Five Tips for an Awesome Outdoor Movie Night
There’s something magical about watching a movie under the stars!
Posted: June 23, 2022 by Josh Arnold
There’s something magical about watching a movie under the stars with friends. If you’re not close to one of the few drive-in theaters still in existence, no worries – you can easily transform your backyard into an outdoor home theater. Here are five tips for turning your backyard into a pop-up movie theater.
Projector and Screen
If you want to capture the essence of the drive-in theater, there’s no substitute for a good projector. An outdoor projector should be at least 1,200 lumens, a measurement of how much light a device emits. Another must-have feature are HDMI ports, so you can connect items such as Blu-ray DVD players. If you don’t want to invest in a projector, bring your TV and DVD player outside.
Comfy Seating
Provide your guests with a range of comfortable seating options, including patio furniture, lounge chairs, blankets and outdoor pillows. Of if you have a pool, even better. Host a raft-up party and invite guests to bring their own pool float to relax on while the movie plays.
Snackage
Step up your game by creating a popcorn bar for guests. Fill small decorative bags with popcorn and offer an assortment of candy treats, marshmallows and other sweet mix-ins. And, of course, a movie night wouldn’t be complete without offering some classic movie-theater candy like Raisinets, Jujubes and the perennial favorite – Junior Mints!
Soft Lights
While your yard needs to be dark enough to see the movie, you also will need a little light so guests don’t trip over each other on the way to the snack bar. String lights and luminaries are a nice inexpensive option, casting a glow over your yard without distracting from the movie.
De-bugging
Spray the backyard before guests arrive, or, if your backyard isn’t generally buggy, offer them insect repellent. There is quite an array of natural bug-repelling options available to keep the swatting to a minimum.
Hosting a backyard film fest isn’t as challenging as you might think. With just a little planning ahead and some creativity, you can bring the drive-in movie theater experience to your backyard… possibly even better.