friend group on the lot has grown quite a bit over the past five years. This is the inner circle who we started hanging out with, and three of the best friends I've ever had. Mike and Kate are on the left, and that's Cary on the right. They're three of the most down to earth and genuinely kind and funny human beings that I've ever been privileged enough to call my friends.
I'm going to miss these guys over the winter.
Two other folks who I'm honored to call my friend are the projectionist team of Rob and Krista. They work their asses off to keep the picture on the screen for the only retro 35mm drive-in theater in the world that is still in operation. This year's staff party marks the end of an era for the dual Simplex projectors that have been shining on the Mahoning screen every summer for the past 75 years. They're going to be replaced with newer 35mm projectors that will deliver a brighter picture for the 2026 season.
One last bonfire to close out the season.
