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Printer-Friendly ModeFestival attracts families to old Saginaw city
July 19, 2005 —
You usually won't find families on Sunday nights in old Saginaw city. Yet one recent Sunday evening, there were families aplenty in a parking lot at the corner of Ames and N. Hamilton streets, resting in lawn chairs and watching Willie Wonka & the Chocolate Factory projected on the side of a building.
Welcome to the Old Saginaw City Lawn Chair Festival. The show is about to begin.
The Lawn Chair Film Festival offers free outdoor movies to those wishing to do something different on a Sunday night. Films range from recent hits such as Hitch to classics like Goldfinger. Films are played on a 25 to 30 foot movie screen hung from the side of 211 N. Hamilton with large speakers blasting out sound. All movies are free of charge and organizers request only that you B.Y.O.C. (bring your own chair).
While the featured movie doesn't begin until dusk, other forms of entertainment are available to those who wish to arrive early. Bands such as The Banana Convention offer a variety of musical entertainment and local businesses such as the Red Eye Caffe are within walking distance. A number of bars and other businesses are also nearby.
With the allotment of dates almost half-through, festival organizers are pleased with the turnout thus far. More than 2,500 people have attended the four screenings of Hitch, Amelie, Willie Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and Bride & Prejudice.
Despite the success, a recent windstorm almost brought the curtain down on the festival. Strong winds tore the movie screen to pieces on July 5. However, volunteers pulled together and the screen was reinstalled only four days later.
Those wishing to attend are running out of time to do so. Only five Sunday showings remain.