The new Denver Mart Drive-In Theater in southwest Adams County will have its slightly delayed grand opening at 7:30 p.m. June 12, giving construction crews time to put the final touches on the 300,000-square-foot theater space in the pavilion parking lot.

“The rain and the weather that we have endured here in Denver lately was definitely a setback for our construction timeline,” said Misty Flachman, an event manager at the Denver Mart. “Our screen is up, our projection system is going through its fine-tuning stages, and there were just a few other details with our parking arrangement that we’re finalizing.”

Once the pavement dries out, new parking lot stripes for the designated theater space will go down. There are about 130 fewer parking spots than originally projected at the beginning of this year. Because of that, Flachman said it will be very important for movie-goers to buy their tickets online before the shows.

“Unlike a lot of drive-in theaters that need to have hundreds or thousands of spots available, we only have 310 spots,” Flachman said. “We are going to try a reeducate the public to actually purchase their tickets online before the show. The last things we want is people showing up and we’re already sold out and can’t accommodate them.”

Just in case that happens, officials at the Denver Mart Drive-In are creating a patio space for about 100 lawn chair spectators right under the screen. Since the theater’s audio will stream simulcast over FM radio, those patrons chancing it at the door (and parking their cars in elsewhere at the Denver Mart), will be given a boom box, or they can bring their own.

Tickets are $10 per person and are sold by the car. So, a two-person car is $20, a four-person car is $40. Children 6 years old and younger get in for free, and people catching the show on the patio will still pay $10 a person.

There are also no longer plans to serve liquor in the pavilion lounge.

In fact, the lounge won’t be open during movie nights. Instead, guests can get their traditional concessions of soda, popcorn and candy through third-party vendor stands that will be housed on the northwest portion of the 28-acre Denver Mart Complex at 451 E. 58th Ave.

“There will be two concession stands that are going to both be alcohol-free,” Flachman said. “We’re not going to serve any type of alcohol, and the space is also smoke-free. It’s meant to be totally family friendly.”

Subway is partnering with the Denver Mart Drive-In, and their sandwiches will be available there every night. No outside food or drinks are allowed.

The drive-in is going to be open at 7:30 p.m., seven days a week, rain or shine, until Labor Day weekend. Each evening is a double feature, which is always included in the $10 ticket price.

While the double feature for June 12 has yet to be determined — but will be announced in the next few days — some movies slated to run this summer include: “San Andreas,” “Jurassic World” and “Tomorrowland.”

The Denver Mart Drive-In has a screen that runs parallel with Interstate 25, facing east, so that it’s not visible to drivers on the highway. The approximately 40-foot-tall and 92-foot-wide steel and aluminum screen will tower 60 feet above the parking lot.

“We’re using the highest grade Christie projector, which will probably give you four to five times the visual intensity that you get from 35 millimeter projectors that are out there,” John Doyle, CEO of the Denver Mart said in February. “And it’s one of the largest screens out there.”

To access the drive-in, people travelling I-25 should exit east on 58th Avenue and take Washington Street north. There will be three entrances to the theater space on Washington, all marked with large banners and signs.

Megan Mitchell: 303-954-2650, mmitchell@denverpost.com or twitter.com/Mmitchelldp

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