As the stars begin to appear in the New Braunfels sky, families start arriving, not for theater seats, but for the perfect parking spot for the premiere of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie at the Stars & Stripes Drive-in Movie Theater.
For the Martinez family, the back of their truck becomes a cozy nest of blankets, Little Caesars pizza and Arizona teas. Their young daughter, who has autism, finds the setup ideal, able to move around, take breaks, or switch to her tablet without worrying about disturbing anyone, all while enjoying the movie with her family.
“If she loses interest in a movie, we can give her a tablet or something else to keep her entertained,” father George Martinez explains while setting up before the movie begins on a weekday. “In a regular theater, that’s not possible without disturbing everyone else. The drive-in gives us that flexibility, while still letting her have the full childhood movie experience.”…