Erie area offers free or inexpensive outdoor movies for summer 2023
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From new releases such as "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" to old favorites like "Dirty Dancing," you can find movies being shown around the Erie area for under $10 or even free.
The Erie SeaWolves will hold five Family Movie Nights at the ballpark starting in late June, with tickets costing $5 per person. Waterford's Sunset Drive In has already been welcoming cars full of families for films this year at a cost of $9 per person age 12 and older and $4 for ages 7 to 11. Younger kids are free.
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If you're looking for something free for everyone, you can also find outdoor movies this summer at Perry Square in Erie and at PennWest Edinboro and Goodell Gardens in Edinboro.
Here's what to know if you want to go.
UPMC Park
The movies will be shown on the video board at UPMC Park, 110 E. 10th St. Moviegoers will be able to sit in the 100-level seats of the stadium or on the outfield grass using their own blankets and lawn chairs.
Showtimes in June, July and August will be 8 p.m. The September movies will start at 7 p.m. Gates will open one hour prior.
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Admission is $5 for ages 4 and older, free for 3 and younger. Tickets can be purchased at the UPMC Park ticket office or online at SeaWolves.com.
Outside food and beverages are not permitted in the park. A limited concessions menu will be available for purchase.
The lineup:
June 24: "The Bad Guys" ― In this 2022 animated film, a gang of notorious animal criminals pretends to seek rehabilitation to avoid prison, only for their leader to realize that he genuinely wants to change his ways, according to IMDb.com. PG, 100 minutes.
July 22: "Minions: The Rise of Gru" ― The latest movie about Gru and his henchmen, this 2022 entry in the series reveals the untold story of one 12-year-old's dream to become the world's greatest supervillain. PG, 87 minutes.
Aug. 11: "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish" ― This 2022 film has Puss discovering that his passion for adventure has taken its toll and he has burned through eight of his nine lives, so he launches an epic journey to restore them. PG, 102 minutes.
Sept. 9: "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" ― Just released this year, this movie follows the Super Mario Bros. on their journey through the Mushroom Kingdom. PG, 92 minutes.
Sept. 30: "Coco" ― Released in 2017, "Coco" tells how aspiring musician Miguel, when confronted with his family's ban on music, enters the Land of the Dead to find his great-great-grandfather, a legendary singer. PG, 105 minutes.
For more information, call 814-456-1300 or visit www.milb.com/erie/news/seawolves-announce-2023-family-movie-nights.
Perry Square
Movie Mondays will be held on the west side of Perry Square near the stage in downtown Erie. Take blankets or lawn chairs to sit on.
Movies will start at dusk, between 8 and 8:30 p.m., according to the Erie Downtown Partnership. The Film Society of Northwestern Pennsylvania is a partner in the events and will conduct pre-movie trivia games.
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The movies are free to watch.
Food and beverages will be available for purchase from vendors or you can take your own.
The lineup:
June 19: "Space Jam" ― In this 1996 film, Bugs Bunny and his pals seek the help of Michael Jorden to win a basketball game. PG, 88 minutes. (rescheduled from June 12 because of weather)
June 26: "Beasts of the Southern Wild" ― In this 2012 movie, 6-year-old Hushpuppy must learn courage and love when faced with her hot-tempered father's fading health and melting ice-caps that flood her ramshackle bayou community and unleash ancient aurochs. PG-13, 93 minutes.
July 10: "The Iron Giant" ― This 1999 animated film features a young boy who befriends a giant robot from outer space that a paranoid government agent wants to destroy. PG, 86 minutes.
July 24: "Reality Bites" ― Winona Ryder and Ethan Hawke star in the 1994 movie about a documentary filmmaker and her fellow Generation X graduates who face life after college, looking for work and love in Houston. PG-13, 99 minutes.
Aug. 7: 2023 release TBA.
Aug. 28: 2023 release TBA.
For more information, call 814-455-3743 or visit www.eriedowntown.com.
PennWest and Goodell
The first three Movies Under the Stars will take place on the campus of PennWest Edinboro behind the Pogue Student Center while the final three will be shown at Goodell Gardens & Homestead, 221 Waterford St. Take blankets or lawn chairs to sit on.
Movies will start at dusk; approximately 8:45 to 9:15 p.m., depending on the date.
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The movies are free to watch.
Free popcorn will likely be available at PennWest and ice cream might be available for purchase at Goodell; more details to come. Moviegoers are welcome to take their own snacks, said Edinboro Borough Manager Jason Spangenberg, an organizer of the event.
The lineup at PennWest:
July 13: "Pocahontas" ― Mel Gibson and Irene Bedard provide the voices of the English soldier and the daughter of an Algonquin chief who share a romance in this 1995 movie. G, 81 minutes.
July 20: "Dirty Dancing" ― In this 1987 classic, Frances "Baby" Houseman (Jennifer Grey) falls in love with dance instructor Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze) when her family spends the summer at a Catskills resort. PG-13, 100 minutes.
July 27: "Lilo & Stitch": ― This 2002 animated film features a parentless girl who adopts a "dog," unaware it's a supposedly dangerous scientific experiment that's taken refuge on Earth and is now hiding from those trying to destroy it. PG, 85 minutes.
The lineup at Goodell:
Aug. 3: "Ratatouille" ― A rat who can cook makes an unusual alliance with a young kitchen worker at a famous Paris restaurant in this 2007 animated movie. G, 111 minutes.
Aug. 10: "School of Rock" ― After being kicked out of his rock band in this 2003 film, Dewey Finn (Jack Black) becomes a substitute teacher at an uptight private elementary school, only to try and turn his class into a rock band. PG-13, 109 minutes.
Aug. 17: "The Hunger Games" ― Released in 2012, this original entry in the series introduces Katniss Everdeen, who voluntarily takes her younger sister's place in a competition pitting youth in a fight to the death. PG-13, 142 minutes.
For more information, call 814-734-1812 or visit www.facebook.com/MoviesEdinboro.
Sunset Drive In
The drive-in movie theater at 808 Route 97, Waterford, is showing movies on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
The gate opens at 7 p.m. and films start at dusk. Check the drive-in's Facebook page each Monday for the coming weekend's lineup.
Admission is $9 for ages 12 and older, $4 for ages 7 to 11 and free for younger children. Movies are shown despite "rain, sleet, hail, tornado and zombie apocalypse," with no refunds, according to the Facebook page.
For more information, call 814-796-4883 or visit www.facebook.com/sunsetflea.
Dana Massing can be reached at dmassing@timesnews.com.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Free or cheap outdoor movies in Erie Edinboro PA to see summer of 2023
