Grab a blanket and head to the park: the 23rd annual Central Park Conservancy Film Festival is underway, turning the great lawn between Cherry Hill and Sheep Meadow into one of New York’s most magical open-air cinemas. The four-night celebration runs through Friday, October 9, and best of all, it’s completely free — no tickets or reservations needed.
Tonight, Thursday, October 8, the screen lights up with Blink, a moving documentary about the Pelletier family, who set off on a journey around the world to fill their children’s eyes with beauty after learning three of their four kids face a rare condition that will take their sight. The festival closes tomorrow, Friday, with LION, the extraordinary true story of a lion cub named Kio on his journey to become king, from The Lion King director Jon Favreau.
Gates open at 5:30 pm with pre-show programming and music, and the films begin at dusk, around 7 pm. Visitors are welcome to bring their own food and non-alcoholic beverages (pack them in reusable containers to help keep the Park beautiful). All screenings are open captioned and family-friendly, and the closest entrance is at West 69th Street — just walk east and the lawn will be on your left.
The festival is subject to cancellation in severe weather, so check the Conservancy’s page before heading out. Free movies under the stars in the heart of Manhattan — does it get any better than this?
Photo: dconvertini / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
