2018 Free Friday Flicks begin with ‘Star Wars’

The Force is coming to Veterans Park for the 2018 Free Friday Flicks summer outdoor movie series.

“The Last Jedi,” the eighth episode of the Star Wars series, will kick off this year’s lineup of movies on June 1.

Here is the rest of this year’s lineup:

► June 8: “Wonder”

► June 15: “Beauty and the Beast” (2017 version)

► June 22: “Peter Rabbit”

► June 29: “Despicable Me 3”

► July 6: “Paddington 2”

► July 13: “Ferdinand”

► July 20: “Coco”

► July 27: Rain date

Most of the movies are rated PG, for rude humor, action, violence, thematic elements, frightening images, bullying or mild language, depending on the movie. The one exception is “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” which is rated PG-13 for science fiction action and violence.

Keri Lane Hontzas, the founder of the movie series and the company called Backyard Movie Parties, said this year’s events will run much like previous years.

The movie images are 30 feet wide and are shown on a 38-foot-wide screen on the grassy area near the main pavilion at Veterans Park, off Valleydale Road.

Each movie is scheduled to start at dusk. The sun sets between 7:52 and 8:01 p.m. during the weeks the movies are scheduled. Hontzas encourages people to come early — around 6:30 p.m. — and have picnics in the park prior to the show. There is a playground nearby and Hontzas also encourages people to bring blankets or lawn chairs.

Little Caesar’s Pizza is scheduled to have pizzas available for sale, but people are welcome to bring their own food, she said. Hontzas plans to have an inflatable bounce house for kids, face painting and a balloon twister there. 

To get updates on movie cancellations due to bad weather, follow Backyard Movie Parties on Twitter at @BYMovieParties or on Facebook.