NEW DATE: Camp Long reschedules summer’s last outdoor movie
With rain in the forecast for this Friday night, Camp Long is rescheduling the third and final outdoor movie of summer.
“Elemental” will be on the big screen Friday, August 30, at dusk, in the Camp Long meadow (5200 35th SW). Camp Long’s Matt Kostle announced earlier this summer that it was one of the three movies that won the community vote for what to show. Free, all ages, bring your own blanket or chair! (Sunset that night will be 7:52 pm.)
WEST SEATTLE SUMMER: Here’s this year’s outdoor-movie plan
(WSB photo, Camp Long, July 2022)
Several readers have asked recently about this year’s plan for summertime outdoor movies. The West Seattle Junction Association is presenting one movie event this summer, the newest Super Mario Brothers movie, Friday, August 18th, in the meadow at Camp Long (5200 35th SW), same location as last year’s movies. Start time will be “when it’s dark enough” (sunset on that date will be 8:16 pm). It’s free, and you’re encouraged to bring non-perishable food for the West Seattle Food Bank.
Other organizations are planning movies too: West Seattle Church of the Nazarene‘s Movies in the Park continue at Maarten Park next door (42nd/Juneau), with movies on the calendar for this Friday (July 7th) at 9 pm and August 4th at 8:40 pm. And as previously noted, Alki Beach Pride on Sunday, August 20th, also will include an outdoor movie, “Little Richard: I Am Everything,” at Alki Playfield (59th/Lander) around 8 pm.
Anybody else with outdoor-movie plans in West Seattle? Let us know so we can add to the list – we*************@***il.com – thank you!
WEEKEND PREVIEW: This year’s final West Seattle Outdoor Movie
Today’s rain should be long gone by Saturday night, when the comeback season of West Seattle Outdoor Movies concludes. The fifth and final movie of the season is the original 1985 classic “Back to the Future” (trailer above). It’ll be shown on the wall in the Hotwire Coffee courtyard (4410 California SW, just north of the Junction post office). Gates open at 7:30 pm; sunset’s at 8:12 pm, movie at dusk, with preshow musical entertainment from West Side Music Academy. Free admission; bring your own chair/blanket!
WEEKEND SCENE: Comeback night for West Seattle Outdoor Movies
The summer of comebacks continues – right now at Camp Long, the first West Seattle Outdoor Movies series in four years has begun! We went to the park just under an hour ago to see the setup; as previewed, the screen is set up in the south end of the big grassy field at the heart of the park. “The Goonies” is tonight’s movie, with co-sponsor Sound Credit Union (also a WSB sponsor) on hand.
The series, presented by the West Seattle Junction Association, is scheduled for four more Saturday nights – all at the Hotwire Coffee courtyard (4410 California SW), longtime home to the summer movies.
As for Camp Long, the park has a lot coming up – we’ll have a story about that in the coming week.
One more big comeback Saturday: West Seattle Outdoor Movies, starting with a special location
Saturday brings one more comeback – for a local summer event that’s been gone for more than the pandemic hiatus: West Seattle Outdoor Movies. The long-running series needed a new presenting organization after the summer of 2018, but that didn’t happen, so those were the last screenings … until now. The West Seattle Junction Association revived the series this year, but the first one is outside The Junction:
Camp Long (5200 35th SW) is where you can watch the first movie, “The Goonies,” on Saturday (July 23rd). The Camp Long Advisory Council is helping get the word out. In case you’re not familiar with Camp Long, we asked for details on where in the park the screening will happen. Here’s how Camp Long’s Matt Kostle explains it:
Movie screen will be located at the south end of the field to allow people to put down blankets or short back chairs on a little bit of the grassy area and those in the back can take advantage of the already established wooden bench style theatre seating which is normally used for our large fire ring. Photo attached for reference of the view point from behind the wooden benches looking out into the field.
If folks are unfamiliar with the park, once you park in the parking lot, you can either walk down to the south end of the parking lot and turn left by the shed there and follow the maintenance road that leads directly down to the south end of the field. If you park in the lot and walk down the main stairs located near the Lodge, you will end up at the North end of the field and will have to walk across the field to the viewing area.
Two comfort stations will be open at the park that night. No concessions, so bring your own snacks/(non-alcoholic) beverages/picnic dinners/etc. The gates open at 7:30 pm, and the movie will start at dusk. Admission is free. After this weekend, the next four Saturdays’ movies will be at Hotwire Coffee‘s courtyard (4410 California SW) in The Junction:
JULY 30 – “The Never-Ending Story”
AUGUST 6 – “Encanto”
AUGUST 13 – “Coco”
AUGUST 20 – “Back to the Future”
CASTING CALL: Organization to fill the role of new West Seattle Outdoor Movies presenter
(WSB photo, August 2018)
Usually about this time on midsummer Saturday nights, a happy crowd is well into watching the week’s free presentation at West Seattle Outdoor Movies. But you won’t see that scene – or be part of it – this year, unless a new organization is found to take over the series for what would be its 15th season.
The movies long had a home at the courtyard adjacent to Hotwire Online Coffeehouse. But a few factors ended that, including proprietor Lora Radford selling the shop (she’s now executive director at the West Seattle Junction Association, and still a big booster of/adviser for the movie series), and the crowds simply outgrowing the space. The series moved to the “festival street” outside the West Seattle YMCA (WSB sponsor) at the end of the 2016 season, then shifting to its west parking lot, but that hasn’t proven to be the right fit for either the Y or WSOM, and so a new presenting organization is being sought – providing the site, equipment, among other things.
Ideas? Interest? Contact Lora Radford for starters, lo**@********on.org.
SATURDAY: “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” at West Seattle Outdoor Movies
The second movie in the third “Star Wars” trilogy is on the big screen tomorrow night outside the West Seattle YMCA (3622 SW Snoqualmie; WSB sponsor) in The Triangle. You can watch “The Last Jedi” free at dusk Saturday – it’s the third of this year’s six West Seattle Outdoor Movies! Bring your own chair/blanket and find a spot as early as 6:30; the movie’s at dusk, probably around 9 pm.
This week’s spotlight nonprofit is the West Seattle Food Bank, and if you bring a few dollars for raffle tickets, you’ll be supporting the Y and taking a chance on some cool prizes. Also: West Seattle’s own Sweet Bumpas Ice Cream will be there selling cool treats, in addition to the Y’s weekly concession offerings. We’re this year’s media sponsor – see you at the movies!
West Seattle Outdoor Movies, week 2: Bring diapers Saturday night!
That’s the trailer for “Secret Life of Pets,” which will be onscreen Saturday night for West Seattle Outdoor Movies‘ week two. The movie’s free as always but if you can – BRING DIAPERS! WestSide Baby is the spotlight nonprofit this week, and it’s the last major event in WS Baby’s Stuff the Bus Diaper Drive, which still needs thousands more diapers to reach this year’s goal.
You also need to bring your own chair/blanket to the WSOM site outside the West Seattle YMCA (3622 SW Snoqualmie; WSB sponsor) BUT if you want to have dinner at the movies this week, you don’t have to bring your own, because the Macho Burgers food truck will be there (as well as the Y’s concession stand). You’re welcome to come stake out your spot as early as 6:30 pm; the movie starts at dusk.
West Seattle Outdoor Movies’ 2018 season opener
About 100 people had already settled in outside the West Seattle YMCA (WSB sponsor) about an hour before sunset, and right about now are well into “Wonder Woman,” first West Seattle Outdoor Movies feature of the year. At the concession stand, we found someone costumed in the spirit of the movie:
The night’s concession options included popcorn, water, and gummies. Every West Seattle Outdoor Movies event spotlights a nonprofit, and tonight it’s the WS Helpline, with a table just past the screen and $3 raffle tickets for some cool prizes:
Those prizes included a Mountaineers family membership and two tickets to a Seahawks game. Next week’s nonprofit is WestSide Baby – bring diapers! – and the movie is “Secret Life of Pets,” at dusk July 28th. You’re invited to show up as early as 6:30 pm. The Y is at 3622 SW Snoqualmie in The Triangle.
West Seattle Outdoor Movies start Saturday night!
Around this time tomorrow night, the SW Snoqualmie festival street should be filling up for the first West Seattle Outdoor Movies presentation of the summer! “Wonder Woman” is the first of six free Saturday night movies you’ll see outside the West Seattle YMCA (WSB sponsor) at dusk tomorrow, July 28th, August 4th, August 11th, August 18th, and August 25th. You can come stake out your spot (bring your own chair/blanket) as early as 6:30 pm; the Y provides kid activities and will offer concessions, too, while you wait for the movie, which starts at dusk (time gets earlier as the weeks go on). If you bring a few bucks, you also can buy tickets for the nonprofit-fundraiser raffle – tomorrow night’s spotlighted nonprofit and beneficiary is the West Seattle Helpline. Series co-sponsors include WSB again this year. Here’s the full schedule of movies as announced back in May!
COUNTDOWN: 2018 West Seattle Outdoor Movies now 13 sunsets away
That’s the trailer for “Wonder Woman,” first of this summer’s six West Seattle Outdoor Movies, now less than two weeks away – so it’s the next summer countdown we’re launching! The movies are free, at dusk on six consecutive Saturday nights, outside the West Seattle YMCA (3622 SW Snoqualmie; WSB sponsor) in The Triangle, coordinated by the Y and the West Seattle Junction Association, with sponsors including WSB. In case you missed (or forgot!) this year’s announcement published here back in May, here’s the full slate of movies and dates:
July 21 – Wonder Woman
July 28 – The Secret Life of Pets
August 4 – Star Wars: The Last Jedi
August 11 – A Wrinkle in Time
August 18 – Coco
August 25 – Black Panther
The movies are free; concessions support the Y, and raffles each movie night will support these other local nonprofits:
July 21 – West Seattle Helpline
July 28 – WestSide Baby
August 4 – West Seattle Food Bank
August 11 – West Seattle Timebank
August 18 – ArtsWest
August 25 – WSJA Mural Project
While the movie start time will change as dusk gets earlier, you’re welcome to show up with your chair/blanket as early as 6:30 every time. If you’re bringing the kid(s), the Y plans activities to keep them entertained, and food trucks are expected (schedule to come) if you want to have dinner but don’t feel like bringing a picnic. We’ll see you at the Y, at the movies!
West Seattle Outdoor Movies 2018: Here’s the lineup!
It’s official! The lineup is set for this summer’s slate of six free Saturday night West Seattle Outdoor Movies presented at the West Seattle YMCA (WSB sponsor) in The Triangle:
July 21 – Wonder Woman
July 28 – The Secret Life of Pets
August 4 – Star Wars: The Last Jedi
August 11 – A Wrinkle in Time
August 18 – Coco
August 25 – Black Panther
Gates open at 6:30 – bring your own chair/blanket(s) to sit on. The movies start at dusk, and of course that time gets earlier as the summer rolls on. Preshow fun includes kids’ activities at the Y (which supports the series, as does the West Seattle Junction Association, with co-sponsors including WSB); food trucks, concessions, and the always-popular nonprofit-benefiting concessions are in the plan for this year too. See you at the movies!
WEST SEATTLE OUTDOOR MOVIES: Help choose the 2018 lineup! Sponsors sought, too
(WSB photo, August 2017)
Another one of the fun events getting ever-closer is the West Seattle Outdoor Movies series, presented by the West Seattle YMCA (WSB sponsor) with the West Seattle Junction Association in the “festival street” outside the Y. Every year, WSB readers help determine the lineup; this year, the YMCA and WSJA have pre-vetted a list of 9 movies from which they hope to present 6 favorites, so you’re invited to speak up for one you really want to see, or which six you would pick, or even rank all nine in your order of preference:
• Coco
• Jumanji
• Black Panther
• Wonder Woman
• Star Wars: Last Jedi
• Paddington 2
• A Wrinkle In Time
• Peter Rabbit
• Secret Life of Pets
The series runs six consecutive Saturday nights, starting July 21st. Please post your vote/ranking/etc.in the comment section below!
P.S. Whether or not you want to offer an opinion on the movies, here’s another way to be part of WSOM – sponsorship! We’re already in again this year as media sponsor. But lots of support is needed – renting popular movies for public screenings gets more expensive every year! There are a variety of sponsorship levels (see them here) – as WSJA’s Lora Swift puts it, ways to “power up.” Whichever level you choose, you can sign up and pay here.
P.P.S. Almost forgot to include the link to last year’s lineup!
With the weather finally warming, time to think about even more of what’s happening this summer. As 
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