FRIDAYEXTRA !
The Daily Astorian
Friday, July 31, 2015
Weekend Edition
BREATHING LIFE INTO PARKS, AFTER DARK
McClure Park comes aliYe during moYie screening
SroYided Ey 1orth Coast Food
:eE at an e[tra cost and liEa
tions from Fort *eorge BreZery
and PuElic +ouse. 6ome came
SreSared Zith their oZn collec
tion of snacks .
$t Ser Serson the “Parks
$fter Dark” eYent SroYided a
relatiYely cheaS moYie going
e[Serience esSecially taking
into consideration the more rea
sonaEle Srices for concessions
and the fact that food and drinks
could Ee Erought along Zithout
Eeing considered contraEand.
By KATHERINE LACAZE
EO Media Group
L
ounging at McClure Park
in a makeshift outdoor
theater seemed like a
¿ tting location to Zatch 6teYen
6SielEerg¶s classic ¿ lm
“Back to the Future.”
PerhaSs it Zas the e[Seri
ence of Eeing outside Zith tZi
light falling the slight chill that
made tightl\ ZraSSing in a Elan
ket more aSSealing or the nos
talgiaarousing throZEack to a
driYein theater ² sans Yehicles.
5egardless the $storia Parks
and 5ecreation 'eSartment
took adYantage of an enchant
ing amEiance to host the third
installment in its “Parks $fter
'ark” summer eYent series.
8ndeterred E\ the Sotential
chance of rain a si]aEle grouS
of moYie goers shoZed uS for a
sSeci¿ call\ social eYent ² the
oSSortunit\ to com mingle in
small grouSs and as Sart of a
larger collectiYe for fun food
and felloZshiS. /uckil\ the rain
neYer came and attendees in
stead Zere suSSlied the unusual
oSSortunit\ to Zatch a moYie on
a Eig screen from Eeneath the
stars.
McFly at McClure
For some SeoSle in atten
dance it Zas their ¿ rst time
meeting the McFly clan and Dr.
(mmett “Doc” BroZn and tak
ing a fantastical Mourney to
on Doc¶s modi¿ ed De/orean.
2thers Zere reYisiting their
oZn Sasts Zatching a moYie
that sSarked an iconic s sci
ence ¿ ction franchise.
MoYie goers ² consisting of
couSles small grouSs of friends
families and indiYiduals ² Eegan
gathering at S.m. Zhen the Sark
oSened and Zas aEundant Zith
daylight. $rriYing early meant
haYing amSle time to stake out
the Srime sSots for YieZing the
moYie Zhich Zas SroMected on a
large screen Eut there Zas Slenty
of room for one and all.
Children Zere alloZed to
accomSany their Sarents and
guardians unlike during the
¿ rst “Parks $fter Dark” moY
ie eYent in May. Because of
an estaElished “ and older”
rule young SeoSle Zere rel
egated to Zatching “-urassic
Park” from the Serimeter of
the Sark said $ngela CosEy
the director of the city¶s Parks
Money for scholarships
Photos by Joshua Bessex/The Daily Astorian
TOP: Dozens gathered at McClure Park Saturday night to watch “Back to the Future” as part of the “Parks After Dark”
event series hosted by the Astoria Parks and Recreation Department. ABOVE: Camping chairs and blankets were a
regular sight during the outdoor movie screening . BELOW: The event series was originally pitched for adults — with
beer — but the city has also decided to allow children.
and 5ecreation DeSartment.
By aEout S.m. uSon
the determination it Zas dark
enough for attendees to clear
ly see the screen the moYie
started. MoYie goers sSraZled
across the Sark on laZn chairs
and Elankets Sartook of food
$dditionally all Sroceeds
from “Parks $fter Dark” are des
ignated to helS SroYide scholar
shiSs for loZincome families to
SarticiSate in health and Zellness
Srograms. Fort *eorge BreZery
also donated the Sroceeds from
Eeer sales for scholarshiSs.
The Parks and R ecreation
D eSartment has held tZo Srior
actiYities for the eYent series
Zhich Zas introduced for the ¿ rst
time this summer as a fundrais
ing endeaYor done in SartnershiS
Zith the $storia Parks Recreation
and Community Foundation.
The eYents featured a shoZing of
“-urassic Park” at McClure Park
in May and CaSture the Flag at
6hiYely Park in -une.
The eYent series originally
Zas crafted to Ee for SarticiSants
and older Eecause the city
heard there Zere not enough
actiYities for adults only CosEy
said. +oZeYer after the shoZ
ing of “-urassic Park” Zhich
had a similarly good turnout
she said they receiYed feedEack
that SeoSle Sreferred the eYents
Ee oSen to all age grouSs.
The ne[t scheduled “Parks
$fter Dark” eYent Zas suSSosed
to Ee gloZinthedark 8 ltimate
F risEee and kickEall at (Yer
green Fields in $ugust Eut that
actiYity has Eeen canceled and a
shoZing of “*hostEusters” like
ly Zill Eeen moYed to $ugust in
stead. The entry fee is again .
1e[t summer CosEy said
they may consider offering the
athletic actiYities Zith a youth
emShasis.
From the shoZing of “Back
to the Future” the deSartment
and foundation raised more than
for scholarshiSs.
6tarting in $ugust the de
Sartment also Zill start its .ids¶
MoYies ,n the Park series at
/indstrom Park.