Movies Under the Stars

The 7 best outdoor movies around Dallas-Fort Worth in summer 2018

No matter your age, there's something fun about watching a movie on a big screen, outdoors, on a lazy summer night. Families have multiple opportunities to do just that around Dallas-Fort Worth this summer, from rooftop venues to parks, plazas, and even water parks. Bonus that many are free.

Here are seven of the best places to watch a favorite movie under the stars in DFW in coming months.

Sundown at Granada presents Rooftop Movie Nights
Sundown at Granada presents free Rooftop Movie Nights on Wednesday nights through June 20. Guests can enjoy a movie while sipping on some tasty treats from the rooftop bar and enjoying food off of the bar bites menu. Films coming up include Clueless (May 30), The Big Lebowski (June 6), Labyrinth (June 13), and Empire Records (June 20).

Downtown Dallas Movie Series
After presenting a series of kids movies in May, Downtown Dallas, Inc. will age up a little with their free outdoor movies in June. Taking place at various locations in the Dallas Arts District, the films will be shown on a giant inflatable screen. Guests can bring a blanket and chair, grab some food from one of the nearby restaurants, and enjoy the movies. Screenings include Chicago (June 11 on the lawn at Moody Performance Hall), Sister Act (June 18 next to Meyerson Symphony Center), and Hairspray (June 25 at Sammons Park).

Sundance Square presents Movie Nights
Sundance Square Movie Nights in Fort Worth will feature five movies that are celebrating special anniversaries, as well as a current release. Sundance Square’s new digital screen should make for an enhanced outside movie experience. Featured free movies include The Great Escape (June 7), American Graffiti (June 14), Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (June 21), You've Got Mail (June 28), Bottle Shock (July 5), and Peter Rabbit (July 12).

Levitt Pavilion presents Movies Under the Stars
Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts in Arlington mainly hosts weekend concerts during the summer, but they'll also host a variety of free movies every Thursday night through July 5. While they'll host regular screenings of recent movies like Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 (June 14), Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (June 21), and Early Man (June 28), they'll also put on sing-a-long versions of Frozen (June 7) and Mamma Mia (July 5).

Hawaiian Falls presents Dive-In Movies
Hawaiian Falls, which has four locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, is now open for the summer. In addition to the fun you can have swimming in the wave pool, lounging in the lazy river, or riding the water slides, the area parks will take turns hosting a Dive-In Movie night. Garland will show Moana on June 15, Mansfield will show The Lego Ninjago Movie on June 21, Roanoke will show Wonder on June 22, and The Colony will show Sherlock Gnomes on June 26. All are free with park admission.

NRH2O presents Dive-In Movie Series
There's only one location of NRH2O in, wouldn't you know it — North Richland Hills — so you won't have to hop around to catch its Dive-In Movie Series. Taking place almost every Friday night starting on June 22, it will feature screenings free with park admission: The Wizard of Oz (June 22), Despicable Me 3 (July 6), Jaws (July 13), Coco (July 20), Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (July 27), and Black Panther (August 3).

Coyote Drive-In
Okay, so technically Coyote Drive-In, which has locations in Fort Worth and Lewisville, has a never-ending movie series since it's an actual movie theater. However, going to the drive-in is a time-honored summer tradition, so you can't leave it off the list. Plus, it has the biggest screens, the ability to watch in the comfort of your car, and double features showing all the big summer movies. What more could you want?

Hawaiian Falls will host Dive-In Movies at each of its four area locations on various dates in June.

Photo courtesy of Hawaiian Falls

Hawaiian Falls will host Dive-In Movies at each of its four area locations on various dates in June.

families movies

Movies for Kids

Kid-themed film festival at Angelika Dallas will be free to all

Photo courtesy of Viva Kids

The 42nd annual KidFilm will feature screenings of The Pout-Pout Fish and other new animated films.

A family-friendly kid-themed festival is coming to Dallas that'll be free for all: The 42nd Annual KidFilm Family Festival, the oldest and largest children-themed film festival in the U.S., will take place on January 17 and 18, 2026 at the Angelika Film Center Dallas with film debuts, animated films, and an appearance by a renowned children's author.

KidFilm is an annual outreach program of the USA Film Festival/Dallas, a 56-year-old nonprofit dedicated to film and the arts.

The big highlight of this year's KidFilm is a salute to children’s book author Deborah Diesen, who will appear in conjunction with a screening of Viva Kids’ new animated feature film, The Pout-Pout Fish — based on Diesen's 2008 book, which started a series that has now reached 20 entries.

The film — about Mr. Fish, a pouty introvert, and Pip, an energetic sea dragon, who embark on a daunting quest to find a legendary fish to grant their wish to save their homes — features a star-studded voice cast with familiar names like Nick Offerman, Miranda Otto, Jordin Sparks, and Amy Sedaris.

Free copies of the new book, The Pout-Pout Fish Movie Storybook, will be distributed to families (while supplies last), and Diesen will sign books for the kids.

The festival will also include screenings of other new animated feature films:

Leon Joosen's The Land of Sometimes, a musical which follows twins Alfie and Elise who get more than they bargained for as they are whisked away to a magical world after summoning a mysterious Wish Collector.
Mark Risley’s Flower of the Dawn, a fairy tale that follows a princess who has been turned into a nightingale by a vain sorceress whose only hope is to attain an elusive, magical flower.
Reza Memari’s The Last Whale Singer, an adventure which features a self-doubting teenage humpback whale who must face his fears and embark on a perilous journey with his friends in order to discover his own song and save the ocean from a monstrous creature.
Caroline Origer’s Spiked, which follows a young, orphaned hedgehog and overextended rabbit father who experience the adventure of a lifetime.
Vincent Bal & Wip Vernooij's Miss Moxy, a comedy which features a domestic cat who gets lost during a vacation and must find her way back home through the South of Europe with the help of the most despicable creatures a cat can imagine: a comical dog and an old, wise bird.

Additionally, the festival will include several new live-action feature films:

Gregory Alan Williams’ Paw Paw & Dayja, which follows the adventures of a Bigfoot obsessed 10-year-old who, with the help of her grandfather, learns that each of us see the world a little differently but everyone’s view has value.
Neven Hitrec’s The Second Diary of Paulina P., which follows a fifth grader who uses her charm and imagination to navigate a strict teacher, her first bully, and the new dynamic with her grandmother who is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
Tord Danielsson’s The Crown Prince and the Return of the Tyrant, a fantasy film that follows a young Crown Prince who will soon become king, just as he has always dreamed, when his suspicious grandmother returns to the kingdom.

Finally, there will be 22 short film presentations featuring animated and live-action short films from around the world, including works from Belgium, Canada, Colombia, France, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Poland, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Serbia, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and U.S. (including two films made by Texans).

The event is free thanks to support from the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture, the Texas Commission on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and from the Festival’s Season Sponsors which include the Carol and Alan J. Bernon Family Charitable Foundation, Dallas Tourism Public Improvement District, The Eugene McDermott Foundation, Sidley Austin LLP, Headington Companies, Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate, Gaedeke Group, Mary Fox & Laura Fox, Moody Fund for the Arts, Dallas Film Commission, Angelika Film Center Dallas, Wildworks PR, DFW Child, and Spracklen Film and Video. The USA Film Festival is supported, in part, by the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture, the Texas Commission on the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

The full schedule of KidFilm programs can be found at usafilmfestival.com. Tickets for all shows are free for both children and adults, but tickets are required for admission.

Advance tickets for most programs is available online through January 14 at eventbrite.com. Any unreserved tickets will be made available at the Angelika Theater box office on the day of show only.

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