Creatures and costumes can be found at the Mahoning Drive-in theater year-round. When Halloween comes, there’s more of both.

The last weekend in October is also the final weekend of what has been a blockbuster season for the drive-in.

The program for Oct. 29-31 features classic Halloween movies.

“A lot of theaters switch into horror, Halloween mode for October. That’s pretty much our mode all season long,” said Mark Nelson, general manager of the Mahoning Drive-in Theater.

This weekend, each night features a different lineup with films centered on a different “scream queen” actress. On Friday, it’s Christina Ricci in Casper and “The Addams Family.” Saturday is Janet Leigh in “Psycho” followed by her daughter, Jamie Lee Curtis, in “Halloween II.” Sunday night the season concludes with actress Dee Wallace appearing in person along with her films “Cujo” and “The Howling.”

Gates open each night at 5 p.m., and each screening features a costume contest and a trunk or treat for kids.

In 2021, the Mahoning continued to build its profile as a destination for movie fans from the Northeast and beyond. Between shows promoted by the theater and its partner, Exhumed Films, the Mahoning hosted up to five screenings a week. They also hosted more film actors for live appearances with their films.

They started a Patreon subscription service offering exclusive benefits for people who pledged to make a small financial donation each month.

The New York Times and other national media featured it as a destination for die-hard movie fans.

Arguably the most memorable moment of the year was when the theater’s supporters successfully opposed the threat of being pushed out for a solar farm.

When that news broke in July, fans banded together and petitioned for the theater to remain.

“This thing we worked so hard for was about to be taken away, and absolutely due to the love and power of people who appreciate the theater, they rose up and had the decision reversed,” Nelson said.

The company which proposed the solar farm quickly withdrew their plans, and the theater is now closer than ever to owning the ground beneath it. While no deal has been announced, Nelson said that they have a good relationship with the property owner, and lovers of the drive-in can rest assured that it has a long future ahead.

“People should be very confident that the theater is going to be there for years to come,” he said.

The end of the season is bittersweet for the theater’s management. With horror films being part of the theater’s identity, October is when some of its most anticipated shows take place.

But it also means that the community that has grown around the theater won’t be together for another six months, until shows resume in April.

While a break is welcome, it only takes a short time for staff to start working on what movies they’ll show next year, and the costumes and photo-op displays they will make for them.

“It’s like getting off a roller coaster - I could take a break, but I also want to get back on,” Nelson said.

Tickets for this weekend’s screenings are available at mahoningdrivein.ticketleap.com. More information on the theater is available at mahoningdit.com.