For example, earlier this summer, the city offered a drive-in concert featuring the Kentucky Headhunters, and there are plans for more, according to tourism commission Executive Director Becky Geary.

“That was such a hit,” she said. “It is much easier to social distance and follow the guidelines if you have an automobile between you. So that will be our main focus right now — try to have the best of both worlds in these times. Have entertainment, and still be safe.”

She said the drive-in concert went well. People were compliant and happy to have something to do, which is important during such a difficult time.

As far as the Beaver Dam Amphitheater goes, several concerts had to be canceled or postponed due to the virus.

Heath Eric, who books and schedules entertainment for the venue, said there are still two shows coming up in the fall that were originally scheduled for earlier this year, and he is hopeful they will still be able to have them.

A Casting Crowns concert is planned for Sept. 4, and Tanya Tucker on Oct. 2. The other big event that was scheduled for this summer was the city’s annual 80s Rock The Dam Fest, which was canceled due to the headlining act deciding not to have any performances for the remainder of this year.

“We have been very proactive in this working with Beaver Dam and all parties,” Eric said. “We developed a thorough plan shortly after COVID-19 hit, and we worked to adjust that as we learn more day-to-day and week-to-week. We have a comprehensive plan we are implementing with the hopes of still doing the shows still scheduled.”

The Beaver Dam Amphitheater, which opened its gates in 2014 in the city’s 33-acre park, and the Ray Chapman Sports Complex, which opened in 2012, have brought a lot of people to the area. Each season, the amphitheater has offered big concerts, like the late John Prine and Old Crow Medicine Show, and has drawn people from all 50 states and nine countries.

Helping to make the facility a reality was the Beaver Dam Tourism Commission’s establishment of a restaurant tax that garners an average of $450,000 per year. It’s with those funds the commission continues to attract regular acts to the area that bring in the people who are interested in shopping locally.

Darren Risinger, chairman of the Beaver Dam Tourism Commission, said that even with restaurants being forced to closed in March by order of the governor, the city did see an impact, but it wasn’t as bad as he and other commission members expected.

“A lot of us on the tourism board were thinking it would be way worse,” he said. “We really anticipated a huge drop, like by two-thirds or something, but it wasn’t that bad.”

Typically the city garners from $38,000 to $42,000 a month with the tax. With restaurants being closed to in-person dining, Risinger said the commission has only seen numbers drop by a few thousand.

He attributes the lack of a huge loss due to the small community coming together in the time of a worldwide crisis.

“Small communities pull together and adapt and overcome,” he said. “Everybody was doing their share and supporting these small businesses by getting take-out.”

Geary said the commission is expecting to release some news soon about upcoming shows, but that it’s been difficult to schedule events for next year while the virus is still wreaking havoc in the U.S.

A lot of performers are reaching out and saying they would be interested in a show if the tourism commission would be interested in having them, she said, but a lot of artists are also reluctant to book events at this time.

“We don’t want to book them and then have to get everyone’s hopes up and turn around and have to cancel,” Geary said. “It’s a waiting game.”

She thinks the drive-in performance option is going to thrive because it’s the safest way to continue having performances.

She wants the community to remain patient and know that the tourism commission is working on options.

“We want to provide everyone with a good time, but we want everyone to be safe and healthy at the same time,” Geary said. “When we do announce a show, when we do say we are going to have something, know we are doing everything in our power to keep you healthy and safe when you come to our events.”