ou know it's spring when the robins return and the drive-in theaters open.

Mahoning Drive-in Theater in Lehighton is embracing its retro style and letting everyone know about it."Facebook is our home," said movie booker Virgil Cardamone.He and his friend Matt McClanahan, two film school graduates from Temple University, met the drive-in's owner Jeff Mattox about three years ago when the drive-in was having a tough time.They love 35 mm film and wanted to save the drive-in, so McClanahan went to work on a Facebook page and Cardamone took to finding retro movies to fit the theater's back-to-the-past persona.In just a few years, the trio has increased sales 400 percent, Cardamone said. They have had customers come from as far away as Canada to experience a drive-in the way it used to be."It's like a time machine when you pull into this nostalgic place," he said.Cardamone said he has had people comment that they can't believe there is somewhere they can see a classic movie.When he first started contacting studios to find some of these movies, they thought he was insane."Without it, we would be just another drive-in," he said. "We've been called the alternative drive-in."Sometimes Cardamone tracks down old movies through estate records."These pieces of art would just sit in a basement and get moldy," he said, which is where he has found some of them.Now he has people seeking him out with movies."We are willing to work with anyone who is willing to jump into this boat with us," he saidCardamone said he is passionate about the drive-in, because he fell in love with it as a child watching movies from the back seat of his parent's car."I love film and tangible film," and he wants everybody to have an opportunity to experience movies the way they used to be, he said.Mahoning Drive-In opens for the season tonight with "The Wizard of Oz" and "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory."The theater has theme weekends and runs movies specifically for families once a month.It also has themes like Exhumed Theater with horror movies, Video Game weekend; '80s Party; Music Festival; Car Show and "Back to the Future" movie weekend.While people are watching "Back to the Future," the all-volunteer staff in the concession stand changes their outfits and the decorations to match the period in the movie, so sometimes it's the '80s and then it's back to the 1950s."Our staff goes above and beyond," he said.Customers are welcome to dress-up too, just like people do when they go to Comic-Con."People show up dressed up without us even asking them," he said. "I think people seek that out, meeting up with people who have the same interest as you."Becky's Drive-InBecky's Drive-In in Walnutport opened Easter weekend for four nights and showed "The Fate of the Furious" and "Split" on one screen and "Beauty and the Beast" and "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" on the other screen.The movies usually play for two weekends, said Cindy Deppe, one of the owners of the theater."We always seem to do well on opening weekend, I guess people have cabin fever and are anxious to get outside to see a double feature," she said.They also held an Easter egg hunt and a car meet."We did above-average business for an opening weekend," she said. "The weather plays a big factor, as well, and we were lucky this past weekend with nice weather."Deppe's parents William and Alice Beck (hence Becky's) opened the drive-in in 1946. She and her siblings and other family members continue to run it, now with updated equipment to show digital movies."My entire life has been spending summers at the drive-in. I guess I don't know any other life, but the drive-in," she said.They keep it open and continue to improve on it, because they want to continue their parents' legacy."I believe they would be so proud of the fact that patrons travel as far away as New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, Poconos and further to see a double feature at Becky's."Becky's was recognized in 2016 in USA Today's "10 Best Drive-In Theaters," in 2002 in The New York Times "10 Drive-Ins Worth a Detour" and in 1996 it was voted "The Best of the Best" by Drive-In Theater Fan Club. Locally, it has been voted "Best Drive-In Theater" for seven consecutive years in The Morning Call."We try to have a friendly business with a playground for the children and moon bounce and trackless fire engine rides (extra fee) before the first feature begins," Deppe said."We allow patrons to bring their pets along, if they remain quiet and clean up after them. We make sure everything is extra clean, especially our restrooms, which patrons always remark about how clean they are."A new upgrade this year is its website. Deppe's son, Nick Deppe, who redesigned it throughout the winter to make it easier to navigate on cellphones and added more pictures.They also have a new souvenir stand, larger trailer for the employees, digital menu boards in the concession stands and improved the Snack Express by rearranging the room to make it easier to sell funnel cakes and snacks.Shankweiler's Drive-In TheatreShankweiler Drive-In Theatre in Orefield also opened Easter weekend."The sequel shows have been doing well," said Paul Geissinger, the co-owner and business manager. "There's been a good return on investment."The concession stand is where theaters make the larger percentage of profit though. Geissinger said the stand typically sees a 40 percent profit, whereas the rental of the movie from the studio takes about 60 percent of the profits.Geissinger has been with Shankweiller's since 1971. He was supposed to stay for just two weeks.In 1984, he and his wife bought it when the owner got ill, and it has been open for 83 years.Geissinger said he thinks going to the drive-in is more of an event. People plan ahead for it and celebrate birthdays or family get-togethers there, or just one family doing something together instead of being pulled in different directions by their activities."I love to see families out together," he said. "It's good to see them together."Geissinger has several movies he's hoping to get this summer including the newest "Pirates of the Caribbean," "Cars 3" and "Despicable Me 3.""We try to center around more family movies," he said.Starting this weekend, they will be playing "Beauty and the Beast" and "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story." Then on May 4, they already have "Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2" lined up."There should be some good movies this summer," he said.For a photo gallery, check out tnonline.com.