PEORIA, Ill. — The closest drive-in theater to Peoria is over 40 miles away.
The Peoria Park District hopes to change that — at least, on a makeshift basis — this summer.
“We’re looking at a Movies in the Park opportunity, where we would bring people in for drive-in movies across the district, to engage different parts of our Park District family,” said Executive Director Emily Cahill.
“We could use Detweiller for a large scale drive-in, or Sommer Farm for that same experience.”
Cahill said other parks could also be used, and the district wants to begin the program at the start of August.
The district last week announced the cancellation of myriad Riverfront events because of uncertainty over what the COVID-19 situation will look like as summer progresses.
Cahill said the situation has given the Park District an opportunity to innovate.
“Trying to engage people in some of the things they’re used to from the Park District, but in a new way. Trying to give them new ways to play as much as possible,” she said.
She called it a “thoughtful approach to slowly reopening amenities and programming, based upon what the rules allow.”
District-sanctioned golf and the Peoria Zoo have resumed operations, and Cahill added the district was still hoping initiatives like Yoga in the Park and the Peoria Playhouse Children’s Museum would be able to resume in 2020.
