Yellowknife drive-in movie cancelled over carnival clash

Plans to host a drive-in movie in Yellowknife this Friday have been scrapped after it emerged the event clashed with a carnival using parts of the same site.

Western Arctic Moving Pictures, or Wamp, had partnered with the City of Yellowknife to run a double bill of Lilo & Stitch followed by The Fifth Element. The event rapidly sold out after being announced earlier this month.

However, it then transpired that the drive-in movie’s intended venue – the parking lot at Yellowknife’s fieldhouse and multiplex – was also booked this weekend for a carnival.

The Yellowknife Fair, as organizer Wild Rose Shows is billing its carnival, is set to run from Friday until September 8.

While the two events may not have physically overlapped – carnivals have in the past used the fieldhouse parking lot, while drive-in movies have used a separate area between the fieldhouse and multiplex – Wamp’s Bran Ramsey said a workable solution couldn’t be found.

Wamp was informed by the city of the clash, Ramsey said.

“They let us know that it was double-booked and we made arrangements to work around it, but couldn’t find a solution to do so safely and also ensure the quality of sound and the picture, just competing with the lights and sound of the carnival,” Ramsey told Cabin Radio on Monday.

“It’s a bit of a bummer that it had to happen, but I think it’s just for the sake of safety. We don’t know how many people are going to be there – cars, pedestrian, lights and sounds. It made sense to cancel.”

Ticket-holders have been refunded, Wamp said.

That doesn’t mean the end of Yellowknife drive-in movies this fall, though. Ramsey is hopeful that two more shows will go ahead in future months, as Wamp and the city had tentatively planned from the start.

“We’re still hammering out the exact partnership with the city for September and October. The original plan was to do three events, so I’m hoping we can move ahead with those next two,” Ramsey said.

“Wamp has a commitment to delivering high-quality and safe events. It was a hard decision to cancel this one, but I think the next ones will be much more enjoyable, especially if we can ensure the quality of them and the safety of the people coming.”