Outdoor Movie Festivals in DC this Summer

Posted by on Friday, May 31st, 2013 at 3:08pm.

Outdoor movie festivals in DC are a summer tradition. Perhaps the most famous and well-attended with 15,000 people per movie is Screen on the Green. But DC is also fortunate to have NoMa Summer Screen, Capitol Riverfront Outdoor Movies, and U Street Outdoor Movies as well.

Screen on the Green is a free outdoor summer movie festival in DC held on the National Mall between 7th and 12th Streets. Residents and tourists bring blankets and picnics to the lawn to watch classic films on Monday nights on a huge 20 foot by 40 foot screen. Movies start at sunset (8:30 or 9 PM). But even though the flicks don’t start until dusk, people start to arrive at 5 PM to secure their lawn space. This year, Screen on the Green kicks off with the 1982 classic, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial on July 22. The following Mondays will present Norma Rae and Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, with Tootsie closing out the season August 12.

NoMa Summer Screen is another outdoor movie festival in DC on Wednesdays at 7 PM from May 22 to August 14 on L Street between 2nd and 3rd Streets in Northeast. Before the movie starts at dark, you can enjoy funk, soul, and boogaloo music from a live DJ. The 2013 theme of NoMa Summer Screen is Outlaw Hero including movies such as Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Star Trek (2009), The Princess Bride, The Italian Job (2003), The Goonies, The Breakfast Club, Moonrise Kingdom, True Grit, and The Hunger Games. If you have kids, you might be interested in the NoMa Family Film Nights on Tuesdays at 7 PM from June 18 to August 6. The family nights will provide kid-centric activities, free food, and animated movies like How to Train Your Dragon and Brave.

A third outdoor movie festival in DC is Captiol Riverfront Outdoor Movies in Canal Park in Southeast, near the Navy Yard and Nationals Park. Movies play on Thursdays at 8:45 PM and run from May 30 to August 8. Selections for 2013 include Batman Begins, Iron Man, and Thor. If you arrive early, you may be able to play Wii on the big screen, answer trivia questions, or show off your hula hoop skills.

U Street Outdoor Movies screens documentaries and other films that feature and celebrate the city. This outdoor movie festival in DC will show films on four dates this summer -- June 19, July 17, August 21, and September 18.  

Enjoy the summer and check out an outdoor movie festival in DC!


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