An outdoor summer movie favorite returns to Northern Virginia on Friday with Rosslyn Cinema.
Free screenings will be held at Gateway Park starting at 5 p.m. with films starting at sunset around 8:45 p.m.
“It’s a long-standing tradition,” senior events manager Allison Doherty told WTOP.
“We’ve had families grow up and meet up in Rosslyn for our movie nights in the summer. Last year, we had our March Movie Madness, which was like a college basketball bracket and we let our fans vote on the top four movies to be screened and we did that again this year. We had a list of 16 movies in four genres: musicals, summer-themed, animated and adventure.”
The series kicks off this Friday, June 2, with “Jumanji” (1995), which won the adventure bracket.
“[It’s] the throwback original with Robin Williams,” Doherty said. “I think a lot of people are into that nostalgia factor this year. We have a couple of nostalgia picks, and based on the bracket winners, the people are really interested in that 1995 hit. We’ll have our purple ambassadors, our staff, on site, they’ll be wearing safari hats.”
The series continues next Friday, June 9, with “Shrek” (2001), which won the animated bracket.
“It’s a fan favorite of all ages,” Doherty said. “It really appeals to the adults and the kids. We will have kid activities, including face painters, lawn games, cornhole, giant Jenga, so it should be a fun evening.”
After that, you can test your singing chops Friday, June 16, with “Moana” (2016), which won the musical bracket.
“Last year, we had a fan-favorite ‘Mamma Mia!’ and there was a huge singalong that happened, so we thought this would be of that same beat,” Doherty said. “Honestly, ‘Moana’ was a flyaway winner with our polling in March, so it should be a lot of fun. We will have face painters and balloon artists on June 16, so it should be great.”
The series wraps Friday, June 23, with “The Parent Trap” (1998), which won the summer-themed bracket.
“It’s the 1990s [version] with Lindsay Lohan, Dennis Quaid and the late Natasha Richardson,” Doherty said. “It was like that summer camp vibe and a fan favorite for sure. [Director Nancy Meyers’] aesthetic is flawless.”
Feel free to bring takeout from any area Rosslyn restaurant or grab a bite to eat from the on-site food trucks serving kettle corn, grilled cheese and ice pops. There will also be a pop-up “Pub in the Park” serving beer, wine and sangria and beer flights from One Family Brewing Company in Lovettsville, Virginia.
Find more information on their website.
Listen to our full conversation here.
