A fun (and free) way to spend a summer evening in New York City is to attend one of the outdoor summer film festivals.
Bryant Park hosts the HBO Summer Film Festival. The movies are shown on Monday nights June 16th – August 18th. Films on the 2014 schedule include Saturday Night Fever, The Mark of Zorro, A Solider’s Story, Blazing Saddles, Suddenly Last Summer, National Lampoon’s Vacation, Key Largo, The Karate Kid, Lover Come Back, and The Shining.
The Intrepid Museum’s Free Summer Movie Series has one of the most unusual locations. You watch the films on the deck of the Intrepid Aircraft Carrier! You’re encouraged to bring a lawn chair or blanket and a picnic (no alcoholic beverages). Movies are Thursday evenings July 10 – August 14. The 2014 line-up includes Independence Day, Gravity, Pirates of the Caribbean: the Curse of the Black Pearl, The Hunt for Red October, Spaceballs, and Captain Phillips.
The Central Park Film Festival features free films for one week during the month of August. The films are shown in an area just north of the Sheep Meadow, mid-park at 69th Street. The 2014 films are Big, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Way We Were, Ghostbusters, and Rear Window.
Brooklyn Bridge Park shows films in a setting with great nighttime views of the city. The Syfy Movies with a View series shows free outdoor movies on the Harborview Lawn Thursday nights, July 10th – August 28th. The 2014 films are Duck Soup, Sharnado, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Bettlejuice, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Birds, and a final film choice by public vote.
River Flicks features free outdoor movies in Hudson River Park on Manhattan’s West Side waterfront. There are two versions of River Flicks – “Big Hit Wednesday” on the Pier 63 Lawn and “Family Fridays” on Pier 46. The 2014 Wednesday series includes Iron Man, American Hustle, This is The End, The Lego Movie, Lone Survivor, the Hunger Games: Catching Fire, and Captain Phillips. The 2014 Family Fridays series includes Despicable Me 2, Ghostbusters, Ghostbusters II, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2, Groundhog Day, Smurfs 2, and The Wizard of Oz.
South Street Seaport’s free Front/Row Cinema outdoor film series shows films on Wednesday (family night) and Saturdays. They provide lawn and lounge chair seating. 2014 films include WALL-E, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, The Muppets Take Manhattan, The Breakfast Club, Rango, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Brave, Karate Kid, The Avengers, Wreck-It Ralph, I am Legend, Fantastic Mr. Fox, True Grit, E.T., Men in Black, The Goonies, When Harry Met Sally, The Croods, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, Perfect Pitch, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Aviator, Frozen, Crazy, Stupid, Love, and Skyfall.
Films on the Green is a series of free outdoor French film screening in New York City parks. The locations vary and include Central Park, Washington Square, Tompkins Square Park, Riverside Park Pier 1, and other park locations throughout the city. 2014 films include Purple Noon, Les Tontons Flinguerus, Buffet Food, The Women on the 6th Floor, La Haine, The Moustache, Grand Illusion, Le Magnifique, 2 Autumns, 3 Winters, and The French Monster.
