Moose Jaw Toyota is preparing to host its first-ever drive-in movie night, right on location at its new building on Main Street North — and all of Moose Jaw is invited.
Or, at least, as many cars as can fit into the parking lot space dedicated for the Reels on Wheels event, taking place on Aug. 22 to help out the community.
Reels on Wheels is an initiative from Prairie Toyota Dealers that is travelling across the prairie provinces to provide a fun night out for communities while also raising money for local charities at each stop.
“I’ve heard from several people myself that have said they’ve missed going to the movies and this kind of gives them an option to be able to do it safely,” said Moose Jaw Toyota operations manager Cody Connatty. “And it means a lot to be able to do something for the community like this, especially for such a good cause.”
The drive-in movie is a ticketed event, with all of the proceeds going toward a local charity of choice. In Moose Jaw, organizers have chosen Hunger In Moose Jaw to receive the event’s donation.
“We’re partnered with Prairie Toyota Dealers and Toyota Canada and they said to pick something in Moose Jaw you felt would be a good cause, [and] Hunger in Moose Jaw just stuck out to us, and we thought it would be a good idea,” said Connatty.
Reels on Wheels will be showing Disney’s Onward, projected on a four-story movie screen for the entire parking lot to see. Movie-goers can simply show up, park their vehicle and tune into the dedicated FM radio station to hear the movie’s audio.
Physical distancing rules will be in place at the event, with everyone in attendance asked to stay in their cars and avoid close contact with others.
There’s also a handful of prizes available to be won by joining Moose Jaw Toyota at the event, including a province-wide draw for a one-year lease of a 2020 Tundra or Tacoma or a VIP Backyard Movie Experience, among others.
The cost of tickets is by donation with the suggested amount set at $20, but any amount is welcome, and one ticket covers the whole vehicle. Connatty shared that there is room for 50 vehicles — and he expects tickets to go fairly quickly as the other drive-ins on the tour have been very popular so far.
Those interested in attending will have to purchase their tickets in advance, and there is a limited number available — only as many tickets as there is space in the parking lot.
Connatty and the team at Moose Jaw Toyota are excited to host the event at their new location, which just opened this spring, as well as to offer Moose Jaw residents a fun evening out under the stars during a tough time.
“We thought, considering we didn’t get to do a grand opening because we opened right when everything went sideways, we figured let's do it right on our lot,” said Connatty. “We’re just excited to have people come up and enjoy a night out, watch a movie and see the new store.”
Gates will open at 8:30 p.m. for the event and the movie will begin at 9:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online here.
