"Wilsonic" (wilsonic)
09/05/2015 at 18:21 • Filed to: None
2
0|
"Wilsonic" (wilsonic)
09/05/2015 at 18:21 • Filed to: None | 2
| 0 |
The Big M Restaurant and Drive-In served burgers, showed drive-in movies and hosted hot rods for 53 years in Churchville, Maryland. In 2005, The Big M reluctantly closed their doors wanting to continue but conceded to financial difficulties. However, the residents of Harford County never stopped appreciating hot rods or a good time and on September 5 th , 2015, the spirit of the Big M was very briefly revived.
To understand what a big deal the revival was for people in the area, you have to understand what a hub of activity the drive-in used to be. The Big M was one of the first drive-in movie theaters built in the greater Baltimore area and remained one of the last operating drive in theaters until their closing. People came to the Big M just for the experience of a drive in movie, even if they didn’t like classic cars all that much. For those who did like hot rods, you could get your fill of them just about every Friday or Saturday as seen in the picture below from the drive-in’s better days.
They also hosted the Big M Bash once every year, using the surrounding farm land to show cars and host vendors. They even had live music and fireworks for the Bash, and the event was very popular among Harford County residents. However, the Big M closed its doors in 2005. Part-owner at the time of closing Karen Zellman summed up her feelings about it to the Baltimore Sun shortly after closing. “I have been hurting physically since I had to close the restaurant. And knowing that we’re not opening the drive-in, that’s probably another stone that’s very hard to swallow. ... I just thought it would never end.”
Today, the Big M is now a garden center. The original building still stands as an echo of an era gone by. In the above picture, you can see the ticket booth at the very right. Beyond the ticket booth you can witness nature reclaiming the area that used to be the drive-in theater. Panels that once hosted the faces of movie stars are slowly finding their way to the ground as the screen itself deteriorates.
After the Big M closed, Harford County hot rodders struggled to find a regular meeting spot. Tenants of shopping districts would reluctantly host car enthusiasts until the inevitable burnout or crash would scare them away from the idea of giving gearheads a place to meet. Car enthusiasts still find places to meet in the area but if you listen close enough as you walk around, you can hear people say “hey, do you remember the Big M? I miss those days.”
In the past couple of years, those who missed the Big M very much have been making efforts to revive the spirit of the Big M. They needed a meeting place closer to the sacred ground of the drive-in. They managed to secure permission to use the lot behind a post office that was once used for general parking of the Big M Bash. The lot was mowed, signs were made and the news was passed on through Facebook. The Big M Bash was back and people showed up by the hundreds.
Muscle cars spilled out onto the surrounding areas. People were parallel parked on the street. For those who couldn’t find a spot on the street, they parked wherever they could and walked in from a block away. It was a mess but I was glad to see such a turnout. And for those who showed up, there was good variety of cars to see.
In the spirit of the original Big M, organizers even had a move screen setup as well as a swap meet.
It was great to see cars back on sacred ground. Growing up as a kid in the 90’s, my parents took me to the Big M every weekend to facilitate my growing interest in cars. I can still remember the smell of unburnt fuel escaping from free flowing exhaust pipes on summer nights. The Big M meant a lot to me and its closing hurt. I was angry that something like the Big M couldn’t exist in today’s world. As Walmart, McDonalds and Starbucks stores began to dot the county, I could feel the area was losing its character and heritage. How could people let the Big M fail? How could people let something so special die? Was I surrounded by people whose greatest priority was to buy a Prius and shop at Target? People with no dreams or special interests who look at hot rodders and think they should be summoned before a Footloose-like tribunal? Well I got my answer, and thankfully its no. The people of Harford County remember the Big M. And they want it back.
Be sure to check out these articles below that I used for sources. The Baltimore Sun article details the Big M’s closing and Drive In Adventures took many pictures of the Big M as it sits today. Also be sure to check out the Big M Reunion Facebook page for old pictures and future events.
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2005-04-15/new…
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https://www.facebook.com/BigMBelAirDriv…