Last Film of the 101X Summer Cinema Series, Austin

Summers in Austin provide a wide range of outdoor activities from swimming at Barton Springs to seeing a play at the Zilker Hillside Theater; KGSR’s Blues on the Green and the Austin Symphony’s concert in the park series.  I love sitting outdoors with a blanket, some good food and live, free entertainment.

For the sixth year in a row, Central Market has teamed up with 101X for their Summer Cinema Series.  The screenings occur every other Wednesday evening at Central Market’s North Lamar location.  This Wednesday, August 10th, Sixteen Candles is the featured film.  The Alamo Drafthouse lends its three-story high inflatable screen, with the movie starting at dusk.  Central Market has numerous picnic tables, but guests are encouraged to bring blankets and lawn chairs.

Sixteen Candles is one of my favorite films.  I’ve seen it on more than one occasion, which makes this an ideal film for outdoor viewing.

Unlike Juliet Lapidos of Slate, who comically explains why she is utterly against seeing films en plein air, I love outdoor film-going. Lapidos prefers the cool, quiet comfort of indoor viewing. C’mon! It’s fun to stretch out on a blanket during a warm night with friends.  I like making an ideal picnic and being in the fresh air.  I’m the type of person that regularly enjoys eating my lunch sitting in the grass with my shoes off under a shady tree.  I’m just prone to picnicking in general, with or without company.

It’s already August, and it’s damn hot outside.  But summer is slowly coming to an end, and soon all of these activities will be a year away again.  In fact, this is the last film of the summer series. I’m looking forward to sipping a $2.50 cold beer, eating something delicious and watching Molly Ringwald at her best.