Ingredients: summer night, outside, under the stars, movie, people having a good time, blankets on grass, food, wine, free and in one of the most beautiful spots in the city: Balboa Park. Can't give this anything less than 5 stars.... I absolutely love this event, and couldn't wait for it to start. I was there the first run this year and will go again next week. Only a couple of nights each year, on Thursday summer nights, the San Diego Museum of Arts hosts free movie nights where they show oldies, like Hitchcock movies on a screen in Balboa Park.
It attracts a big crowd, and everybody comes there about one or two hours before the start of the whole thing, and brings chairs, tables, blankets, Snuggies (saw one!), board games, food and wine. The movie starts at 8PM, but if you want to be sure to see anything, be there no later than 6-something. Most people come right after work or are 65+ so don't work to begin with. That's the beauty of the event: you see a great variety of people: young, old, fat, rich, poor, families with kids, groups of friends, dates, students... all share the love of living in San Diego and spending time outdoors. So unless an obese person sits in front of you or you have screaming kids around, you will love everyone and everyone loves you.
The movies are cultural and usually oldies so if you're not into that, you might not like it. But even if I couldn't see a thing or if they showed reruns of Sesame Street (I love Elmo in fact), I would still go. It's worth going solely for hanging out on a blanket on a summer night with friends, watching the stars or other people having a good time.
One of my favorite things to do is crab food on the go and a bottle of wine at a deli downtown or in Little Italy, then head over to the park with friends. You often meet cool new people too since everybody is in a good mood and shares blanket spots. The very first time I got here, I was unprepared and fashionably late... I arrived one minute before the movie started, so it was packed... then cool people offered us perfect spots close to the screen... all in exchange for my Mona Lisa meatball sandwich. Well worth to starve for.
I'm bummed that next week is the last one of this year.... then another whole year of waiting until it starts again. So one more chance to go this year... I even like this a bit better than Cinema under the Stars, although that's a good (paid) substitute and runs more often and until October. If you go, bring a pillow or a chair (or something to lay your head on, believe me you want to alternate sitting/laying down and it's awkward not being able to rest your head on something), a blanket, food, drinks, friends or anyone you don't want to talk to for two hours and you're ready to picnic! read more
