April 26, 2023 – The City of Allentown’s “Movies in the Park” series returns this year with six community-minded events at various locations across the City. The family-friendly monthly movie nights are run by the Bureau of Recreation from May through October as part of the City’s free entertainment lineup this summer.

Friday, May 19 at 8:30 p.m.: “Minions: The Rise of Gru” at East Side Memorial Park. Pre-movie activities start at 6:00 p.m. and the rain date is Saturday, May 20. Food sale proceeds at the concession stand benefit the East Side Memorial Little League.

Saturday, June 24 at 8:30 p.m.: “Black Panther Wakanda Forever” at Stevens Park. Pre-movie activities start at 6:00 p.m. and the rain date is Sunday, June 25. The movie is hosted in partnership with the Old Fairgrounds Neighborhood Association and the Ortiz Ark Foundation, who are sponsoring free food and resources for attendees at this showing.

Saturday, July 22 at 8:30 p.m.: “Top Gun Maverick” at the Union Terrace Amphitheatre. The rain date is Sunday, July 23. This unique concert and movie collaboration is run in partnership with the City’s Summer Concert Series. The movie follows a free concert by The Large Flowerheads band at 6 p.m.

Saturday, August 19 at 8:00 p.m.: “Wall-E” at Percy Ruhe Park. Pre-movie activities start at 5:30 p.m. and the rain date is Sunday, August 20. Food sale proceeds at the concession stand benefit the Allentown Central Catholic High School Mini Vikes.

Saturday, September 16 at 7:30 p.m.: “Turning Red” at the Arts Park. The rain date is Sunday, September 17. The movie is hosted in partnership with the International Cultural Festival, an all-day event at the Arts Park that starts at 11 a.m. Pre-movie night activities (specific to Movies in the Park series) start at 5:00 p.m. as a supplement to those offered by the International Cultural Festival.

Saturday, October 28 at 6:30 p.m.: “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” at Midway Manor. Pre-movie activities start at 4 p.m. and the rain date is Sunday, October 29. The movie is part of the City’s Hallo-weekend of events. Food sale proceeds at the concession stand benefit the Midway Manor Community Association.

The pre-movie activities at each movie night include yard games, arts and crafts stations, acoustic performances, and information and resources from several City departments. The Recycling and Solid Waste Bureau will host educational games around trash and recycling, and the Health Bureau will offer education around health services like period poverty, child immunizations, and child injury prevention.

The Allentown School District (ASD) will be at each event as part of its Countdown to Kindergarten Registration Campaign to encourage families to enroll eligible children this summer. ASD staff will be present to answer questions and share Kindergarten readiness resources. Lehigh Valley Reads will also provide free books. 

All movies will include Spanish subtitles, and attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, blankets, and/or snacks.

Community and non-profit organizations interested in hosting a table during the “Movies in the Park” events should contact Ryan Griffiths at Ryan.Griffiths@allentownpa.gov.

Information provided to TVL by:
Genesis Ortega
Communications Manager
Office of the Mayor
http://www.AllentownPA.gov

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