It's Chiodo Con at the Mahoning Drive-in!
Join us Fri/Sat September 22-23, for a weekend of Critters, Klowns, and Ernest P Warrell as The Mahoning Drive-In Theater & Creature Feature Weekend team up to bring back The Chiodo Brothers for a celebration of their decades-long monsteriffic FX work, with two nights of 35mm features, a big top circus tent, vendors, costume contests, and more!
The Chiodo Brothers (Stephen, Charles and Edward) have bought stop-motion, puppetry and practical FX magic to the big and small screens since the 80s, with memorable moments in such films as PEE WEE’S BIG ADVENTURE, ROBOCOP, UHF, THE SIMPSONS, the CRITTERS series, MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON, and KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE!
We’ll be hosting the Chiodos in-person for this event, to meet fans and sell photos, merch, and autographs, next to a very rare east coast appearance of KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE film score composer - John Massari! After you meet the Chiodos and Mr. Massari in person, witness their wild work on the giant Mahoning screen!
Friday night kicks off with ERNEST SCARED STUPID (1991), in which our titular hero unwittingly unleashes hilarious Halloween horror upon a small town in the form of an evil troll, and does his bumbling best to thwart the malevolent monster invasion! Then, we enter the wild world of the interstellar big top when KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE (1988) descends upon a small town to let loose candy-colored carnival carnage!
Saturday night begins with more interplanetary invasions, when the cute and not-so-cuddly CRITTERS (1986) land in a small farm town and bring toothy red-eyed alien chaos! After that, you can’t keep an evil alien Klown down, as KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE give an encore performance!
Arrive early to meet the Chiodos and Mr. Massari, check out the vendors under the big top, boogie to the live DJ and dress up in your finest Chiodo-inspired cosplay for our nightly costume contest!
VENDORS WE NEED YOU! If you are a vendor, artist, author, craft creator, etc, then fill out an application at https://creaturefeatureweekend.com/vendor-info/
This is a rain or shine event and spots are highly limited, so apply now!
Gates open at 3pm, Showtime At Sundown.
General Ticket: $15 (per person) - General+Extended Pass: $25 (per person)
Kids Pricing (under 13yo): $10 General Ticket. $20 General+Extended. As always, Children 4 and under are FREE;)
*Extended Pass allows you to stay on the lot until Noon the following day.
See MahoningDIT.com for FAQ.
All events are Rain or Shine. No refunds or transfers.