Summer vacation is pretty much here, which means it’s time for the Movies in the Park series to kick off.
Beginning this Friday with 2019’s reboot of “The Lion King,” the series will feature six films shown free at Durango Community Recreation Center and, new this year, at Buckley Park.
Movies in the Park
The free Movies in the Park series will kick off Friday at Buckley Park with the 2019 version of “The Lion King.” Here’s the schedule:
Buckley Park, 1200 Main Ave.
Friday: “The Lion King” (2019).
July 2: “The Sandlot.”
Aug. 6: “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.”
Durango Community Recreation Center (lawn), 2700 Main Ave.
June 18: “Frozen II.”
July 16: “Finding Nemo.”
Aug. 20: “The Karate Kid” (1984).
Bring your blankets and chairs. Popcorn and drinks will be available for purchase. Movies will begin 15 minutes after sunset. Seating will begin at 7:45 p.m., and is first come, first served based on current capacity limits.
The series began in 2019 as an event put on the rec center lawn on by the Business Improvement District. Tim Walsworth, BID’s executive director, said the series was a hit.
“It was super successful,” he said. “We were getting close to 200 total people there at the end of summer back then.”
Then COVID-19 hit, and 2020 was a bust. But now, the series is back, and this time, the city has taken the helm with BID as a sponsor – along with Credit Union of Colorado, Durango Motor Co. and Cocoa-Cola of Durango.
Families are invited to bring blankets and chairs to either the Rec Center or Buckley at 7:45 p.m. the days of the shows. The films the begin about 15 minutes after sunset. Seating is first come, first served, so no lollygagging. Popcorn and drinks will be available for sale at each movie. Flicks being shown this summer include “The Rise of Skywalker,” “The Sandlot” and the original “Karate Kid.”
katie@durangoherald.com
