Ken Kellar
The Fort Frances Public Library Technology Centre and the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce having been putting on their drive-in movie nights for the past few weeks, and now it’s time to introduce theme nights.
Over the next three weeks, each movie night that will be put on at the library parking lot will feature a special guest organization and two movies themed around them, one for all audiences and the second for mature audiences.
According to Chamber of Commerce executive director Heather Johnson, the first theme night will be September 18 and kick off with a show and shine featuring the REDRUM Motorcycle Club (REDRUM MC) Treaty #3 chapter from 5:30 p.m. until 7:00 p.m., then a showing of Pixar’s Incredibles 2 (PG) at 7:30 p.m., followed by the 1953 Marlon Brando biker film The Wild One.
James Eastman, the president of the Treaty #3 REDRUM chapter said the event is a good opportunity for motorcycle riders and enthusiasts to head out for a ride as the season winds to a close.
“We’re working with the Chamber, we’re going to have a bike night,” Eastman said.
“It’s more or less an invitation for local biking enthusiasts to come out and enjoy a movie and get to meet the motorcycle club at the same time. It is getting to the end of the riding season so I guess it’s more or less a wrap-up almost for all the motorcycle enthusiasts including ourselves. But even when we put the bikes away, our work still continues on through the winter.”
The local chapter of the REDRUM MC has only been fully patched for about a year, and Eastman said that in that time the club has done a lot of work to help support the community.
“We’ve been in the area for a couple of years now, but we’ve been a full patched chapter since last July,” he explained.
“Since we’ve been in the area club-wise, we’ve helped with certain fundraisers like Stuff-A-Cruiser, we’ve done our own hamper drives at Christmastime, so stuff like that.”
Eastman, who is also the project co-ordinator for Bear Clan Patrol Fort Frances, noted that it was the relationship he had with the Chamber of Commerce as part of the Bear Clan Parol that led to participating in the theme night. After providing security for the first couple of drive-in nights, the idea came up to bring a different set of wheels to the event.
“Drive-Ins are usually built around vehicles,” Eastman noted.
“Then me and one of our prospects had the idea of having a bike night at the Drive-In. I shouldn’t say there’s a lot of motorcycles that have radios on them, but there are a few of us that do so we’d be able to slap the radio on and then meet, hang out and watch the movie.”
While this is the first time the club has put on a meet and greet type event, and while Eastman said there’s not going to be a lot to the event outside of meeting fellow motorcycle fans and watching a movie, it has the potential to become bigger as time goes on, outside of movie nights.
“If it goes without a hitch for this year then maybe we’ll plan more around it next summer for meet and greet bike nights,” he said.
“This is just going to be more or less a meet and greet with our guys and friends and then we’ll have our merchandise, sports shirts and stuff like that for sale onsite.”
The Chamber of Commerce has announced that the two themed movie nights following this week’s bike night will be with the Fort Frances Fire Department on September 24, where their new fire truck will be on display with the movies being Planes: Fire and Rescue and Ladder 49, and the third theme night will feature the Early Iron Car Club with the movies Cars 3 and Gone in 60 Seconds.
