Harvest Moon Drive-In reopens, McHenry drive-in to follow
Drive-in movie theaters got a lot more attention in 2020, when COVID-19 made many indoor entertainment options impossible.
And, as many movie fans continue to avoid indoor theaters, drive-ins appear to be heading into 2021 with similar strength.
Harvest Moon Drive-In in Gibson City, Illinois, opens Friday, due to recent mild weather and the continued shuttering of many other entertainment options.
McHenry’s Outdoor Drive-In Theater also has announced it will reopen April 30 for the season.
“It’s gonna be a nice mixture of new movies, old movies, live music events, on-screen music events, sporting events and a bunch of other stuff we’ve never even done before, so it’s going to be a little crazy this year but it should be a lot of fun,” Harvest Moon general manager Ben Harroun said in a Facebook Live post.
The movies shown on opening weekend will be “Tom and Jerry” (rated PG) on screen 1 and “The Croods: A New Age” (rated PG).
Over the winter, Harvest Moon installed an online ticket service for reservations. Harroun said the theater will still save 30-40 spots on each screen for in-person ticket buyers and pass-holders.
“The Harroun family officially purchased the land the drive-in sits on in 2020 with a vow to keep it open for future generations,” according to the Harvest Moon website.
Harvest Moon Twin Drive-In Movie Theatre is at 1175 S Sangamon Ave., Gibson City, Illinois. The box office opens at 6:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Tickets are $8 for adults; $7 for children ages 4-11; $10 for reserved parking; $5 for a vehicle food permit. Call 815-268-4000 or go to harvestmoondrivein.com/.
McHenry Outdoor Drive-In Theater opens for the season April 30 and May 1 with “Jaws” (rated PG) and “Twister” (rated PG-13).
McHenry Outdoor Drive-In Theater is at 1510 Chapel Hill Road, McHenry, Illinois. Box office opens at 6:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Tickets are $12 for adults; $6 for military/seniors and children. Call 847-362-3011 or go to facebook.com/mchenryoutdoor/. Other Chicagoland, northwest Indiana, and southern Wisconsin drive-ins, including Midway Drive-In in Dixon and Route 34 Drive-In Theatre in Earlville, both in Illinois; Sky-Vu Drive In in Monroe, Wisconsin; and 49er Drive-in Theatre in Valparaiso, Indiana, have not yet announced their reopening plans.
Wendy Fox Weber is entertainment editor and columnist for the Lake County News-Sun, the Beacon-News, the Daily Southtown, Naperville Sun, the Post-Tribune, the Courier-News and Pioneer Press. She can be reached at wweber@tribpub.com.