If you’ve been missing movie popcorn or the experience of a night at the local drive-in, you might not have to wait much longer.

Cinemagic Drive-In Theatre will open its gates at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday as part of a birthday celebration for owner Ralph Freehauf and a fundraiser to support Limestone County Churches Involved. Anyone needing an extra snack for their movie night at home can get a large box of the theater’s classic popcorn with each $10 donation to LCCI, an area food bank. Freehauf said the large box is the equivalent of the large tub of popcorn usually served at the theater’s concession stand.

Up to 500 boxes will be given away. For an additional $20 donation per carload, up to 40 vehicles will be permitted to a special screening of “God’s Not Dead” at the drive-in each night, with two free drinks provided per vehicle. Drink orders will be taken as vehicles enter the drive-in and will be delivered to the vehicle.

Freehauf said all employees will be wearing masks and gloves during the event, and outdoor restrooms will be available so long as moviegoers can remain 6 feet apart.

All fundraiser proceeds will go to LCCI. Freehauf is a member of St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church in Athens, one of the 42 churches that make up the organization, and he said he’s looking forward to helping a good cause while easing back into the theater’s reopening. He said it’s “been horrible” to stay closed during the coronavirus pandemic.

“Even with the drive-in, we used to be able to hear people (laughing or crying) inside their car,” Freehauf said. “You get to share the communal experience of watching a movie and listening to the audience. … Right now, we can’t hug each other, but maybe sharing a movie is a close second or third.”

The success of this weekend’s event could determine how future drive-in showings are handled. Freehauf said he’s watched how well drive-in theaters in Tennessee and Georgia have done during the pandemic, but he called it “a guessing game” for Cinemagic. If this weekend goes well and Alabama continues to move toward a full reopening of businesses, the theater plans to celebrate its 15th anniversary with a double feature — “Love Song” and “Sonic the Hedgehog” — at 8 p.m. May 22–25.

Pricing for the double feature could also be determined by this weekend’s event. The theater generally charges per person for the drive-in at a lower rate than indoor viewing. However, Freehauf said if there is enough interest in a per-vehicle price like the one being charged this weekend, he is open to making the switch.