Grab your popcorn and get to the theater!
A 26-year-old man opened the first Black-owned drive-in-theater in Houston, Texas, Click 2 Houston reports.
Khairi Sharif is the owner of Space City Shows, a new drive-in movie theater just east of downtown Houston. Sharif said he first got the idea during quarantine due to the pandemic, boredom pushing him to get creative about a way to see a movie while not sitting by strangers. He eventually began researching how to open a drive-in movie theater, learning about licensing, liabilities, and screen projectors. With the help of his family and friends, he was able to get his dream off the ground.
“People say that idle time is the devil’s workshop, but for me it got my creative juices flowing. It was a huge feat in some people’s eyes, being a young Black man that I was able to accomplish this,” Sharif said.
Space City Shows features a 20-by-40-foot screen supported by shipping containers. Tickets can be purchased online for $30 per car with shows at 8:30pm and 11:00pm on Fridays and Saturday. Parking spaces are assigned on a first come first serve basis. Sharif says he hopes his dream can inspire other Black youth to follow their passion and make it happen.
“It’s a new place to quarantine. The best seats in the house are the ones you bring. This is something that I feel that [Black youth] can see as attainable,” said Sharif.
The current season ends November 27, check out the website for more information here.
Congratulations Khairi! Third Ward stand up!
Photo Courtesy of @ferrarikhairi/Instagram