Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. And if you are planning to be on St. John with your special person on the day designed for sweethearts, you may have already started to think about what to do to celebrate your love. There are plenty of incredible restaurants on island for a romantic dinner and numerous boats to choose from for a sunset sail, but this year there’s an alternative to the norm that is equally special and fun!
During the pandemic, drive in’s around the country were rejuvenated and re-purposed as one of the few ways to safely get out of the house for an evening and enjoy a concert, movie or other event while also keeping your distance. St. John was no exception to that trend and two drive in movie theaters popped up this summer. One of which, dubbed St. John’s Classic Outdoor Entertainment Venue, is located on Centerline Road just past Paradise Lumber and across from Canine’s, Cats and Critters. They have been offering multiple showings of two different movies each Saturday and Sunday night for the past few months and offer food, beverages and a “safe” way to get out of the house for some entertainment.
Additionally, there was a “drive out” hosted at the venue over Labor Day weekend. The infamous parades of Love City have all been cancelled this past year and the drive out offered a great alternative to the annual Labor Day parade and car show that usually is held in Coral Bay. The concept of the drive out was for everyone to meet in their vehicles on the property in order to join a motorcade of a jaunt around St. John in eclectic classic cars!
Well, grab your sweetheart and hop in your island ride….Because they are hosting another “Drive Out” for Valentine’s Day. The organizers at King Moko Productions are asking anyone who wants to participate to arrive by car or “buggie” at the Drive In by 11:30 on the morning of Valentine’s Day for a noon departure of the motorcade.
While you wait for your exit cue, live entertainment will be provided by the steelpan group “Pan around deh Neck,” Moko Jumbies and local Reggae artist, Diallo. Social distancing and mask wearing is required on the property at all times.
The “parade” will proceed over to Bordeaux Mountain and then down to Coral Bay, North Shore Road, Gifft Hill, Fish Bay and then will wind through Cruz Bay before ending back at the Drive In.
The Drive Out is free for all participants and I imagine there will be a lot of decorated vehicles with horns honking as they wind along the route. At 6:45 that evening, the property will revert to its outdoor theater role for a romantic movie. The admission for the movie is $10 for adults and $5 for children and food and beverage will be available for purchase.
If you are going to miss the Valentine’s Day event, you can still catch a movie while you’re visiting! You can contact Yisreal Petersen AKA King Moko himself at 340-244-8407 to find out the times for the upcoming weekend.
King Moko invites residents and visitors alike to come to the Drive Out and the Drive IN and join in for an awesome day of fun and local culture!
Oh, and if you ARE planning to dine out on Valentine’s Day and have a specific restaurant in mind, get your reservations sooner rather than later. It’s been busy down here and restaurants are still operating at half capacity so many will likely book up rather quickly!