Whether you’re looking for outdoor movies to enjoy those warm summer evenings, or indoor movie clubs for those hot summer mornings when you really just need some A/C, or a drive-in movie, here are some options in the Seattle / King County area for summer 2019.

Kids’ Summer Movie Clubs

As you may remember from your own childhood, these are probably the cheapest, easiest way to entertain your kids for two hours on a summer morning…

• Lincoln Square Bellevue, Wednesday mornings 10 am. June 26 – Aug 21. $1 or all ten movies for $5. Schedule here: https://cinemark.com/summer-movie-clubhouse# 
• Regal Summer Movie Express, Tuesdays and Wednesdays 10 am. $1. June 25 – Aug. 21. Bella Bottega, Redmond; Crossroads, Bellevue; Thornton Place, Seattle; Meridian, Seattle; Cinebarre, Mountlake Terrace, Issaquah Highlands; The Landing in Renton; Alderwood, Tukwila. Schedule of movies here: https://www.regmovies.com/theatres

Outdoor Movies

Below, I list all the outdoor movie series in King County. All information is current as of 6/23/19 – but check individual websites for updates or changes! Most movies are PG rated. I tried to note where they are PG-13 or R.

Note: all outdoor movies start around “dusk”. In  the Pacific Northwest, that means starting around 9 – 9:30 pm in July and 8:30 – 9 in August, so outdoor movies aren’t compatible with early bedtimes.

Get some handy tips / etiquette advice for outdoor movies here and here. Top tips are: go early for good seating location, bring a sweatshirt and blankets, as the weather cools quickly after dark, and if you bring a chair, make sure it’s a low profile chair so you don’t block anyone’s view. It doesn’t hurt to have a flashlight to find your way to the bathroom or port-a-potty – just be sure to shine it only at the ground in front of you.

By Day of Week

Tuesdays

• Downtown Movies in the Park at Bellevue’s Downtown Park.  Pre-movie activities at 7:30. FREE entertainment, popcorn and movies – each week has a non-profit partner, and you’re encouraged to donate to support these programs. 7/9 Hotel Transylvania 3, 7/16 Dog’s Way Home, 7/23 Smallfoot, 7/30 How to Train… 8/6 Lego Movie 2, 8/12 Ferdinand, 8/20 Wonder Park, 8/27 Back to the Future.

Wednesdays:

• Movies at Marymoor Park in Redmond. 7/10 – 8/28. Mostly on Wednesdays, EXCEPT Tues 8/13, and Thurs 8/22.  Some weeks are kid movies, some are teen/adult movies – check schedule. $5 per person ($6 credit), $5 to park. Seating opens 6:30. Live entertainment, trivia, food trucks, vendors. 7/10 Ferris Bueller (PG-13), 7/17 Bohemian Rhap (PG-13), 7/24 Spider-verse, 7/31 Top Gun, 8/7 Incredibles 2, 8/13 Sandlot, 8/22 Grease (PG-13), 8/28 Princess Bride
• Movies at the Square in Kenmore.  FREE. Food trucks and pre-show entertainment at 8:00 p.m. 7/10 A Dog’s Way Home; 7/24 How to Train… 8/7 Mary Poppins Returns, 8/21 Capt. Marvel.

Thursdays:

• Movies in the Park – Snohomish County. 7/22 Goonies Darrington, 7/18 Ralph Breaks… Darrington, 7/25 Incredibles 2 – Snohomish, 8/1 How to Train 3 – Snohomish, 8/8 Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (PG-13) Lake Stevens, 8/15 Mary Poppins Returns – Lake Stevens.
• Crossroads Movies in the Park, Bellevue. August 1 – 22. FREE entertainment, popcorn, movie. Entertainment starts at 7:30. 8/1 Christopher Robin, 8/8 Ralph Breaks the Internet, 8/15 Incredibles 2, 8/22 Mary Poppins Returns
• Peddler Brewing in Ballard / Seattle. May 30 – Aug 29 (13 movies!). FREE. A few PG, but more PG-13 or R-rated fare.
• Summer Movies in Green Lake Park, Seattle. 7/25 Black Panther, 8/8 Incredibles 2

Thursdays / Fridays

• Chateau Ste. Michelle movies, Woodinville. $12 adult, $8 kids. Food trucks and wine for purchase. Movies at 8 pm. Thur 6/27 Goonies, Fri 7/5 Jurassic Park, Thur 7/11 Princess Bride, Fri 8/2 10 Things I Hate, Fri 9/27 Office Space – movie at 7:30.

Fridays

•  Auburn’s Summer Sounds. Free. Food trucks, inflatable rides, art activities, and live music. Fri 7/26 – Lea Hill Park – Incredibles 2, 8/2 – Sunset Park – Ralph Breaks…, 8/9 – Les Gove Park, E.T.
• Everett Cinema Under the Stars. Entertainment, movie begins between 8:30 and 9:30. FREE. 7/19 Incredibles 2, 7/26 Ralph Breaks… 8/2 Lego Movie 2, 8/9 Spider-verse (rated PG-13), 8/16 How to Train…
• Sail-In Cinema – Everett. Watch from your boat or the shore! 7/19: Battleship, 7/26: Transformers; 8/2 Remember the Titans, 8/9 Pirates of the Caribbean, 8/16 The Proposal, 8/23 Moana.
• Movies in the Park, Pierce County. FREE, 7/12 Bolt Puyallup, 7/26 Lego Movie 2 Puyallup, 8/16 Little Mermaid (not the Disney version), Tacoma, 8/23 Dumbo 2019 Puyallup.
• Yesler Outdoor Summer Movies, Seattle. FREE. 7/12 Sandlot, 7/19 Ferris Bueller, 7/26 Ghostbusters; 8/2 Goonies, 8/9 Hidden Figures, 8/16 Black Panther.
• Skyway Outdoor Cinema, Skyway. FREE. 8/2 Incredibles 2, 8/9 Princess Bride, 8/16 Aquaman (PG-13), 8/23 Spiderverse.
• Movies in the Park, Tacoma. FREE. 7/19 – Incredibles 2 – Kandle Park; 7/27 Ralph Breaks… Wright Park, 8/9 Mary Poppins Returns – Center at Norpoint; 8/16 How to Train 3 – Stewart Heights, 8/23 Spiderverse – STAR Center
• Edmonds Outdoor Movie Nites. Frances Anderson Fields. 7/26 Trolls, 8/2 A Wrinkle in Time
• Movies Under the Moon, Monroe, Lake Tye Park.  FREE. 8/2 Incredibles 2, 8/9 Ralph Breaks… 8/16 Mary Poppins Returns, 8/23 Black Panther.
• Outdoor Maritime Movies, Center for Wooden Boats, SLU Seattle. Free, suggested donation $5. June 28 Wind, July 26th The Life Aquatic (R), Aug 23 Captain Ron. (PG-13)

Fridays/Saturdays

• Center City Outdoor Cinema. Seattle. At Cascade Playground – CP, Westlake Park – WP, Hing Hay Park – HH, and Freeway Park – FP. Fri 7/12 Spiderverse – CP, Aquaman (PG-13) – WP. Fri 7/19 Up – CP, Christopher Robin – WP. Fri 7/26 Shrek – CP. Fri 8/2 – Spiderverse – FP, Willy Wonka (original) – WP.  Sat 8/3 – Crazy Rich Asians (PG-13) – HH. Fri 8/9 – Best in Show (PG-13) -FP, Jurassic Park (PG-13) – WP. Sat 8/10 Iron Monkey (Cantonese – PG-13) – HH. Fri 8/16 Won’t You Be my Neighbor – FP, Capt Marvel (PG-13) – WP. Sat 8/17 Mirai – HH. Fri 8/23 – Crazy Rich Asians (PG-13) – FP, Incredibles 2 – WP. Sat 8/24 Up – HH. Fri 8/30 Labyrinth – FP,

Saturdays:

• Renton Outdoor Movies. 7/20 Aquaman (PG-13) at Piazza Park – FREE; 8/9 How to Train at Henry Moses Aquatic- $5. 8/16 Incredibles 2 at Tiffany Park – FREE.  8/23 – Spiderverse at Highlands Park – FREE
• Carillon Point, Kirkland. $5 donation benefits Hopelink. 7/6 Mean Girls (PG-13), 7/20 – Crazy Rich Asians (PG-13), 8/17 Solo (PG-13),
• Movies at the Mural at Seattle Center. FREE. 7/27 Princess Bride, 8/3 Crazy Rich Asians (PG-13),  8/10 Bohemian Rhapsody (PG-13), 8/17 Dirty Dancing (PG-13),  8/24 Black Panther (PG-13)
• Seattle Outdoor Cinema (formerly Fremont Outdoor Cinema) at the South Lake Union Discovery Center. Suggested donation of $5 – goes to local charities. Grown-up Movies, age 21+. June 22 – The Matrix, July 20 – Bill and Ted’s… August 17th or 24th(?) Life Aquatic.
• Cinema Under the Stars – Columbia City / Seattle. 7/20 – Spiderverse, 8/17 – Lego Movie 2. Food bank donations accepted.
• Popcorn in the Park, Marysville. FREE. 7/13 A Dog’s Way, 7/20 Ralph Breaks… 7/27 Bumblebee, 8/3 Incredibles 2, 8/10 Karate Kid
• Drive in Movies at America’s Car Museum in Tacoma, parking starts at 4:30, movies at dusk. Free. 7/6 Ferris Bueller (PG-13), 7/27 The Goonies, 8/10 How to Train 3, 8/24 Capt. Marvel (PG-13).

Other lists of outdoor movies 2019: The Stranger, Seattle Times, Seattle Met. I’ve made sure my list included all the King County ones, and most Sno / Pierce County, but they have some Skagit and Kitsap options too.

Outdoor Movies by Region

Seattle: Thursdays Peddler Brewing, Fridays Center for Wooden Boats, Fri/Sat Center City, Saturdays Movies at the Mural, Seattle Outdoor Cinema, Cinema Under the Stars

Eastside: Tuesdays downtown Bellevue, Wednesdays Marymoor, Thursdays Crossroads, Saturdays Carillon Point

Snohomish County / North King: Wednesdays in Kenmore, Thursdays Sno Co, Thursday/Fridays at Chateau Ste. M, Fridays in Edmonds, Monroe, Everett Cinema under the Stars, and Sail-In Everett, Saturdays in Marysville

Pierce Country / South King: Fridays in Auburn, Skyway, Puyallup and Tacoma (x2), Saturdays in Renton and Tacoma.

Obsolete

West Seattle movies (Facebook) will not be holding outdoor movies in 2019. Some series that happened in 2018 but have not announced 2019 as of 7/3: Movies at the Marina – Shilshole. https://threedollarbillcinema.org/outdoorcinema

Movie series which others may tell you about, but which seem to no longer happen: Thursdays at Magnuson Park. Redhook Brewery Moonlight Cinema.

Drive-In Movies

There aren’t many classic drive-ins left… and when you search for them online, you’re likely to find out of date listings. For example, http://www.driveinmovie.com/WA.htm has recently been updated, but http://www.driveintheater.com/drivlist.htm lists Samish in Bellingham, which was demolished in 2004. Here’s what’s still open within a two hour drive from Seattle:

• Rodeo Drive-in. Port Orchard / Bremerton. www.rodeodrivein.com/
• Blue Fox Drive-in – Oak Harbor. www.facebook.com/bluefoxdrivein
• Wheel-In Motor Movie. Port Townsend. www.ptwheelinmotormovie.com/
• Skyline Drive-in. Shelton. www.skylinedrive-in.com/

The only other one in the state is Auto-vue Drive-in – Colville, WA. 6 hours from Seattle. www.facebook.com/Auto-Vue-Drive-In-Theatre-120740527937813/

Movies start at dusk… see note above. If you go to a drive-in, PLEASE spend lots of money at concessions!!! That’s what will keep these classic theaters open in future summers!!

Parent Guides to Media

If you’re looking for advice on whether a particular movie is kid appropriate, check out Common Sense Media which provides reviews of movies, books, TV shows, games, apps and websites. In their movie reviews, they look at educational value, positive role models, positive messages, violence and scariness level, sexy stuff, language, consumerism and substances, providing information so parents can make their own informed decisions about what’s right for their child.

Kids in Mind also offers film reviews which rate, on a scale of 1 – 10, the level of sex/nudity, violence/gore, profanity and substance use in a movie. They also give detailed descriptions of each incident they counted, for parents to consider.

I also wrote a post on “When to Introduce Your Child To ______” which talks about things to consider when deciding whether your child is ready yet for favorite series like the MCU, Star Wars, and more.

Other Kid Activities:

If you’re looking for other fun ideas for the summer, check out my series on “Cheap Dates with Toddlers and Young Kids”,  or reviews of Eastside Parks or find hands-on STEM enrichment activities for kids age 3 – 7 on my other blog at www.InventorsOfTomorrow.com.

For school year activities, if you have kids age birth to 7, check out info about fabulous parent education classes at local community colleges that are great for kids AND include parent education for you – register now for fall, before they fill up!!

Note: If I missed any outdoor movie series in King County, let me know!!

Whether you’re looking for outdoor movies to enjoy those warm summer evenings, or indoor movies for those hot summer mornings when you really just need some A/C, or a drive-in movie, here are some options in the Seattle / King County area for summer 2018.

Kids’ Summer Movie Clubs

As you may remember from your own childhood, these are probably the cheapest, easiest way to entertain your kids for two hours on a summer morning…

• Lincoln Square Bellevue, Wednesday mornings 10 am. June 20 – Aug 22. $1 or all ten movies for $5. Schedule here: https://cinemark.com/summer-movie-clubhouse# 
• Regal Summer Movie Express, Tuesdays and Wednesdays 10 am. $1. June 26 – Aug. 22. Bella Bottega, Redmond; Thornton Place, Seattle; Issaquah Highlands; The Landing in Renton; Regal Everett. Schedule of movies here: www.regmovies.com/Movies/Summer-Movie-Express

Outdoor Movies
Below, I will list all the outdoor movie series in King County, with more details and links. (For Pierce and Snohomish County options, check Red Tricycle.) If you want a printable list of all the outdoor movies on the Eastside, in calendar order, (like the image on the right) click here for the PDF..

Note: all outdoor movies start around “dusk”. In  the Pacific Northwest, that means around 9 – 9:30 pm in July and 8:30 – 9 in August, so outdoor movies aren’t compatible with early bedtimes.

Get some handy tips / etiquette advice for outdoor movies here and here.

Top tips are: go early for good seating location, bring a sweatshirt and blankets, as the weather cools quickly after dark, and if you bring a chair, make sure it’s a low profile chair so you don’t block anyone’s view.

Tuesdays

Downtown Movies in the Park at Bellevue’s Downtown Park (by the mall). July 10 – Aug 28. Free entertainment, popcorn and movies – each week has a non-profit partner, and you’re encouraged to donate to support these programs. Most movies kid friendly. https://parks.bellevuewa.gov/special-events/outdoor-movies/downtown-movies-in-the-park/ 

Wednesdays / Thursday

Movies at Marymoor in Redmond. 6/28 – 8/29. Mostly on Wednesdays, EXCEPT Thurs 6/28, 7/5 and 8/2.  Some weeks are kid movies, some are teen/adult movies – check schedule. $5 per person ($6 credit), $5 to park. Live entertainment, trivia, food trucks, vendors. www.epiceap.com/movies-at-marymoor/

Movies at the Square in Kenmore.  Free. Food trucks and pre-show entertainment at 8:00 p.m. http://www.kenmorewa.gov/MoviesattheSquare

Thursdays:

• Crossroads Movies in the Park, Bellevue. August 2 – 23. Free entertainment, popcorn, movie. All kid friendly.  https://parks.bellevuewa.gov/special-events/outdoor-movies/crossroads-movies-in-the-park/
• Note: last year Epic movies did Thursday movies at Magnuson Park. They appear to have dropped that venue this year, and are only doing Marymoor on Wednesdays. And Redhook Brewery no longer mentions Moonlight Cinema on their site.

Fridays / Saturdays

• Movies at the Marina. Shilshole Bay Fri 8/3 Overboard and 8/17 Moana. www.portseattle.org/events/movies-marina
•  Auburn’s Summer Sounds Fri 7/27, 8/3, 8/10, various locations.

Friday / Saturday

• Renton Outdoor Movies. Sat, 7/21 Jumanji at Piazza Park; Fri 8/3 Despicable Me at Henry Moses Aquatic ($5). Fri, 8/10 Coco at Sunset Park. Fri 8/24 Wonder at Cascade Elementary.
  https://rentonwa.gov/city_hall/community_services/recreation_and_neighborhoods/events/summer_outdoor_movies/
• Movies in the Park. Seattle. Fridays or Saturdays, Cascade Playground, Westlake, Hing Hay, Freeway, and Denny Parks. 7/6 – 8/31. www.seattle.gov/parks/downtown/#movies

Saturdays:

• Carillon Point, Kirkland. Saturdays July 7, 21 and August 4 and 18.  $5 donation benefits Hopelink. https://www.carillon-point.com/event/movies-in-the-plaza/
• West Seattle Outdoor Movies. Saturdays. 7/21 – 8/25. Free. Some kid-friendly, some teen. http://westseattlemovies.blogspot.com/
• Movies at the Mural at Seattle Center. Saturdays. 7/28 – 8/25. Teen / grown-up movies mostly (except Princess Bride) www.seattlecenter.com/moviesatthemural/
• Fremont Outdoor Cinema has become Seattle Outdoor Cinema at the SLU Discovery Center. Saturdays. June 16, July 21 – Jurassic Park, August 25 – Black Panther. www.seattleoutdoormovies.com/
• Cinema Under the Stars – Columbia City / Seattle. July 14 – Best of Children’s International Film Festival, August 18 – Coco.  www.rainierartscenter.org/event/cinema-under-the-stars-6/?instance_id=3072
• Drive in Movies at America’s Car Museum in Tacoma, July 7, 21, August 11, parking starts at 4:30, movies at dusk. Free. Kid or teen movies. www.americascarmuseum.org/events/

Drive-Ins

Movies start at dusk… see note above. There aren’t many classic drive-ins left… and when you search for them online, you’re likely to find out of date listings. For example, http://www.driveintheater.com/drivlist.htm lists Samish in Bellingham, which was demolished in 2004, and http://www.driveinmovie.com/WA.htm lists Valley in Auburn which has been closed for several years and Puget Park in Everett, which closed in 2010. Here’s what’s still open within a two hour drive from Seattle:

• Rodeo Drive-in. Port Orchard / Bremerton. www.rodeodrivein.com/
• Blue Fox Drive-in – Oak Harbor. www.facebook.com/bluefoxdrivein
• Wheel-In Motor Movie. Port Townsend. www.ptwheelinmotormovie.com/
• Skyline Drive-in. Shelton. www.skylinedrive-in.com/

The only other one in the state is Auto-vue Drive-in – Colville, WA. 6 hours from Seattle. www.facebook.com/Auto-Vue-Drive-In-Theatre-120740527937813/

If you go to a drive-in, PLEASE spend lots of money at concessions!!! That’s what will keep these classic theaters open in future summers!

Summer Movie Guide and Parental Guides to Media

If you’re looking for advice on whether a particular movie is kid appropriate, check out Common Sense Media which provides reviews of movies, books, TV shows, games, apps and websites. In their movie reviews, they look at educational value, positive role models, positive messages, violence and scariness level, sexy stuff, language, consumerism and substances, providing information so parents can make their own informed decisions about what’s right for their child.

Kids in Mind also offers film reviews which rate, on a scale of 1 – 10, the level of sex/nudity, violence/gore, profanity and substance use in a movie. They also give detailed descriptions of each incident they counted, for parents to consider.

Other Activities for Kids in the Seattle area: If you’re looking for other fun ideas for the summer, check out my series on “Cheap Dates with Toddlers and Young Kids”,  or reviews of Eastside Parks or find hands-on STEM enrichment activities for kids age 3 – 7 at www.InventorsOfTomorrow.com.

For school year activities, if you have kids age birth to 7, check out info about info about fabulous classes at local community colleges that are great for kids AND include parent education for you,- register now before they fill up!!

Note: If I missed any outdoor movie series in King County, let me know!!