The County of Orange and OC Parks partnered again to present the annual OC Parks Sunset Cinema Series, offering weekly Friday film nights for all ages with free admission and parking. Beginning on June 7, the series runs all summer-long until Aug. 30.
At the screening of the musical “Trolls Band Together” on July 12, attendees were given complimentary themed headbands modeled after Trolls characters’ hair. An Instagram post from OC Parks recapped the event, displaying community members sitting on the lawn and engaging with performers.
To complement the film, Little Folk Club, a traditional folk music band, performed before the screening.
According to Victoria Bailey, 32, singer for Little Folk Club, the group has performed at musical events for approximately six years.
“[The Cinema Series event] is a really cool way to share my music with [the] community, with family, and introduce what I was brought up with to kids,” Bailey said.
With Orange County serving as the main organizer, the event was “a year in the making,” according to strategic communications manager for OC Parks Kristi Quon. She explained that preparation for the series began once the previous year’s series ended. Planning included choosing event dates with different community events in mind and ensuring that the licenses to show movies were obtained.
“I have been involved from the very beginning,” Quon told New University. “Just watching them grow year after year, we do see people come year after year and having a direct impact on people’s upbringing and tradition.”
Vendors sold food and beverages for purchase. Event-goers played movie-themed carnival games as well, such as hula hoop dancing and a booth that demonstrated the functioning of sound waves and harmonics.
The owner of Delicious ACA Fest, Zesar Aguilar, 49, opened his family business in 2021 and has since been to “many events all over Orange County.” Aguilar began his food truck after working for many years in different restaurants.
“We have around 30 years of experience. And we thought, ‘Why not try to start our own business because we have always been working for other people?,” Aguilar said in an interview with New University.
The cinema series complements the OC Parks Summer Concert Series, which offers free concerts every Thursday evening at a variety of OC parks, running until Aug. 22.
The remainder of the cinema series features “Barbie” (2023), “National Treasure” (2004), “Frozen II” (2019), “Napoleon Dynamite” (2004), “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” (2023), “13 Going on 30” (2004) and “The Goonies” (1985).
Quon spoke to OC Parks’ intentions behind the Sunset Cinema and Concert Series.
“Our biggest goal is just to create community and provide free entertainment for the residents of Orange County and beyond,” Quon said.
Malaika Sultan is a News Intern for the summer 2024 quarter. She can be reached at malaiks1@uci.edu.
Edited by Victoria Le, Karen Wang and Jaheem Conley.
