Starting tonight, families will be able to enjoy a movie under the stars—for free! The HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival begins today with free movie screenings on the lawn and will run every Monday evening through August 21.
The series kicks off with a screening of the original 1993 version of King Kong, a classic everyone needs to experience at least once. The Lawn will open up to the public at 5pm and a pre-show entertainment, which will include SOULGA Meditation and live music by Dead Beats Horse and The Rub (Ayers and DJ Eleven), will start up at 6pm. A classic Warner Brothers cartoon will show right before the start of each film.
Not to be missed in this year’s lineup of 10 films is The Muppets Take Manhattan, a fun romp with some of our favorite furry characters that both adults and kids will enjoy. Plus, it takes place right at home!
We’d suggest packing a picnic and making it a fun and cheap family-friendly affair, but if you’d rather pack light, there will be various food vendors in the park courtesy of the Hester Street Fair. And if anyone needs a potty break, Bryant Park’s public bathrooms are one of the classiest around.
Photograph: Courtesy Bryant Park Corporation
So grab a picnic blanket and the popcorn and settle in for a fresh-air movie night in one of the sweetest parks for kids in NYC. We'd also recommend getting there as early as possible; The lawn fills up fast!
If your kids are hooked on watching movies in some of NYC's cool locations, check out our list of the best free summer movies for kids, then enjoy the best kids' movies set in New York City.