What used to be an endangered species is now the hottest thing in entertainment since butter met popcorn, as drive-ins leap in value across the country. And while Wisconsin has only a handful of screens, their numbers are growing as pop-ups appear in the parking lots of restaurants, arts organizations – and now a baseball stadium, as the Milwaukee Milkmen will open The Milky Way Drive-In at its home diamond.

Hosted at the team's Ballpark Commons in Franklin, the new drive-in movie experience will screen two showings daily when the Milkmen are out of town, starting on Memorial Day weekend and running through Labor Day – with family-friendly flicks set for the early shows and more adult-oriented entertainment for the evening showings as well as a weekly late-night feature in the works.

The drive-in will house 150 vehicles, all gazing together at a 40-foot LED screen, with audio provided by FM frequency. As for movie snacks, the stadium will serve classic park food and drink using a car-hop delivery system, in addition to bringing in a rotating assortment of food trucks and food partners to sate most cravings. 

"Given our current shared challenge in combating COVID-19 via social distancing, the drive-in concept is a great way to gradually and safely 'return to community,'" said Mike Zimmerman, CEO of ROC Ventures, developer of the Ballpark Commons mixed-use development and owner of the Milwaukee Milkmen, in a release. "The Milky Way Drive-In offers a terrific food-and-entertainment ‘night out’ experience in a safe environment."

Night one of the new drive-in will roll film on Friday, May 22. As for now, the official showtimes, prices and, most important of all, movie selections will be announced at a later date, so stay tuned to OnMilwaukee for more updates – and we'll see you at the movies.