Queens, New York: Free Outdoor Movies in Socrates Park, Long Island City

On Wednesday evenings in July and August, Socrates Sculpture Park, the Museum of the Moving Image, and Partnerships for Parks present an annual festival of open-air cinema, music, dance, and food on the Queens waterfront. Visitors can sample regional cuisine from neighborhood restaurants, picnic as the sun sets over the East River and the Manhattan skyline, enjoy performances by local musicians and dancers, and watch exceptional international films on a large-format outdoor screen. Pre-screening performances begin at 7 p.m.; films begin at sunset. Admission is free, with free parking in the adjacent Costco lot.

Socrates Sculpture Park began as an abandoned riverside landfill and illegal dumpsite, transformed in 1986 by a coalition of artists and community members under sculptor Mark di Suvero into an internationally recognized outdoor museum and park. It is open 365 days a year, located at Broadway and Vernon Boulevard.