There’s nothing more reminiscent of a summer in the South than the sound of crickets in the distance, the smell of honeysuckle in the air and sitting under the starry skies enjoying a movie. It might bring back memories for some of the old drive-ins, but at McGuire Nuclear Station near Charlotte, N.C. and at Oconee Nuclear Station in Seneca, S.C., the backdrop for their outdoor movie nights looked more like a party at the lake.
Each site hosted two outdoor movie events for their communities to enjoy this summer on the grounds surrounding their educational centers . Large inflatable movie screens were placed on the banks of McGuire’s Lake Norman and Lake Keowee at Oconee. As the sun set, the curtain rose and everyone enjoyed movies such as “Escape From Planet Earth” and “The Croods.” Movie goers came by land and water; they brought picnics, blankets, pillows and games, all part of their pre-movie tailgating. Although Mother Nature tried to dampen the activities, the sites combined had more than 3,000 in attendance for the family friendly events.
Oconee celebrated its 40th anniversary with the community at its July movie night by serving free ice cream and cupcakes and handing out gifts to each attendee. McGuire used a second inflatable screen just for the nearly 40 boats anchored in the waters.
The outdoor movie night events have become a tradition for the sites and a comfortable setting to reach out and educate the communities on the efforts in the energy industry. As the 2013 movie season wraps up, plans are already underway for next year’s premier showing, so stay tuned.