It’s that time of year where everybody likes to do everything outside. Between cookouts, yard games, outdoor concerts and just playing at the park, there’s no better time to get out and take in some fresh air.
Thanks to Concord Parks and Recreation in partnership with Red River Theatres, you can add family movie nights to the list of things you can do outside when Movies in the Park returns for the summer.
The first event is dubbed “Splash & Sing!” Next Wednesday, June 27, Rollins Park will show the movie Sing after holding a little splash party at the park’s pool. The Splash Bash, as it’s called, will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at the pool. This bash will be open for kids ages 10 to 14 with a limit of 100 participants. The movie will be shown at dusk and is open to all ages. And, of course, it’s all free.
Then, on July 11, a Wednesday, Zootopia will be shown at Keach Park at dusk. That movie – another animated starring animals – is also open to all ages and is free.
In both cases, the movies will be shown on a screen out in the park. If you’re not familiar with either park, they’re pretty flat, so seating is kind of a big deal.
My daughter, wife and myself went to see Moana at Rollins last year, and even though we got there about 20 minutes before the movie started, the lawn was already really crowded and we ended up sitting quite a ways away from the screen.
The more seasoned pros out there had lawn chairs, and therefore a better line of sight to the screen. We just had a blanket on the ground and we had to move a few times for better views.
Another thing to prepare for is bugs. Since both of these events will take place outside on summer evenings, there’s a good chance the mosquitoes will be catching the movies, too, and you’ll want to bring some spray just in case.
You can also feel free to bring snacks, soft drinks and whatever else will help you get comfortable for a night at the park. You may want to bring a blanket along with your lawn chairs in case it gets chilly, or if the little ones start to doze off.
Either way, with free movies under the open summer sky, how can you go wrong?
