Outdoor Cinema Events Can Easily End by Midnight

We all know summer is the best time for outdoor cinema — warm nights, long days, movies in the park and the backyard. But do those long summer days run too long to fit an outdoor movie between dusk and midnight? We wondered too, so we did some basic research to see whether you can watch a feature-length movie before midnight on the longest day of the year, June 21, the summer solstice. Bellingham, Washington is one of the farthest-north points in the contiguous United States, and there the sun sets around 9:17 pm on June 21 — so even a 90-minute feature wraps up around midnight. (North of the Arctic Circle you’ll be dealing with the midnight sun, but for the rest of us, there’s no worry about guests leaving early.)

Timing Your Outdoor Cinema

Most of the year, a two-hour feature at your outdoor cinema finishes before 10 pm, and across the contiguous United States that’s true nearly year-round. Every drive-in owner in America already knows this — drive-ins usually open only in nice weather, and in some places that means summer only. Tourists spending a summer night at the movies after a day of hiking still get home before midnight.

Enjoy Outdoor Cinema as a Family

So there’s your answer: even in the depths of summer, you can easily wrap up your outdoor movie before midnight. Set out some chairs, fire up the grill, and spend your summer evenings entertaining friends and family with outdoor cinema under the stars.