Drive-in and Drive-up Food, Ice Cream, and Movies; Pittsburgh Symphony at Hartwood (Sun., 7/5/26)

Commercial Drive-in Movies and Drive-up Ice Cream and Food Places  

1) Drive-in movie theaters and drive-up restaurants have seen a true renaissance in recent years. Two in those categories that are very well known are Moon Township’s Dependable Drive-In and Jerry’s Curb Service in Bridgewater, Beaver County. Other good drive-ups are Page Dairy Mart (4112 E. Carson St., Becks Run) and Glen’s Custard in Springdale (original location) and Lower Burrell. Local ice cream chain gone international, Bruster’s, has 12 locations in the Pittsburgh area including the original location in Bridgewater. Millie’s is a growing local ice cream business with multiple locations including Downtown, Oakland, Shadyside, and Lawrenceville. Scoops has four neighborhood ice cream parlors. And don’t forget Leona’s ice cream sandwiches. For gelato, it’s hard to beat Pappa J’s Twin Plaza and Mercurio’s. And newly opened is Nana’s Scoops on Northumberland Street in Squirrel Hill. Other drive-in movie screens in the region include: Riverside (Vandergrift), Evergreen (Mt. Pleasant), Brownsville (Grindstone), and Starlight (Butler). So “head out on the highway looking for adventure.” (R.H.)

2) On July 5 at North Park’s Hartwood Acres, the PSO’s musicians and conductors each  may rest their laurels after another full program of patriotic pride. The program will replicate the compositions by Williams, Copland, Sousa, and Mancini heard in earlier performances of this great weekend, while also including Dvorak’s Music from Symphony No. 9, “From the New World,” as well as Mukhiddinov’s virtuosity on violin. Yet, as any musician will surely attest, no two performances are ever the same. Again, bring your blanket or lawn chair and find your spot on Hartwood Acre’s great lawn by 8:15 pm.

Share on Social Media