If you can’t beat the unseasonal heat, then you might as well join in it. From Atlanta’s Piedmont Park to the Mall of Georgia in Buford, a number of outdoor film festivals are offering audiences the chance to grab a lawn chair and a picnic basket to take in movies ranging from classics (“The Wizard of Oz”) to newer hits such as “Rango” and “Rio.” You can’t beat the price — all the screenings are free.
Movies in the Park
Where: Central Park at Atlantic Station (1380 Atlantic Drive in Atlanta).
Pick of the pack: With 15 certified blockbusters remaining in the series (continuing through late September), that’s hard to say. But there’s a certain sentimental value to the June 23 program. Billed as “Elizabeth Taylor tribute night,” the event will honor the late screen legend with a screening of the 1958 potboiler “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” in which she and Paul Newman still sizzle after all these years.
Also showing: “Déjà Vu” (June 16); “Grease” (June 30); “The Wizard of Oz” (July 7); “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1” (July 14); “The King’s Speech” (July 21); “West Side Story” (July 28); “Toy Story 3” (Aug. 4); “Hairspray” (Aug. 11); “The Social Network” (Aug. 18); “The Hangover” (Aug. 25); “Sex and the City 2” (Sept. 1); “Steel Magnolias” (Sept. 8); “Pretty Woman” (Sept. 15); “Dreamgirls” (Sept. 22).
When: Pre-show festivities begin at 6:30 p.m., with screenings scheduled to start at 8:45 p.m.
Admission: Free.
Seating: Guests should bring their own lawn chairs or blankets.
Parking: In addition to limited street-meter parking, there are hourly parking decks on site (first two hours free).
Food: Several Atlantic Station restaurants are offering discounted “meal deals” from 5:30-7:30 p.m., but guests are also welcome to bring their own food and drinks (beer, wine and other alcohol are not encouraged).
For more information: 404-733-1221. atlanticstation.com/free-summer-movie-series .
Screen on the Green
Where: The Meadows at Piedmont Park (1071 Piedmont Ave. N.E., Atlanta).
Pick of the pack: Who knows yet? As part of the June 23 program, audiences will get to choose between the Boris Karloff version of “Frankenstein” and Alfred Hitchcock’s classic thriller “The Birds.” The idea of watching it in a park setting — among real birds — might give the latter a slight edge. Votes can be placed through the Piedmont Park Conservancy’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.
Also showing: “Sixteen Candles” (June 16) and the 1971 version of “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” (June 30).
When: Sundown.
Admission: Free.
Seating: Guests should bring their own blankets or low-back lawn chairs.
Parking: Limited street-meter parking. Organizers are strongly recommending that guests use public transportation.
Food: The park’s regular concession stands will be open for business, and guests are welcome to bring their own food and drinks. (Beer, wine and alcohol are permitted, but no glass containers.)
For more information: 404-875-7275. piedmontpark.org/do/screen_on_the_green .
Flicks on Fifth
Where: Georgia Tech’s Technology Square (at Fifth and Spring streets in Atlanta).
Picks of the pack: A tie between the mind-bending action dramas “The Adjustment Bureau” (June 22), starring Matt Damon; and “Source Code” (July 27), starring Jake Gyllenhaal. Sponsored by Tech’s Student Center Programs Council, the series largely skews to more grown-up audiences — a nice alternative.
Also showing: “Hall Pass” (June 15); “Just Go With It” (June 29); “Battle: Los Angeles” (July 13); “Rango” (July 20).
When: The venue opens at 7 p.m., with movies scheduled to begin at 9 p.m.
Admission: Free.
Seating: Limited seats provided. Guests should bring their own lawn chairs or blankets.
Parking: Limited street-meter parking. Hourly parking is also available in the lot across from Barnes & Noble (on Fifth Street) and at the deck adjacent to the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center (on Spring Street).
Food: Free popcorn. Guests are also welcome to bring their own food and soft drinks (no coolers and no beer, wine or alcohol).
For more information: 404-894-2805. studentcenter.gatech. edu/flickson5th .
Movies Under the Stars
Where: The Mall of Georgia’s Village Amphitheater (3333 Buford Drive in Buford).
Pick of the pack: “Little Fockers” (July 4), part three of the Ben Stiller/Robert De Niro comedy franchise that began with “Meet the Parents” and “Meet the Fockers” — not because it’s better than any of the other movies on the schedule, but because the screening will be preceded by a holiday fireworks display.
Also showing: the 2003 version of “Peter Pan” (June 18); “Shrek Forever After” (June 25); “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” (July 9); “Justin Bieber: Never Say Never” (July 16); “The Sandlot” (July 23); “Yogi Bear” (July 30).
When: Movies begin at sundown, but pre-show activities start at 5 p.m. and include live music from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Admission: Free.
Seating: Limited seats provided. Guests should bring their own lawn chairs or blankets.
Parking: Free. Valet parking is also available.
Food: Several vendors will be offering snacks, and guests are also welcome to bring their own food and soft drinks (no beer, wine or alcohol).
For more information: 770-271-9458. mallofgeorgia.com (follow the news/events link).
Movies on Main
Where: On the lawn in Stone Mountain Village, behind City Hall (922 Main St. in Stone Mountain).
Pick of the pack: Eeny, meeny, miney, “Justin Bieber: Never Say Never” (July 16). Call it the odd-man-in syndrome or a process of elimination, since the rest of the lineup is made up entirely of animated movies.
Also showing: “Megamind” (June 18); “Rango” (Aug. 20); “Rio” (Sept. 17); “Tangled” (Oct. 15).
When: Sundown.
Admission: Free.
Seating: Guests should bring their own lawn chairs or blankets.
Parking: Free. There are several parking lots within blocks of the venue, in addition to surrounding street parking.
Food: Guests are welcome to bring their own food and drinks (no beer, wine or alcohol). A number of local vendors will be selling snacks, and a few nearby restaurants are offering discounts on carry-out orders on event nights.
For more information: 770-498-7334. moviesonmain.granitegrasshopper5k.com .
