Here we are into August already. Are you running out of time for all those summer camping trips, beach bonfires and backyard barbecues you planned?
Watching a movie outdoors is a quintessential warm-weather activity that requires little advance planning, and there are still plenty of opportunities this summer to catch a film in the open air. Nearly every night of the week, as the sun is going down, movie projectors are lighting up.
Monday
Only 20 minutes north of Seattle is Everett's Puget Park Drive-In [0], which shows first-run movies while you tune in on your car radio. Ticket prices: $8.50 for adults; $3.50 for children 6 to 11; free for children under 5. First show at dusk. Open through mid-September.
Tuesday
It seems like everybody's doing it, so why not host your own? Tack a bed sheet to a garden wall, hook up a projector and you're ready to go wild with movie theme nights of your choosing. Pick up some tips from projectionist extraordinaire Philip Borgnes on his blog, www.sidewalkcinema.com [1].
Wednesday
If there's one movie night at which to be seen, it's Havana's Hot Nites/Big Flicks [1]. Show up early to snag a lawn chair, beer cozy and cheap Peroni while DJs rock the parking-lot-turned-Tiki-Lounge of Capitol Hill's hottest club. Lineup: August 15, "Blowup" with DJs of the Emerald City Soul Club; August 22, "Goodfellas" with DJ Cherry Canoe. Doors open at 9 p.m.; movies start at 9:30 or 10 p.m. Free; $5 chair rental for the first 100 people.
Thursday
Rainier Square's Movies on the Pedestal [1] elevates movies under the stars to a whole new level. The downtown tower's pedestal becomes a 20-foot movie screen in the Rainier Square Roof Park. Lineup: August 16, "North by Northwest"; August 23, "Best in Show"; August 30, "Shaun of the Dead." Free; movies begin at dusk.
The Occidental Park Movie Series [1] keeps it going through September with the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. Lineup: September 6, "The Fellowship of the Ring"; September 20, "The Two Towers"; September 27, "The Return of the King." Free; movies begin at dusk.
If downtown isn't your style, head to the Redhook Moonlight Cinema [1] at the Redhook Brewery in Woodinville, with live music beginning at 7:30 p.m. Lineup: August 16, "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," live performance by Thee Emergency (21+); August 23, "Dumb & Dumber" (all ages). $5 admission; movies begin at dusk.
Friday
The Seattle International Film Festival is taking full advantage of its new permanent home at McCaw Hall [1] by presenting Movies at the Mural [1], free outdoor films on the lawn of the Seattle Center Mural Amphitheater on Friday and Saturday nights. The best part? Both the screen and the Space Needle are visible from the adjoining beer garden. Lineup: August 17, "Hairspray" (the 1988 version); August 24, "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me." Free; movies begin at dusk.
Saturday
Fremont Outdoor Cinema [1], the stalwart of Seattle outdoor movies, is now in its 15th year and is just as spirited as ever. Wear a costume inspired by the film, or catch one of Jet City Improv's live performance nights (your suggestions and their comic genius provide the movie's dialogue and soundtrack). Lineup: August 18, "Casino Royale"; August 25, "The Princess Bride"; September 1, "Dreamgirls"; September 8, "She Demons" (with Jet City Improv); September 15, "The Sound of Music." $5 suggested donation; movies begin at dusk.
Our neighbors to the southwest present West Seattle Movies on the Wall [1] in a parking lot behind Hotwire Coffee, at the Junction (at California Avenue and Alaska Street). Catch "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," August 18, and "Edward Scissorhands," August 25. Free; movies begin at dusk.
Stuck in the 'burbs? No problem. Outdoor Cinema at Liberty Park [1] in Renton screens "Raiders of the Lost Ark" August 18. Free; movies begin at dusk. At Carillon Point Outdoor Movie Nights [1] in Kirkland, see "The Goonies" August 18 and "The Sandlot" August 25.
Sunday
Stretch out the weekend with a Sunday jaunt to the drive-in. In Auburn, you'll find Valley 6 Drive-In [1], with first-run movies at matinee prices only half an hour from Seattle. This is Washington's largest drive-in theater, with five screens and parking for up to 3,000 cars. $7 for adults; $4 for children 12 to 15 and seniors 60 and over; free for children 11 and under. Movies begin at dusk.
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