Central NY Drive-In Cuts Season Short: Schedule Change Alert!

A cinema located in Central New York that shows movies from inside vehicles is adjusting its timetable and will conclude its 2025 session ahead of schedule.

Midway Drive-In revealed on Thursday that the cinema will transition from a five-day weekly schedule to exclusively showing movies on weekends starting August 15. Films will play on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays up until the weekend of September 12, marking the end of Midway's 77th straight season.

Owner "Little" John Nagelschmidt Jr. mentioned that participation has significantly decreased this year, and the New York State Fair (Starting Aug. 20) has also "undermined sales during the latter part of August" in recent times. The Minetto theater will continue to present its "Dusk to Dawn" event over Labor Day weekend, concluding the season with an earlier-than-normal "Horrorfest," including "The Conjuring: Last Rites," from September 12–14.

Nagelschmidt, whose family has managed the theater for almost 40 years, mentioned that one of the reasons for the early closure is his well-being. The Midway Drive-In postponed its launch last year because of a medical emergency requiring surgical intervention.

"I require two additional operations to (fingers crossed) restore my internal organs," Nagelschmidt posted on Facebook My upcoming operation is set for October 2nd, after which I'll require at least three months to recover prior to my last connection procedure. I'm aiming to arrange this one for February, ensuring I'm prepared for our 78th season, which starts in early May 2026.

Nagelschmidt mentioned that he had aimed to finish the procedures during the previous offseason, yet noted that instances of colorectal cancer have risen over the last ten years, making these patients the main focus at Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse. Nagelschmidt added that he does not suffer from cancer and urged individuals to keep up with preventive medical screenings through colonoscopies.

The Midway Drive-In, situated along State Route 48 "midway" between Fulton and Oswego, usually remains open until Halloween when conditions permit. However, Nagelschmidt mentioned that there aren't sufficient quality films releasing this autumn to justify postponing his operation.

Although we have a busy season, it's still challenging for us to make a profit during the fall. However, like many of you, I truly appreciate autumn at the Midway. Therefore, I'm feeling sad and apologize for not being able to keep our season open until Halloween, which is what we typically do," Nagelschmidt wrote. "Many thanks, and we certainly hope you can visit us a few more times before the season concludes.

Currently showing at the Midway-Drive-In are "Superman" (available until Thursday), "Jurassic World Rebirth," and "The Bad Guys 2" (which will be available from Friday onward). The entry fee is $10 for those aged 12 and older, $5 for children between 7 and 11 years old, and free for children six and younger; these rates cover double-bill showings that start when darkness falls.

For more information, visit midwaydrivein.com .