This content was originally published by the Longmont Observer and is licensed under a Creative Commons license.
The Historic Westside Neighborhood Association is hosting their Outdoor Cinema series in Thompson Park.
The remaining schedule is as follows:
- Saturday, August 25 WONDER/Moriarty Irish Dancers
- Saturday, September 1 Wrinkle in Time/Broadway Performing Academy
- Saturday, September 8th The Black Panther/Dance Dimensions Dancers
Entertainment begins at 7 p.m. and movies begin at dusk. Refreshments are provided, however, guests are invited to bring their own.
Participants are also invited to bring pillows, chairs and blankets for comfort. A donation of a non-perishable food item to be donated to the local food pantry is encouraged.
The Outdoor Cinema has an 18-year history in Longmont. Originally, members of the Longmont Arts community organized the event. During that time, movies were shown on the side of a downtown building.
Later the Outdoor Cinema was moved to Thompson Park and was able to obtain a grant to upgrade the equipment to include electronics and a screen.
At some point, the Outdoor Cinema was run by the City of Longmont for several years. In 2014, the city decided to discontinue the program due to outdated equipment and the lack of human resources.
After learning about the city's plan to discontinue the Outdoor Cinema, Tamar and Black Hendricks decided that they wanted to continue the neighborhood tradition. Currently, the Historic Westside Neighborhood Association (HWNA) hosts the annual Outdoor Cinema event.
The HWNA carries on this long tradition by offering family-friendly movies free of charge and open to the public. In addition to a movie, HWNA has also brought in other entertainment that takes place before the movie.
For more information and updates on the Outdoor Cinema visit HWNA's Facebook page.
