West Wind Drive-In has temporarily closed its Concord theater in compliance with Contra Costa County’s new curfew enacted in response to looting and civil unrest that has arisen in protests over the death of George Floyd.
The drive-in theater chain announced on its website that the Concord theater, known as the Solano Drive-In, is “temporarily closed due to emergency curfew orders.” The company previously already announced that its San Jose location, commonly referred to Capitol Drive-In, was closing for the time being due to the curfew.
West Wind’s one other Northern California location — in Sacramento — remains open.
The curfew in Contra Costa County began on Tuesday, requiring residents to remain indoors from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. It remains in effect until further notice.
“These are challenging times,” Candace Andersen, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors’ chairwoman, said in a statement. “(Tuesday’s) emergency proclamation and curfew order will help the county respond to looting, vandalism and any violence that should not be a part of peaceful protests.”
The curfew in San Jose began on Sunday, May 31, and ends on June 7 or until further notice. The hours of the curfew are 8:30 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Across the country, protests over the death of George Floyd, a African-American man who died after being placed in a restraining hold by police officers in Minneapolis on May 25, have been marred by looting and violent confrontations with police, prompting several cities to impose nighttime curfews.
The San Jose declaration of the curfew says:
“No person shall be upon the public street, avenue, alley, park, or other public place or unimproved public realty within the limits of the City of San José.” Exceptions are made for police and other emergency personnel; people working in delivery, utility services, news reporting and certain government jobs; people seeking or providing medical or family care; and people who are homeless.”
During this time of the year, the movies start at the drive-ins after 8:30 p.m. — thus making it impossible for West Wind’s San Jose and Concord locations to operate and still be in compliance with the curfew orders.
Prior to these curfews, the drive-ins had been undergoing a renaissance in popularity since re-opening last month, providing movie-goers with a social-distancing-friendly entertainment option while the indoor movie theaters remained closed due to COVID-19 precautions.
Read all about the renaissance of the drive-in theaters here.
. @WestWindDriveIn in San Jose temporary closes due to emergency curfew imposed. Concord, Sacramento locations remain open. https://t.co/KrNm7MrbNJ
— Jim Harrington (@jimthecritic) June 1, 2020
I love the Drive-Ins. https://t.co/VEyPDTgKGG
— Jim Harrington (@jimthecritic) May 12, 2020
Yes. Yes. YES! Finally.
The Drive-ins reopen in San Jose, Concord, Sacramento and Glendale. @WestWindDriveIn is one of my favorite places EVER. @mercnews @EastBayTimes https://t.co/emUSI59Qdj
— Jim Harrington (@jimthecritic) May 5, 2020
Reopening of @WestWindDriveIn is a hit with movie lovers in Concord. https://t.co/eHGAAvuQG9
— Jim Harrington (@jimthecritic) May 9, 2020
