By Lyndsie Kiebert
Reader Staff
The Bonner County History Museum is presenting Movies in the Park for the third year this summer. There are plenty of reasons the event persists — it brings local families together, prompts people to visit the museum and provides a free entertainment opportunity several times throughout the summer months.
The crowds gather at dusk for another Movie in the Park. Courtesy photo.
When museum director Olivia Luther considers what inspires her to continue offering Movies in the Park, a story comes to mind. It happened last summer when she and a few others were cleaning up Lakeview Park after a movie showing. A man, woman and their eight children hung around after, helping to clean up.
“I told him, ‘You don’t have to do this,’” Luther recalls. “He said, ‘I have eight children, and I could never afford to take my whole family to see a movie. This is a gift I can give my children, and we want to give back.’ I thought it was wonderful, and it was exactly why we do what we do.”
This year, the museum will show “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” on July 19 and “Night at the Museum” on Aug. 30.
Two showings have movies yet to be chosen — July 26 and Aug. 16. The public is invited to vote on what they’d like to see those nights, and can choose from a list and cast those votes until June 15 by visiting bonnercountyhistory.org.
“I love having the community participation,” Luther said, adding the museum first offered voting last year. “It was so fun to see what people wanted to see.”
Movies are projected onto a large screen for the whole park audience to see, and showings start at dusk — or, as soon as it’s dark enough outside to see the projection, Luther said.
Attendees are welcome to bring picnics to enjoy at Movies in the Park, though alcohol is not permitted. The events will happen rain or shine, Luther said, unless there’s lightning.
Luther said she’s thankful for the sponsors who help make these family-friendly nights happen, and that it’s part of a larger effort to be an event-driven museum.
“We have fun doing it,” she said.
The Bonner County History Museum presents Movies in the Park in partnership with Sandpoint Parks and Rec and Pine Street Dental. The 2019 showing sponsors are Connie’s Cafe, AFS Home Health, P1FCU, Six Star Automotive, Kaniksu Health Services, Bleeding Hearts Tattoo Emporium, White Cross Pharmacy, Rivertown Financial Services, Ivano’s Ristorante and Bonner General Health.
For more information on Movies in the Park and to vote for those undetermined films, visit bonnercountyhistory.org.
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