A row of cars and people line up in William Wilt Soccer Complex for a drive-in movie night in 2023.
Harrison Township Recreation is offering a series of free drive-in movie nights that continue through September at the William Wilt Soccer Complex.
Four showings – three family-friendly movies and one adult one – will take place. On Friday, June 13, at 9 p.m., the film will be “The Goonies.” “Finding Nemo” will be shown on Friday, July 18 at 9 p.m. The movie featured on Friday, Aug. 22, at 7:30 p.m. will be “Dog Man.” The last movie of the season will be “Couples Retreat” for adults on Friday, Sept. 20, at 9:30 p.m. All rain dates are the following day.
“We started doing these years ago when Gloucester County began a free movie night program for municipalities,” said Recreation Coordinator Sharon Chew. “We decided to buy a small movie theater blow-up, and it was a hit.
“Then,” she added, “one of our members, Bobby Johnson, suggested we do a drive-in theater. We did it over one to two years and it just took off from there.”
The soccer complex will be open to guests an hour-and-a-half before each movie begins, 7:30 p.m. for the family movie nights and 5 p.m. for the adult night. An ice cream and water ice truck will be available, as well as coupons courtesy of the township fire district.
“Though it’s a drive-in, a lot of people like to sit outside, since their kids run around,” noted Chew. “The lot opens up an hour-and-a-half before the film begins to encourage people to socialize.”
For the adult drive-in movie night – its first – the recreation commission is partnering with the Mullica Hill Art Center to provide kids with an event of their own.
“We’re doing it this way in order to provide parents a place to take their kids if they can’t be left at home,” explained Chew.
The recreation commission usually picks a combination of both newer and older films to provide something for everyone, as well as introduce younger generations to films of the past, acording to Chew.
“It’s a great, old-fashioned, movie night.”
