Neptune Drive-In | What To Bring + Tips & Tricks
I’ve been going to the Neptune Drive-In in Shediac, NB since I was a kid, and I love being able to carry on the tradition with my own son. Over the years, I’ve learned a few tips and tricks to having the best drive-in experience possible, and wanted to share them with you!
Arrive Early
Last year I made the rookie mistake of showing up at sunset, and the cars were lined up wayyyy down the road. I recommend showing up an hour early for the best spots. Since I drive a truck (or did- as of this post I’ve now sold it!), I have to park in one of the back rows anyway, but if you have a parking spot you prefer, showing up early will give you the best chance at getting it. Also, last year I planned on taking some drive-in aesthetic photos for my blog and socials of me wearing a cute dress in front of the sign and movie screen, but we showed up too late to get them. It’s silly, but if that’s something that’s important to you, daylight is key.
Prepare For The Bugs
One of my favourite parts of going to the drive-in has always been sitting outside instead of in the actual vehicle. When I was a kid, sometimes we would set up camping chairs outside of the vehicle while the parents sat inside, and I still like to do that now. Sitting in the truck bed at the drive-in was probably the only thing I liked about driving a truck- BUT the bugs. The mosquitos and black flies can be bad depending on how much of a breeze there is. Last year we got lucky and there were no bugs at all. This year we dealt with them in larger amounts. I considered buying a mosquito net to prop up over the back of the truck, but instead we just used plenty of bug spray, and they didn’t really bother us.
Get comfy
Being comfy is what the drive-in is all about. For laying in the truck bed, I used a foam mattress pad on the bottom, covered with a blanket, then a blanket for keeping warm, and lots of pillows. My son brought his cozy fox sleeping bag to bundle up in this year too, which was super cute. I debated on getting drive in pictures this year in a nice outfit, but decided to dress comfy instead with a crew neck sweater and shorts. If you have kids, dressing them in their jammies ahead of time is ideal for when they inevitably fall asleep. I would also recommend bringing extra sweaters for everyone if you plan on being outside, because that ocean breeze gets chilly at night.
what else to bring
Camping chairs, if you want to sit outside of your vehicle and don’t have a truck bed to lay in. Check with current pandemic rules before going, as some drive-ins don’t allow you to be outside of your vehicle. The Neptune Drive-In has never had an issue with it during my trips there last year and this year.
A radio if sitting outside. We always experience static with the radios we bring, so I’m going to invest in a nicer one for next year
Money for the canteen! You can’t go to the movies without getting popcorn & snacks! The Neptune Drive-In has a full canteen with all the same snacks you can get at the theater.
Extra snacks. Because snacks. We also pick up a pizza sometimes to have for a late drive-in supper.
A small bag for trash & wet ones, because said snacks will be spilled at some point.
Something to keep the kids occupied if they get restless. If we get there really early, it’s nice to have something for Mason to do while we’re waiting for the movie to start. I like getting glow sticks and fun dollar store stuff like that to keep him busy.
enjoy the movie!
D