Outdoor movies in the park are popping up all over the Bay Area. Just about everyone in California is looking to cut their costs without sacrificing family time, and this is a perfect opportunity to do just that. Most of these screenings are family-friendly favorites that kids and adults with both enjoy. And even better: these outdoor cinema screenings are free or way cheap. Located in three different cities, there is sure to be a movie in the park near you.
Pleasanton’s “Free Movies in the Park”:
“School of Rock” will be screening on Aug. 6 in Delucchi Park, followed by “Raiders of the Lost Ark” on Aug. 20. The park opens to the public at 4 p.m., screening time is approximately 8:30 p.m. The outdoor movie is free – plus free popcorn, courtesy of Thriving Ink.
Walnut Creek’s “Movies Under the Stars”:
“Kung Fu Panda” will be the outdoor film shown on Aug. 15 at Heather Farm Park, Ballfield #1. “Marley & Me” will be shown on Sept. 12. Films will begin at dusk and this outdoor cinema is another freebie.
Oakland -“Fourth Friday Music & Movies”
Oakland’s Dunsmuir Hellman Historic Estate hosts “Fourth Friday Music & Movies.” They’ll be screening “A Little Princess” on Aug. 28, and “Finding Neverland” on Sept. 25. Gates open at 6 p.m., movie starts at dusk. It’s $5 per person, which is still better than taking your whole family to the movie theater! And who doesn’t love watching outdoor movies under the stars? It’s a steal.
Watching an outdoor movie in the evening has to be one of the great hallmarks of summer. It feels quaint and nostalgic; it feels like exactly what you should be doing on a warm summer night—sitting on blankets on a lush, grassy lawn with ice cream or a picnic dinner watching an old movie under the stars.
The Oakland Liberation Drive-In followed up their first guerrilla movie screening on March 20th with an even bigger show on May 22nd. After the cops showed up at the scheduled location on Broadway, the outdoor venue was moved to Harrison Street, where 50 or more folks watched video from numerous direct action resistance movements around the globe, from Mexico to Greece to Oakland and San Francisco. A piñata of an OPD cruiser put a smile on everyone’s face as it was smashed, stomped, and burned. Three actual OPD rollers showed up, stepped out of their cars to watch the scene from across the street, and then were diverted when an unrelated hit and run vehicular accident happened about a half block up the street.
