Free Movies Are Screening At Parks All Over Chicago This Summer

By Mae Rice in Arts & Entertainment on May 24, 2016 8:39PM

More than 130 different movies—including Ant-Man, The Goonies, and (unfortunately) Maze Runner—will screen for free in Chicago parks this summer, the Mayor's Office announced Tuesday. The free screenings are part of a larger citywide program: Night Out in the Parks, now in its fourth year. As of 2015, the program offers year-round arts and culture events all over the city; in 2016 the program will put on more than 1,200 events in parks in all 50 of the city's wards.

The events are concentrated in the summer months, and almost all of them are free. Summer offerings include not only the 200 movie screenings we already mentioned (which run June 13 through September 5), but also Chicago Onscreen Local Film Showcase, a separate film festival in late summer (running from August 30-September 4). This year's lineup also features free dance performances and Chicago Philharmonic shows; at the latter, the audience is invited to bring their instruments and play along with the performers.

There are various ways to navigate Night Out In The Parks giant schedule, too. You can scroll through the events on the free MyChiPark apps, available for Apple and Android operating systems. The schedule is also listed in full, searchable form here.

A few of the upcoming free movies in Chicago parks include (weather permitting):

Vertigo
Lincoln Park 2045 (N Lincoln Park West)
Monday, June 13 from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m.

Jurassic World
Kedvale Park (4134 W. Hirsch St.)
Tuesday, June 14 from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Lincoln Park, on the patio behind the Chicago History Museum (1601 N Clark St)
Wednesday, June 15 from 8:30 to 10:15 p.m.

Beetlejuice
Wicker Park (1425 N. Damen Avenue)
Thursday, June 16 from 8:30 to 10 p.m.

There are usually movies being screened per day. You can call (312) 742-1134 for daily listings, and to find out if movies have been cancelled due to weather concerns.