Penn’s Peak was lucky enough to hold small shows during most of the pandemic while complying with restrictions. But visits from the big touring acts all but stopped.

“We worked with whatever the restrictions were at the time and still had shows. They weren’t our typical 1,800-plus concerts with national touring artists. We instead supported local bands and tribute acts. We were not only able to support those bands but we were also able to keep some of our employees working,” said Krysta Fink, the venue’s marketing manager.

Venues across the country were among the hardest-hit businesses during the pandemic. So a COVID relief package passed in December contained a special program aimed at concert halls, theaters and museums.

The Shuttered Venue Operators grant allowed those entities to receive grants worth up to 45 percent of their 2019 revenue, with a maximum of $10 million.

After a slow rollout process, the U.S. Small Business Administration announced last week that it has awarded $7.5 billion in grants to venues across the country.

Penn’s Peak was awarded $1.6 million; Mauch Chunk Opera House, $168,164; and Albrightsville-based SJ Presents, $1.7 million.

The largest grants, of $10 million, went to museums like the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the producers of musicals like “Hamilton.” Two venues in Pennsylvania received $10 million, the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia and Sight & Sound Productions in Lancaster County.

The application website for the program didn’t debut until April. And after issues it was delayed another two weeks. Fink said the application process was “extensive.”

As of June 4, only 50 grants had been awarded.

Many venues had to be creative to make up the lost revenue. Northampton’s Roxy Theatre, which is in line for $171,543 in grants, hosted private watch parties, sold their old movie posters, and even allowed people to celebrate milestones on the marquee to help bring in money amid pandemic restrictions.

But the main thing that got the theater through the pandemic was using money saved for a renovation project.

“I was one of the luckier ones, fortunately I had this contingency fund and came up with other ways to get some income that helped us get through to this point,” said Roxy owner Rick Wolfe.

While he hasn’t yet received the funds, Wolfe welcomed the news that the federal government will come through with COVID relief funds.

The Roxy made it through the pandemic using money Wolfe planned to use for construction. After 51 years owning the theater, he wants to make it more suited for live performances.

“The stage is going to play a more important role in the future,” he said.

Wolfe said the Roxy hasn’t received the grant funds yet, but he plans to use them to cover operating expenses. Then he can use ticket sales to rebuild his savings.

Movie theaters face a continuing challenge with studios releasing a lot of films directly to streaming services the same day they come out in theaters.

“It has been a slow startup for theaters. We are not out of the woods yet,” Wolfe said.

Penn’s Peak, which also hasn’t yet received its grant funding, is still determining exactly how it will use it. Finke said it will likely include covering operating expenses dating back to 2020. And this fall they plan to welcome back some of the big touring acts like Trace Adkins, Josh Turner and Marty Stuart.

Fink said the response from fans has been largely positive throughout the pandemic.

“It wasn’t easy but I think we can collectively look back at how we handled everything and be proud of what we were able to do,” she said.