McCandless museum to host first-ever drive-in movie

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect that the inflatable screen will be coming from the McCandless Community Association.

The McCandless/Northern Allegheny Heritage and Cultural Center is going movie retro.

The center’s first-ever showing of a drive-in movie will be June 17 in the center parking lot at sundown, said Abby Lucostic, the center’s chair of Financial Development and Promotional Committee.

Lucostic said that the heritage and cultural center would obtain an inflatable screen from the McCandless Community Association and a transceiver to broadcast a movie in the lower end of the parking lot.

What movie will be shown will be announced closer to the date.

Pricing is $15 per car. The center is located at 830 Aufman Lane.

“We’ve been thinking about different ways to bring ideas to the community,” Lucostic said, and a drive-in movie provided a “nostalgic feel” that fits into the theme of the center.

“We also wanted to provide an opportunity to bring families together that would be different,” she said.

The goal is to have movies in July and August, but the dates are not yet set.

Drive-in theaters were once a mainstay in Pennsylvania with more than 300 in the state. By 2019, that number had fallen to 26 and just eight existed in the nine-county region of Southwestern Pennsylvania.

Drive-in theaters slowly began to close in the 1960s. The start of digital projection took its toll because the technology was costly.

Highlighting Avonworth

While the heritage and cultural center is an entity of McCandless Township, it offers neighboring communities of the North Hills a space to display their collections. Last year the center featured items on loan from the West View Historical Society.

This year, center is displaying artifacts from the Avonworth Historical Society until June 30.

“They have developed quite a collection but unfortunately they do not have a place where people can see it,” said Lucostic.

The display includes artifacts from Avonworth, Ben Avon, Emsworth, Kilbuck Township and Ohio Township, plus those from Dixmont State Hospital, a mental health treatment center that opened in 1862 and closed in 1984. An 18th-century Dickson Log House also is on display.

Also featured are artifacts from Camp Horne, a recreational area for employees of the old Joseph Horne Co. department store. The camp is now Avonworth Community Park.

Other activities

The center’s monthly lecture series will continue May 16 with a presentation from the McCandless Environmental Advisory Council. Greg Winks, a local solar professional who works for Envinity, will provide solar energy tips for the home. The lecture begins at 6:30 p.m.

Allegheny County Park Ranger Deaglan McManus will give a lecture on June 15 about “Historic Structures of North Park.” Registration is required online. The lecture begins at 7 p.m.

Registration is open for a Par 3 Masters Golf Outing May 19 at 10 a.m. Cost is $75 per golfer and $300 a foursome. The cost includes a continental breakfast, lunch and other refreshments. Winner gets a green commemorative jacket. Registrants can pay cash or check at McCandless Town Hall or at the heritage and cultural center during open hours.

Treasures in the Trunk Annual Sale will be held May 20 in the center parking lot from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. It is free for shoppers, but $10 for sellers. Email Christine Shipley at AAC@townofmccandless.org to reserve a spot to sell. Or call 412-364-0616.

An open house to celebrate the sixth anniversary of the heritage and cultural center will be May 20 from noon to 4 p.m. Drinks and snacks will be provided courtesy of Sam’s Club.

Lucostic said staff collaborated with local artist and McCandless resident Jeanine Murch on a coloring book featuring different items at the center. The cost is $2. It can be purchased at the cultural center, at the town hall on Grubbs Road or Shenot Farms on Wexford Run Road. Young and old can submit art for an upcoming coloring page display.

While the heritage and cultural center receives financing from the Town of McCandless, Lucostic said, the money raised by these events helps finance center programming and future needs.

“People don’t really know what we have until they come into the door and then they are blown away with the information we have here,” she said.

Hours are Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Volunteers are needed.

Visit www.townofmccandless.org to register for programs and for information.