Erin: THERE'S PROBABLY NO
IMAGE MORE ROMANTIC THAN
SUMMERTIME WITH FRIENDS FAMILY
OR SPECIAL SOMEONE.
THAT'S WHY I'M HERE AT GIBSON
CITY HARVEST MOON DRIVE-IN
THEATER WITH THE GENERAL MANAGER
BEN.
IT'S BEEN AN INTERESTING TIME
BUT PROBABLY A GOOD TIME TO BE A
DRIVE-IN THEATER.
WITH CORONAVIRUS, YOU'VE BEEN
ABLE TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
Guest: YEAH, WE'RE ONE OF
THE LAST IN TOWN AND WE'RE IN A
PLACE WE NEVER EXPECTED TO BE
AT.
IF YOU WOULD HAVE TOLD ME FIVE
YEARS AGO, HEY, THERE'S NOT
GOING TO BE A COUNTY FAIR, OR
MOVIE THEATERS OPEN.
IT'S GOING TO BE HARD TO GO TO
THE BARS, SEE LIVE MUSIC, ANY OF
THE THINGS WE ARE ACCUSTOMED TO,
I'D BE LIKE GET OUT OF HERE!
ARE YOU HAD KIDDING ME?
AND NOW, WE'RE THE DE-FACTO HOT
SPOT BECAUSE WE ARE ALLOWED TO
BE OPEN AND HAVE BUILT-IN SOCIAL
DISTANCING AND A NICE WAY TO
OPERATE WITH THE PANDEMIC GOING
ON.
Erin: I KNOW MOVIES ON THE
SILVER SCREEN WAS NOT WHAT IT
WAS BEFORE THE PANDEMIC.
MOVIES ARE NOT COMING OUT AS
OFTEN.
BUT YOU GUYS ARE WORKING AROUND
THAT.
HOW SO?
WHAT KIND OF MOVIES ARE YOU
SHOWING?
Guest: WE TOOK A UNIQUE
APPROACH, WE SCOURED THE LAST 30
YEARS WE'VE BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR
WHAT BROUGHT PEOPLE OUT?
WHAT DO PEOPLE WANT TO SEE?
WE'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH THE
PLAY LIST OF SOME OF THE STUFF
WE'VE PLAYED AND OTHER STUFF WE
NEVER HAD THE CHANCE TO PLAY.
LAST WEEK WE HAD THE "EMPIRE
STRIKES BACK" FROM "STAR WARS."
THAT HASN'T BEEN ALLOWED SINCE
1997.
WE'RE ECSTATIC ABOUT THAT.
WE'VE BROUGHT FAN FAVORITES AND
RETRO FAVORITE STUFF.
WE'D LOVE TO SHOW YOU NEW
MOVIES, BUT SINCE THEY'RE NOT
RELEASED NOW, WE'RE DOING THE
NEXT BEST THING AS WELL AS WITH
ON-SCREEN CONCERTS AND LIVE
IN-PERSON CONCERTS AND ADAPTING
TO THE ENVIRONMENT TO BRING
ENTERTAINMENT OPTIONS WHEN
THEY'RE LIMITED.
Erin: YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN IN
GIBSON CITY SINCE THE '50s.
YOU'VE SURVIVED A LONG TIME IN
THIS COMMUNITY AND SERVED THIS
COMMUNITY FOR A LONG TIME.
WHAT IS IT LIKE?
AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU
PERSONALLY TO BE AN OPTION FOR
PEOPLE IN CENTRAL ILLINOIS?
Guest: WE'RE HAPPY TO BE
HERE.
OUR FANS IS WHAT HAS KEPT US
GOING.
THERE'S SEVERAL YEARS WE HAVEN'T
MADE MONEY, WHERE THE PLACE HAS
COME CLOSE TO CLOSING FIVE TIMES
IN THE LAST 30 YEARS OR SO.
AND EACH TIME WE TOOK A HARD
LOOK LIKE WHAT ARE WE DOING THIS
FOR?
TO MAKE A PROFIT, OR FOR THE
COMMUNITY TO KEEP THE DRIVE-IN
EXPERIENCE ALIVE?
THAT'S WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO.
SO HERE WE ARE AGAIN.
AND IN THE SAME BOAT WE JUST
KEEP COMING BACK TO.
AND WE'RE STILL OPEN.
WE'RE STILL SHOWING MOVIES AND
BEING AN ENTERTAINMENT OPTION
AND ALLOWING PEOPLE TO MAKE
MEMORIES THAT THEY ARE
ABSOLUTELY GOING TO REMEMBER
LATER.
THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO TELL YOU
THE MOVIE OR WHAT THE WEATHER
WAS LIKE UNLESS IT WAS SOMETHING
CRAZY LIKE A TORNADO.
BUT THEY WILL BE ABLE TO TELL
YOU WHO THEY WERE WITH, AND
THOSE MEMORIES THAT THEY HAD
SHARED UNDERNEATH THE STARRY
SKIES AT THE DRIVE-IN.
Erin: AND MAYBE EVEN WHAT
THEY ATE.
BECAUSE YOU HAVE COOL
CONCESSIONS HERE.
WHAT ARE OPTIONS FOR PEOPLE AND
PRECAUTIONS IN PLACE?
Guest: FOOD-WISE, WE HAVE
EVERYTHING THAT YOU WOULD EXPECT
FROM A REGULAR MOVIE THEATER
FROM POPCORN, CANDY.
BUT WE HAVE A UNIQUE AMOUNT OF
STUFF, DIPPING DOTS ICE CREAM,
FROZEN BANANAS, COOKIE DOUGH AND
MINI DOUGHNUTS AND BURGER BAR,
WE HAVE THE CARNIVAL-STYLE FOOD,
ELEPHANT EAR OR FUNNEL CAKES AND
YOU CAN'T GET ANYTHING, YOU CAN
COME TO THE DRIVE-IN AND ENJOY A
MOVIE AND GET ITEMS WHERE YOU
CAN'T FIND THEM HARDLY ANYWHERE
NOW.
EVEN THE DEEP FRIED CORN DOGS,
WHICH ARE A STAPLE IN ILLINOIS.
Erin: PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE
MISSING OUT WITH THE FAIR
SHUTTING DOWN.
I'M GLAD THEY CAN GET IT HERE.
FOR THE LINES, ARE PEOPLE SOCIAL
DISTANCING?
Guest: WE HAVE PEOPLE
KEEPING THE SIX-FOOT SOCIAL
DISTANCE IN LINE.
MASKS ARE MANDATORY IF YOU'RE IN
LINE IF YOU'RE ABLE TO WEAR ONE.
SMALL CHILDREN DON'T HAVE TO
HAVE ONE.
OLDER PEOPLE THAT HAVE BREATHING
ISSUES, THEY'RE NOT HAVING TO
HAVE ONE ON.
BUT MOST PEOPLE ARE COGNIZANT OF
WHAT IS GOING ON AND THEY'RE
RESPECTFUL AND THEY'RE WEARING
MASK AND KEEPING DISTANCE IN
LINE!
WE HAVE HAND SANITIZING STATIONS
OUTSIDE THE WINDOWS SO PEOPLE
CAN USE THE HAND SANITIZER AFTER
EACH TRANSACTION.
THE SAME WITH OUR STAFF.
THEY'RE MASKED, GLOVED.
AND WE'RE KEEPING EVERYBODY AS
SAFE AS POSSIBLE AND STILL BEING
ABLE TO OFFER OPTIONS FOR
ENTERTAINMENT.
Erin: BEN, THANK YOU SO
MUCH!
THIS IS SUCH A GREAT OPTION
RIGHT NOW FOR PEOPLE LOOKING TO
GET OUT AND HAVE SOME FUN AND DO
SO IN A SAFE MANNER.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HARVEST
MOON, WE'LL CONNECT YOU GUYS TO
THEIR WEBSITE ONLINE AT
www.CILiving.tv.
YOU CAN CHECK OUT MOVIES AND
EVENTS COMING UP THEN.