Movie Night With Barbie at the Ford Drive-In Theatre #DetroitFood

Four women in pink standing behind three lawn chairs with blankets and a spread of snacks at the Ford Drive-In Theatre in Dearborn, Michigan.

Grab a tub of popcorn and red velvet cake for a Detroit-style Barbie party with the BFFs

Next time you’re ready for a night out with the girls, just say when are we gonna Barbie?

That’s the power of the much-anticipated Greta Gerwig-directed movie, Barbie, which over the weekend debuted at an estimated $155 million. In what is turning out to be one of the cultural moments defining 2023, the film has prompted women and girls of all ages, races, and backgrounds to hit local theaters, bars, restaurants, cafes, downtown beach parties in their glittery pink best to celebrate womanhood and BFFs. Meanwhile, home cooks have taken to experimenting with recipes infused with beet juice, giving a whole genre of Barbie-pink pastas, hummus, dumplings, and other snacks. Even Michigan’s own Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has gotten the Barbie treatment after senior aides dressed one of the iconic dolls to look like their boss (complete with a tiny Mitten-shaped pendant around its neck).

Metro Detroit’s old-school Ford Drive-In Theatre, which sits on the Detroit-Dearborn border, was no different last weekend. Barbies showed out in oversized fuchsia-colored blazers with shoulder pads, powder pink corsets or halter tops, furry leg warmers that look like they once made a cameo at Movement, neon feather boas, even packing carafes of sangria, red velvet cakes, and pink throw blankets to enjoy the on-screen Barbiefied world. Eater stopped by the Ford Drive-In on Friday to watch the movie (of course), but also for the people watching. The scene was family-friendly and business-as-usual in the concession hut (sorry, no pink cotton candy, y’all), with hot dogs, popcorn, and other snacks on hand. But the venue, with its untouched vintage vibes, served as the idyllic backdrop to take in the action. Check out metro Detroit’s version of the Barbie World (and not a Ken in sight) in the gallery below.