Photo by Jon Anderson.
About 400 people showed up for the first film in the 2017 Free Friday Flicks summer outdoor movie series at Veterans Park off Valleydale Road.
You might see a kite if you go to Veterans Park on Valleydale Road on June 7, but you’ll have to look on a giant video screen instead of in the sky.
‘”Mary Poppins Returns” is kicking off the 2019 Free Friday Flicks summer outdoor movie series that night, and kites are a part of the story just as they were in the original Mary Poppins Disney film in 1964.
The 2018 Disney film tells the story of a magical nanny who returns to London decades after helping two neglected children come closer to their father through music and adventure. This time, she has come during the Depression to help the two children, now adults, make it through another difficult time in their lives.
Here is the full lineup for this year’s Free Friday Flicks movie series:
► June 7: “Mary Poppins Returns” UPDATE: WAS CANCELED DUE TO WEATHER
► June 14: “The Little Mermaid”
► June 21: “A Dog’s Way Home”
► June 28: “Ralph Breaks the Internet”
► July 12: “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World”
► July 19: “Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation”
► July 26: “The Incredibles 2”
All of the movies are rated PG, for thematic elements, language, rude humor, peril and action, depending on the movie.
Keri Lane, the founder of the movie series and the company called Backyard Movie Parties, said this year’s movie events will run much like previous years.
The movie images are 30 feet wide and are shown on a 38-foot-wide screen on the grassy area near the main pavilion at Veterans Park.
Each movie is scheduled to start at dusk. The sun sets between 7:51 and 8:01 p.m. during the weeks the movies are scheduled. Lane encourages people to come early — around 6:30 p.m. — and have picnics in the park prior to the show. There likely will be at least one food vendor, but people are welcome to bring their own food, she said.
There typically are several activities for kids, and a playground is nearby. Lane encourages people to bring blankets or lawn chairs to watch the movie.
To get updates on movie cancellations due to bad weather, follow Backyard Movie Parties on Twitter at @BYMovieParties or on Facebook.
