Smart Recreation At The Tahoe Art Haus Drive-In

Instead of cartoons or previews before the show, we had the most amazing sunset for our viewing pleasure.

We’re all looking for an escape from a never ending bleak news cycle. For the last two months, we’ve been seeking out some hidden outdoor treasures via our feet, bikes and SUPs. At the same time, we’ve been avoiding anything indoors, including dine-in restaurants, bars and movie theaters.

With the numbers of COVID cases rising rapidly, the parts of North Lake Tahoe that lie in Placer County will be shutting down many of those indoor choices beginning Monday. We imagine that Truckee is not far behind.

The first of four times you hear “Danke Schoen” in *Ferris Bueller’s Day Off*.

When the Tahoe Art Haus & Cinema announced that they were planning to run drive-in movies late last month, I knew we would have to try it out. This week’s showing of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off was the first movie that really caught my interest. Granted, I’ve seen the movie a dozen times, and I could have rented the movie for $3.99. But having a chance to get out of the house and do something different was well worth the price of admission.

The drive-in movie location is in the back lot of the Cobblestone Center in Tahoe City. In the current configuration, there’s space for about 20 vehicles per night. Movies are shown on a large inflatable screen, on loan from the Homewood Ski area. Sound is available through your car’s FM radio. We found that 98.5 offered us the clearest signal. The $35 price of admission includes two people and two beverages, popcorn or candy from the snack bar. Additional people cost $5 each, and additional food and beverages are available, delivered right to your car.

Our pup Rossi gave Ferris Bueller a “paws up.” She was most attentive during the parade scenes. Our corgi most enjoyed the scenes where Ed Rooney meets the Bueller family dog.

Owners Steven and Melissa Siig are right at the heart of the operation, with Melissa checking in cars and Steven directing them to appropriate parking spaces. We’re pretty sure it’s their own kids doing the popcorn and soda deliveries. The picture was good but not perfect, same for the sound. But that did not matter. It was just great to see people out enjoying a movie on a warm summer night.

Creativity is encouraged. Image via Tahoe Art Haus

Upgrades for the drive-in experience are in the works. A larger screen has been purchased, allowing for more cars to enjoy the show each night. We encourage you make a visit to the drive-in soon. We want to make sure that the Tahoe Art Haus & Cinema is around for a long time to come. Thanks to Steven and Melissa for being an amazing part of the North Tahoe community.