Classic cars for a classic movie

ENTHUSIASTS and their cherry rides rolled into Showbiz Cinema’s pop-up drive-in last Friday night as members of the Ballarat Road Rodders grabbed the chance to get together for the first time in ages.

The event was perfectly paired with the film showing on the big screen.

“We’d seen that American Graffiti was playing, which is a well-known film to car enthusiasts,” said Bayden Roberts, president of the Road Rodders.

“I called up Chris [Jones – ShowBiz director] and asked what the chances of getting some chrome bumpered cars in was, and he said ‘yeah, all right’.

“We were aiming for about 50 and we got it out to 120.”

Like every other community group, the Ballarat Road Rodders have been limited in their ability to get together and share their passion since the start of the pandemic.

Friday’s screening at the drive-in was the first major event they had planned and been able to run in 12 months.

“I think that’s why this has been such a big hit,” Mr Robert’s said. “This popped up and we had the opportunity to get out, and we’ve just slid in.

“We’ve got people from Warrnambool, Geelong, and Bendigo who have come along.”

The Showbiz drive-in has been going for the last few months at the Ballarat Showgrounds and is set to continue for a few more.

Director Chris Jones said that while the Road Rodders event was a get together, it was also a trial run for opening up the drive-in as a fundraising opportunity for community groups and schools on Friday nights.

“It’s a good launch for our fundraising concept because it’ll run very similarly,” he said.

“The beauty of a drive-in cinema, especially during stages of lockdown, is it’s one of the COVID-safe entertainment opportunities.”