You are reading

Free Drive-In Movie Nights to Kick off in Queens This Month

Photo Courtesy of Rooftop Films

May 3, 2021 By Christina Santucci

The Queens Drive-In will return for its second act at Flushing Meadows Corona Park this summer – starting with the sold-out screening of “Star Wars” Tuesday.

Movie-goers will be able to watch the films on a 62-foot screen built on the grounds of the New York Hall of Science while sitting in their own cars.

Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, who is sponsoring the series, announced the lineup for the six showings – including the 1988 classic “Coming to America,” Oscar winner “Moonlight” and animated flick “Inside Out.”

The June 24 screening of “Monsoon Wedding” will also feature a live musical performance by Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Falu.

“We’re not out of the woods when it comes to COVID-19 just yet, but that doesn’t mean we can’t safely enjoy evenings in Flushing Meadows Corona Park with our family, friends and neighbors,” Richards said in a statement. “From kids flicks to cinematic classics, there is something for every family to enjoy on the big screen this spring.”

Pre-registration is required for each screening and they open up two weeks before each showing. Organizers said social distancing will be strictly enforced, and only attendees in vehicles who have pre-registered will be admitted. Each showing can fit about 200 cars.

Attendees will also be able to purchase food and beverages on site through vendors that have previously participated in the seasonal Queens Night Market.

The “Free Movie Nights at the Queens Drive-In” screenings are listed below, and dates are subject to change:

  • Tuesday, May 4: “Star Wars” (1977) – SOLD OUT
  • Wednesday, May 19: “Inside Out” (2015)
  • Wednesday, May 26: “Moonlight” (2016)*
  • Wednesday, June 16: “Coming to America” (1988)*
  • Thursday, June 24: “Monsoon Wedding” (2001)*
  • Date TBA: “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” (2018)

*Film includes sexual content and/or violence

Movie-goers can drive into the lot approximately one hour before each film begins. For “Coming to America” and “Monsoon Wedding,” the movie is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m., and the other screenings are slated to start at 8:30 p.m. However, the exact timing is subject to change.

The film screenings, which are held rain or shine, except in the event of severe weather, are part of an ongoing film festival, the Queens Drive-In, which launched last summer through a partnership between Rooftop Films, the Museum of the Moving Image and the New York Hall of Science.

“When we conceived of the Queens Drive-In last year, our goal was to create an accessible space where the people of the city could come together safely to experience the communal joy of cinema,” Rooftop Films President Dan Nuxoll said in a statement.

The drive-in held more than 80 screenings between the summer and fall last year, and tickets to showings of other movies this summer are available for purchase, starting at $35 per car.

The Flushing Meadows Corona Park Improvement Fund, a nonprofit jointly overseen by the borough president, NYC Parks and the city comptroller, provided funding for the free screenings on Wednesdays.

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Superstorm Sandy-damaged home in Neponsit will finally be demolished after city finds it structurally unstable

Nearly 13 years after Superstorm Sandy crashed into the Rockaways, damaging or destroying nearly 1,000 homes and businesses along the 11-mile peninsula, a Neponsit house will be demolished by the city.

Council Member Joann Ariola has been working with the city’s Department of Buildings (DOB) and the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) to deal with the blighted property at 148-16 Rockaway Beach Blvd. and received an important update on the project late last month.

Pheffer Amato reminds constituent families of free meals, distraction-free learning policies for new school year

As students head back to school, Assemblymember Stacey Pheffer Amato is reminding families in her district of two major changes: every child will be eligible for free school meals, and mobile phones and smart devices will no longer be allowed during the school day.

The implementation of universal free meals for all schools, including nonpublic and charter schools, has been a focus for Pheffer Amato for years. During the 2025 New York State budget, she worked on the issue to ensure the state would give every school district, including New York City, the resources to make universal free meals a reality. Now, free breakfast and lunch will be provided to all school-aged children at all schools participating in the national school lunch and breakfast program, guaranteeing that every child will be eligible for health and nutritious meals.

Queens Together launches ‘Unofficial US Open Dining Guide’ encouraging fans to sample restaurants along the 7 line

Aug. 20, 2025 By Shane O’Brien

The US Open returns to Flushing Meadows Corona Park this Sunday, with more than 1 million attendees anticipated to take mass transit to the iconic annual tennis event. With hundreds of thousands of fans set to take the 7 out to the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, there is a world of delicious local eateries lying beneath the elevated train tracks should any fan wish to stop en-route to the US Open.

Can Queens’ food scene thrive with both trucks and restaurants?

Aug. 19, 2025 By Jessica Militello

In Jackson Heights at 4 p.m. on a Thursday afternoon, Roosevelt Avenue is buzzing with energy as commuters file in and out of subway cars and onto the street and cars and trucks grapple to get down the busy road. The street is filled with rows of shops and restaurants, along with food carts, street vendors and food trucks along the avenue. The almost-but-not-quite the weekend lag leaves hungry commuters faced with another choice to make throughout their day and the array of food truck options in busy areas like Jackson Heights offers customers convenience and delicious food without breaking the bank, two features that can feel vital, particularly with rising costs of living and pressure from inflation.