Photo courtesy by U.P. Film Union The Upper Peninsula Film Union will host two more movie events to conclude this season’s showings at the Highway 2 Community Drive-In Theater in Manistique. The first movie event will be at 9 p.m. Eastern time Saturday with a showing of “Batman” (1989). The second movie event will be on Saturday, Oct. 28, with trunk-or-treating before movie screenings.

MANISTIQUE — Enjoy a “dark night” of Batman at the only drive-in movie theater in the Upper Peninsula.

The sixth annual Labor Day movie event will begin at 9 p.m. Eastern time on Saturday, at the Highway 2 Community Drive-In Theater in Manistique.

Gates will open at 7 p.m. with “Batman” (1989) being screened at 9 p.m., followed by “The Dark Knight” (2008) at 11:10 p.m.

Eric Sherbinow of the U.P. Film Union said the drive-in now has a projector that provides a drive-in theater quality image.

“In previous years we were limited to projectors that weren’t quite bright enough. They did the job but the image was obviously lacking,” Sherbinow said in an email. “This spring we held a fundraiser to buy a new projector and to repaint the screen. We were able to get the projector but getting the screen painted is proving to be a challenge.”

He said that the drive-in still needs to raise some money for repainting the screen but will most likely wait until next year.

“The new projector has made a huge difference and people who have attended in previous years should notice it,” Sherbinow said.

This year’s sponsor for the movie event is Semco Energy Gas Company. Sherbinow said sponsors are key to the movie events because they pay for the film licensing that is required to show movies to the public. This also means that admission is free.

“Since there are no admission charges we feel that people are more willing to spend money in the concession stand, which is always run by other nonprofit groups,” Sherbinow said. “We have helped other nonprofit groups from around the region raise nearly $30,000 over the last eight seasons. We are a nonprofit ourselves and we love the idea that the Highway 2 Community Drive-In Theater can bring so much joy to those who attend as well as help other groups raise funds.”

He said plans are already being made for next year and welcoming sponsorship inquiries.

“We still have to seek some (sponsors) out but more and more businesses, both small mom-and-pops as well as corporations, from around the region are expressing the desire to sponsor events,” Sherbinow said.

Although the drive-in doesn’t have many rules, the most important one Sherbinow said attendees should know is how to turn headlights and daytime running lights off before coming to the theater. He said headlights are the theater’s “single biggest problem.”

“Headlights wash out the image on the screen and many modern cars have lights that come on when the car is running,” Sherbinow said. “People run their cars to keep the battery charged or to warm up if the air gets cold. On many vehicles, the automatic headlights will shut off if the parking brake is applied.”

He said bringing a portable FM radio is a good idea for attendees worried about their car’s battery life or who would like to sit outside. Lawn chairs outside of vehicles or near the screen are permitted.

“Pets are discouraged but are allowed as long as they are well behaved, on a leash and always under adult control,” Sherbinow said. “Attendees should also park so that two vehicles can fit between the parking posts.”

Anyone sitting outside is advised to bring bug spray and blankets.

“Be courteous to others (and) have fun,” Sherbinow said. “That is the most important thing.”

After the Labor Day weekend movie event, the last event at the theater will be Fright Night, which will be held on Saturday, Oct. 28. This year’s Fright Night will show “The Nightmare Before Christmas” followed by the 2013 remake of “Carrie.”

“(Fright Night) is probably our biggest event of the year. We start things off with a trunk-or-treat where an incredible amount of people decorate their vehicles and pass out candy to the hundreds of kids who come from all over the area,” Sherbinow said. “Since they aren’t walking around on the streets, it provides a safe place for the kids to do some trick-or-treating in their costumes. It really is a ton of fun for everyone.”

The Highway 2 Community Drive-In Theater is located on U.S. 2 across from the Schoolcraft County Airport east of Manistique.

“We are so happy to provide the drive-in movie experience to so many people and we are so happy to be keeping this theater alive and helping to create drive-in movie memories for another generation of moviegoers,” Sherbinow said.

For more information on the drive-in theater, go to upfilmunion.org.