BERLIN – The town will kick off another season of free summer movies this month.
On June 17, Berlin will begin its annual series of Outdoor Movie Nights with a showing of Tuck Everlasting on Jefferson Street. After that, movies will be shown every other Saturday until the end of August.
“It’s a nice thing to offer to our citizens, something to do on a Saturday evening in the summer,” said Mary Bohlen, the town’s administrative services director.
The Berlin Arts and Entertainment Committee first started hosting outdoor movies in Berlin in 2015. In 2016, the effort expanded thanks to a partnership between the committee and the Berlin Parks Commission.
This year, the first and last movies of the series are being put on by the committee while the parks commission is organizing the rest.
Bohlen said roughly 100 people attended each movie last summer.
“We had a good turnout for all of them,” she said.
This year’s movie lineup includes Tuck Everlasting, June 17, Jefferson Street; Grease, July 1, Stephen Decatur Park; Raiders of the Lost Ark, July 15, Henry Park; Back to the Future, July 29, Stephen Decatur Park; The Sandlot, Aug. 12, Henry Park; and Runaway Bride, Aug. 26, Jefferson Street.
Selections were chosen through a Facebook poll. While Tuck Everlasting and Runaway Bride were automatically included in the lineup because they were filmed in Berlin, the remaining four were selected because they received the most votes. Bohlen said none of them are rated beyond PG-13.
“Some of the ones people suggested weren’t appropriate because we want to keep it family friendly,” Bohlen said.
Each move is set to begin at 8:30 p.m. Bohlen says attendees are encouraged to bring their own blankets or chairs.
“Picnicking is allowed,” she said, adding that alcohol was not permitted.
As far as weather, Bohlen said it was the film company’s policy to cancel a movie at noon the day of the event if there was a 50 percent chance of rain.
“We were lucky we didn’t have to do that at all last year,” she said.
