Summer in San Jose has brought back the classics: a scorching heat wave, crowded conventions and an almost decade-long tradition of outdoor movies.
In partnership with the city’s Viva Parks program, the San Jose Downtown Association is hosting Starlight Cinema — a seasonal summer event that provides free movie showings on Saturday evenings in St. James Park. It’s one of the city’s many attempts to revitalize the struggling downtown park, which has become well-known for the number of unhoused people who reside there. The downtown association is using the popular event as a way to boost weekend foot traffic into the area to help local businesses.
Nate Donato-Weinstein, business development officer for the city, said these are the types of events that will assist St. James Park in achieving its potential.
“It is critical to have more people come out and use the park,” he told San José Spotlight.
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Previous efforts to rehabilitate the park included Friends of Levitt Pavilion San Jose, a nonprofit, hosting a series of outdoor concerts at the park last year, as well as plans for a complete design makeover of the park. Those plans were scuttled after the nonprofit lost a four-year lawsuit earlier this year.
A crowd of roughly 200 people arrived for the series’ first showing of the hit film “Barbie” earlier this month. Moviegoers were encouraged to direct their dollars to nearby women-owned businesses. Serious Dumpling, Angelou’s Mexican Grill and The City Fish provided discounts as incentives for hungry film fans.
For those who wanted to enjoy non-PG-13 fun after the movie, the popular downtown LGBTQ+ bar Splash had a Pink Drink special for post-Barbie club-goers.
“Working with our member restaurants on these specials gives SJDA another opportunity to promote downtown’s restaurant scene,” Chloe Shipp, the downtown association’s deputy director, told San José Spotlight.
More movie screenings are planned through August, with a wide variety of activities themed to each film to draw people to the park. The next film showing, “Kicking & Screaming,” is scheduled for this Saturday.
Shipp said these free events are essential to its success and encourage families and moviegoers to come downtown.
“Free events like Starlight Cinema are an integral part of creating a downtown that is vibrant and accessible to all,” Shipp added.
Contact Kassia Bonesteel at kassia.bonesteel@colorado.edu or follow @kekb2004 on X, formerly known as Twitter.
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