LITCHFIELD - The Litchfield Skyview Drive-In will be decked out in pink next weekend for a Barbie-themed party and screening of the 2023 “Barbie” movie.
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Doors open at 7 p.m. on both Aug. 25 and 26. The movie starts at dusk, around 8:30 p.m. While they wait, moviegoers can enjoy a raffle, photo backdrops, “Barbie”-themed cups and several live Barbies available for photos. Both nights will end with a double feature of “Barbie” and “Legally Blonde.”
“With the drive-in and it not being a normal theater, my goal is to start making movies like a party,” owner Chelsey Semplowski said. “I’d like to do different things each weekend to tie in with the movie that we’ll be playing…[instead of] just coming and sitting in your car and waiting for the movie to start.”
The drive-in’s play area will have several pink and purple balls for kids to play with, and the raffle will include a basket of products targeted toward women and another basket for younger girls. All ages are welcome, though Semplowski notes that “Barbie” is rated PG-13, so some parents might decide to skip the party and check out Skyview’s list of upcoming movies instead.
“If they want to bring their daughters, they’re more than welcome to. If they don’t want to, that’s completely understandable, too,” she added. “We’re not forcing it on anybody. It’s open and you just do what you want to do.”
For those looking for a fun, more grown-up night, Skyview will show “Barbie” and "Magic Mike" on Aug. 18 and 19. The drive-in often tries to appeal to wide audiences; they recently showed “Haunted Mansion” followed by “The Boogeyman,” so families could enjoy the first movie but leave before the more intense horror film if they wanted. Semplowski suggests that people could do the same thing this weekend, or gather a group of adults for a “girls’ night.”
“We’re not like, ‘Bring your 6-year-old daughter out to watch ‘Magic Mike.’ That is not what we’re for,” Semplowski said. “We love showing family movies. Almost every weekend, we have shown a family movie…I have three children, so keeping it family-oriented is a huge deal for me. But who doesn’t want a girls’ night fun time, right?
Semplowski owns the drive-in with her brother and her husband, and they plan to hold more events like the Barbie Party in the future. They offered special cups for their showings of “Haunted Mansion,” and they plan to have themed cups and popcorn buckets for “Blue Beetle” when it comes to the theater in September. They also recently rebranded their Skyview Cafe, which now offers pizza and mini tacos.
Some bigger events are planned for next month. On Sept. 14, the drive-in will host a car show sponsored by Windy City Cannabis, followed by a screening of “Grease.” Semplowski’s family also owns Victory Lane Ford, Inc., so they plan to host the business’s 25th anniversary party at Skyview in October with a food truck, band, dunk tank and vendors.
To find a full schedule of movies and events, visit Skyview’s official website or Facebook page.
“We have no idea if this is going to be a huge hit or not. We’re super excited though, either way,” Semplowski said of the Barbie Party. “We definitely don’t want to lose the movie aspect of it, but there’s just such an open space that we can do so much fun stuff down there and still incorporate a movie with it. We’re really looking forward to all of it.”
You can learn more about the Barbie Party at the official Facebook event. Tickets to the Barbie Party are available online at their official website or at the gate for $7. Kids under age 5 are always free.
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