Why We Love Where We Live - Reason #26: Lights, camera, action

Posted: July 24th, 2010

Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds, Bodega
Photo via flickr

Part of what we love about the North Bay is the movie culture. What other part of the country can boast the number of film festivals that are offered in Marin and Sonoma alone, from the smaller scale Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival to the Sausalito, Tiburon and Sonoma Valley festivals, to what is probably the most well-known, the Mill Valley Film Festival. These events draw luminaries, film buffs, critics and casual fans alike.

And though hundreds of miles from Hollywood, the North Bay has played its own part in dozens of movies. Films such as Peggy Sue Got Married, The Birds, Basic Instinct, American Graffiti, and Scream have used our beautiful streets and scenic landscapes as backdrops. Perhaps because we are hundreds of miles from Hollywood, the Bay Area is also the chosen home of such production companies as Lucas Film and Pixar.

It’s no wonder then that one of summer’s most popular activities in the North Bay is Movies in the Park. Instead of the house lights dimming, we experience the sun setting and, if we’re lucky, a falling star or two. There’s no 3D, no giant IMAX screen. Just friends, neighbors, and – depending on where you go – live music, children’s entertainment, wine parings and bottomless popcorn.

Summer’s in full swing. If you haven’t yet enjoyed a film under the stars, check out this list of locations, grab a blanket, and relish one of the North Bay’s great summer treats.

Annual Summer Fun Film Festival (Gundlach Bundschu in Sonoma)
August 7: Swingers
Music starts at 7 pm; Movie begins at dusk
VIP tickets include picnic dinner, reserved seating and a bottle of wine

Pictures on the Crush Pad (Moshin Vineyards in Healdsburg)
July 24: The Blues Brothers
August 14: Blue Hawaii
$20 admission includes a glass of wine and bottomless bag of popcorn; chairs provided

Petaluma Movies in the Park (Lucchesi Park)
July 23: Diary of a Wimpy Kid
July 30: Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
Free event; live entertainment, children’s activities and refreshments
6:30; movie starts at dusk

Summer Nights on the Green (Windsor)
July 27: Tooth Fairy
Aug 3: Percy Jackson and the Olympians
Aug 10: Avatar
Movie starts 15 minutes after sunset

Film Night in the Park (Marin County & San Francisco)
July 23: The Blob (San Anselmo)
July 24: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (San Anselmo)
July 30: Fantastic Mr. Fox (San Anselmo)
July 31: Jaws (San Anselmo)
August 6: Napoleon Dynamite (San Geronimo)
August 7: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (San Francisco, Dolores Park)
August 13: The Worlds Fastest Indian (San Anselmo)
August 14: Mamma Mia (San Anselmo)
August 20: Notorious (San Anselmo)
August 21: Coraline (San Anselmo)
August 28: Rear Window (San Francisco, Union Square)