The five movies will be preceded by a family activity, and snacks will be provided by local churches.
At the first three movies, there will be character meet-and-greets that will tie into the movies. The movie and snacks are free, and the event is open to the public. A food truck will be on site at each Movies in the Park, and items will be available for purchase. Boom Box Sliders will be the food truck on Friday, May 10, when Movies in the Park kicks off with “Transformers” in Sunset Park, partnering with Axis Church.
“We start off things intentionally with activities until it gets dark. So, from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m., we engage kids and families in some sort of interactive activity. A lot of the movies this year have character meet-and-greets. So, characters from the movie will actually be there, which is pretty cool, especially with ‘Transformers’ being our kick-off,” Lewis said.
The movie Friday will start at dusk. Local churches will have a booth set up and provide attendees with free popcorn, candy and drinks. Actors in Transformer costumes on stilts will greet guests prior to the start of the movie.
Movies in the Park will be held on a monthly basis throughout the summer with one movie in October. On Friday, Oct. 11, “Wonka” will be shown in the field behind the Middletown Event and Senior Center (formerly Central Connections.) The city is partnering with Kingswell.
“We added October. We’ve never done October before. We skipped September, because there are so many other things going on as far as festivals and other events,” Lewis said.
On Friday, June 7, “Disney’s The Little Mermaid” will be shown in Douglass Park, and the city is partnering with New Era Baptist Church. The Little Mermaid character will have a sing-along and a story time prior to the film.
This year, there will be a professional photographer who will take photos, and post them on the Middletown Ohio Events Facebook page. Families are also welcome to bring a camera/cell phone and take photos.
On Friday, July 12, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” will be the featured film in Goldman Park, partnering with Breiel Church.
On Friday, Aug. 9, residents will see “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” in Maple Park, partnering with Restore Church.
“It’s exciting to see the community come out. A lot of people have been coming to this for eight years, and they look forward to it,” Lewis said.
This is the eighth year for Movies in the Park, and movies were selected based on an online survey with feedback from residents. The top five movies that were the most mentioned were chosen for this year.
The screens have been upgraded to a 30-foot or 55-foot screen, depending on where the movie is shown. All of the parks are centrally located, and accessible from area neighborhoods.
The movie nights have drawn anywhere from 150 to 500 guests. Last year, “Top Gun Maverick,” the most well attended and the film attracted close to 500 guests.
To learn more about Movies in the Park, and other events sponsored by the city, visit the Middletown Ohio Events Facebook page. A rain plan is expected to be in place soon. In the future, the movies are expected to be moved indoors in case of rain. Watch the events page for the latest updates.
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