There are a lot of people out there who haven't been inside a movie theater in over two years. Maybe you're one of them. We're lucky that these days we have a multitude of streaming services that allow us to watch practically any movie in our homes.
But there are some movie experiences that are just meant to happen with a bunch of other people. As an avid moviegoer, I've missed that, and I've been leaving the house and going back to the movies for just that reason.
The good news is that summertime is here (ish) and you have a ton of choices when it comes to watching movies on a big screen outdoors. You get the communal experience of watching with a crowd, but you're safely outside where viruses are way less of a threat.
So where can you catch an outdoor movie? Well, where do you live? Because there's probably an outdoor screening coming to a vacant lot, a city park, or the blank wall of a building near you.
Here's a good list, to start: 10 places where you can see movies outside this summer courtesy of the Seattle Times. Starting in July, they're showing movies at the Mural Amphitheatre at Seattle Center -- many of them cult classics like The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. In Auburn, they're spreading the film film fun around town with movies like Sing 2 and Encanto at different parks in July and August. Depending on where you live, you could catch family fare outdoors at America's Car Museum in Tacoma, or even check out the Sail-In Cinema up in Everett Friday nights throughout July and August (and hopefully the weather will be cooperating by then!)
That Seattle Times story also reminds us that there are exactly four actual drive-in movie theaters around here, from Bremerton to Oak Harbor, forthat old-fashioned in-car movie experience.
Seattle Met's Seattle Outdoor Movie Guide 2022 runs down the schedule at Marymoor Park in Redmond (where screenings already started earlier in June.) And in Seattle's U DIstrict, the legendary video store Scarecrow Video is sponsoring a series of water-oriented films in the U District Summer Movies By The Bay, nestled on the shore of Portage Bay.
Check ahead with the spot you're planning to visit to make sure weather isn't putting a damper on the movie you want to see, and don't forget to wear layers.