River City Company hosts Movies in Center Park
Movie goers save seats at Center Park. Photo by theutecho.com
For the next three weekends in September, the River City Company will be sponsoring a free event called Movies in Center Park, where the organization will screen iconic films in an outdoor theater located off Market Street in downtown Chattanooga.
The River City Company is a local non-profit that is working to improve downtown Chattanooga and the experiences available there. Amy Donahue, the organization's director of communications, is excited to see Chattanooga's response to the cinematic event.
'The biggest goal of River City Company is to get people downtown, and really experience Chattanooga,' Donahue said. 'We wanted to make this an event that everyone could look forward to, so we thought 'what is something everyone loves'? Movies!'
The Saturday events are set to begin at 7 p.m., with the movie starting at dusk. Anyone planning on attending is encouraged to bring blankets and lawn chairs to make themselves comfortable, as well as picnic baskets and snacks. Carmike Cinemas will be providing free popcorn, and street vendors and food trucks will also be surrounding the area selling beverages and food at an additional charge.
Christian Henry, a senior at Lee, is looking forward to the community event.
'I have been to Movies in Center Park before, and I absolutely loved the experience,' Henry said. 'It was on the cool side of Chattanooga that I don't get to go to a lot, but I definitely will start going now. I also loved that it was free - you really can't say no to that on a college budget.'
Last Saturday the movie "The Breakfast Club" was selected for viewing after local community members participated in voting through an online Facebook poll. The Breakfast Club beat out two other classic movie contenders ["Dumb and Dumber" and "Field of Dreams"] with just under 50% of the votes.
This upcoming Saturday, September 20, the River City Company will present "Finding Nemo" to those attending, with "Ghostbusters" set to play the following weekend on September 27.
Lee student and Cleveland native Elizabeth Sheeks was pleased to hear about this new weekend entertainment option.
'As a student, [Movies at Center Park] is great because it's something fun to do without breaking the bank,' Sheeks said. 'Plus, who doesn't want to watch "The Breakfast Club"? They really choose great movies.'
The event is free, but attenders are greatly encouraged to go online to www.moviesatcenterpark.comand register themselves as well as anyone else who will be attending. The event is quite popular, and participants are encouraged to show up early with their ticket if they wish to have a seat near the screen.
Chairs are not provided, so it is also necessary to bring blankets, lawn chairs or other back support as needed.
River City Company is frequently coordinating events in downtown for the community. For more information on upcoming activities, visit rivercitycompany.com or like them on Facebook for updates.
