CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The McHenry Outdoor Drive-In Theater announced that they will open for the season on Friday, May 1, immediately following Illinois' stay-at-home order.
The drive-in theater made the announcement on Facebook, saying the opening weekend, May 1 and May 2, with be a "Prehistoric Weekend" in which the theater will play "The Flintstones" followed by "Jurassic Park."
Owner Scott Dehn said he has been "working hand-in-hand with the proper government authorities in developing a comprehensive plan and procedures guideline necessary for us to not only open, but to operate in the most safe and sanitary way possible for you, our customers, as well as my employees. I have promised to always remain transparent in my efforts so that you can be knowledgeable and confident in your decision to visit us. I believe it also important to note just how quickly things can change. Should there be any governmental or health guideline changes that we cannot for any reason adhere to, I will notify you immediately and I will cease operations immediately, if necessary, and convene with the proper authorities once again."
The theater will have several precautions and proactive steps in place to make sure everyone who attends remains safe. These include:
- Vehicles will be spaced out 10’-15’+ from other vehicles in order to allow for proper social distancing. We used to park 2 cars in-between speaker poles. We will now only park one in the center of the poles. Patrons will not be allowed to sit outside their vehicle to view the movies. We are also asking for customers to remain inside their vehicles at all times, or at least as much as possible. We will not be enforcing vehicle height/speaker pole color parking protocol. I am going to have to rely on all of you to do your best to find a parking spot in which you have the best view. That should not be difficult since a sell-out will now be at 300 vehicles rather than the typical 750 cars. This is another reason to arrive early.
- We will not have our concession stand or kitchen accessible to the public. However, we may be able to offer something akin to "curb-side pick-up" where we would use our golf cart to deliver you your snacks. I'll keep you updated on that.
- Restrooms (as well as various locations on the property) will have hand sanitizer and plenty of soap available in convenient locations. The restrooms will be cleaned and sanitized thoroughly at multiple times during the evening- at least every 15 minutes. There will be a bathroom attendant on staff whose sole job is to limit the bodies in the restrooms in order to adhere to social distancing guidelines (bathroom attendant will have on a mask and gloves at all times.) There will also be dispensers for “toilet seat guards” in every bathroom stall that we encourage you to use. Port-A-Potties will no longer be used here for the time being. However, I will have additional outdoor handwashing stations available.
- We will all be working in segmented shifts (3 shifts per night as well as one day on, one day off). All employees will be wearing and changing gloves as well as performing mandatory handwashing sessions at least every 15-20 minutes. Employees will not be allowed to eat at the facility.
- We will be heavily stocked on hand soap and sanitizer. Masks and/or gloves will also be made available to the public if you would like them.
- We will still rent out radios, but it will be done at the Box Office. When we collect them at the end of the evening, we will wipe them down with sanitary wipes and place them in a plastic container for one week in an effort to disinfect them thoroughly before they get re-used. I would highly recommend bringing your own radio (it will also save you $5.00 rental fee).
- Employees will be wearing long-sleeve t-shirts and hats. We will use a different color combination for Friday and Saturday night and expand upon that once we're open all week. That way – if an employee works a consecutive Friday and Saturday – I will know that they are not wearing the same shirt and hat two days in a row (without washing them).
"Trust me- there is a lot more I have set in place for everyone's protection. I want everyone to feel confident that this is the safest, most sanitary way to not just enjoy a movie during these difficult times, but to actually enjoy being outside on a beautiful Spring/Summer/Fall night," Dehn said. "With everything that we've been going through? We deserve at least that. I hope you have the faith in me to have your's and my employees' health and best interests at heart. It would mean a lot to all of us to have your support this season. We need you. Thank you all so much for everything. I will continue to keep you posted."
In an updated post, Dehn reminded patrons to arrive early to ensure a parking spot.
"Our maximum capacity during the COVID- 19 pandemic will only be 350 vehicles as opposed to the regular 750 vehicles. Our Box Office opens at approximately 6:30 PM during business days (Friday and Saturday only from May 1st through Thursday, May 22nd and 7 days/week beginning Friday, May 23rd )," Dehn wrote in the post.
He also reminded patrons that they must stay within the confines of their vehicles as much as possible.
"We will be adhering to a pretty strict 'Stay In Car' rule. You may lay in the bed of your truck or in the back of a van. You may not sit outside of your vehicle. If you choose to sit in the bed of your truck or in the back of your vehicle with the hatch up, you will be required to wear face masks."
The McHenry Outdoor Drive-In Theater encourages the use of facemasks. If you would like one, please let the theater know.
Ticket stubs will not be given out at the Box Office in an effort to restrict any possibility of cross-contamination. Dehn said the theater will also not be turning on the speakers on the poles.
"Once a speaker would be placed inside a vehicle, it would have to be sanitized. Sanitizing it thoroughly takes exactly one week, so we are encouraging you strongly to bring your own radio or listen to the movies on 89.9 FM from inside your car. I have also installed 4 exterior speakers on the Concession and Projection buildings. This should also help you to hear the broadcasted sounds of the evening," Dehn said.
And while the concession stand will be closed to the public, the theater will be offering cheeseburgers, hot dogs, popcorn, jumbo pretzels, and nachs. They will also offer a variety of candy and bottled beverages from two different beverage and snack carts in the exterior parking lot.
"Thank you in advance, everyone, for your cooperation. We can all have a good time, but we must do it responsibly," Dehn said.
