The countdown is on for the city’s first Summer Outdoor Movie series which will take place on the four Saturdays in August on Center Street in downtown Berkeley. And costume contests, tied in to the free screenings, will be part of the fun for movie-goers.
Each film will be preceded with a costume contest with thematic prizes at 7:30 pm, MC’d by local dignitaries.
On August 6, wear your pirate costume to watch The Princess Bride; on August 13 sport the goofiest bow tie or wear the most scout badges for Up; dust off your safari attire for Raiders of the Lost Ark on August 20; and, on August 27, dress as your favorite character from The Big Lebowski. Pre-feature cartoons and short films will round out the evenings.
Center Street will be closed to traffic between Shattuck Avenue and Oxford Street while entertainers from the Downtown MusicFest will be on hand to serenade you with steel drums, violins, and Brazilian guitars.
Restaurants on Center Street and the surrounding area will be pulling out the stops to serve special dishes and provide café style dining from 6:00 pm onwards.
Restaurants involved in the outdoor movie nights include Oasis Grill (Mediterranean), Le Regal (Vietnamese), Sportivo (Italian), Ippuku (Japanese Yakitori), Ben & Jerry’s, Alborz (Persian), Café Rio (deli/convenience), CU Sushi, Top Dog, La Cascada (Mexican), and Starbucks, all of which are on Center Street. Ironwood BBQ, Cinnaholic, Punjabi By Nature and Sunny Side Café, which are all around the corner on Oxford Street, will also be participating, as will Jupiter on Shattuck.
The movies will be projected onto the west wall of the old UC Printing Plant Building, future site of the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, and the Bank of America parking lot will serve as the seating area for movie-goers (chairs will be available to hire for $5.00 each, or people can bring their own).
The “Center Street Summer Cinema” series, which Berkeleyside is proud to sponsor, takes place on Saturdays 6, 13, 20 and 27 August at 2219 Center Street starting at 6:30pm. The event is easily accessible by BART, AC Transit, and bicycle.
Visit Downtown Berkeley Association for information.
