Summer 2022 can be seen as a tough one for families: COVID-19 worries still lurk about; gasoline prices are limiting travel; weekly grocery budgets are through the roof; kids are getting antsy. Fortunately, Montgomery County has an ample antidote for these ills: outdoor movies.

The projectors at these showings usually fire up after full dark, which means 8:45 p.m. or so. Of course, its best to arrive before then and stake a claim. The blow-up screens accommodate widespread sightlines, but chairs or blankets to sit on can make viewings more comfortable.

Some communities invite food trucks to stop by; others are situated near carry-out restaurants. All support bringing popcorn and nonalcoholic beverages from home.

The features lean toward kid-vid fare (Disney is omnipresent), but a few are screening PG or PG-13 films.

One downside might be mosquitos, which can be handled with applied protection (commercial or natural). But major upsides include the low cost of a night out and no sticky floors to navigate.

Families seeking a outdoor movie in a unique setting can try the retro-fun of a classic drive-in. There’s one just about an hour’s commute from Montgomery County, in Orefield, Pa.

Shankweiler’s Drive-in Theater has been in operation since 1934, making it the oldest entity of its type still drawing automobile audiences.