Summer Movies in the Park comes to Live Oak July 21

Summer Movies in the Park, free events put on by the County of San Diego Parks and Recreation, is celebrating its 10th anniversary of presenting fun family entertainment on warm summer evenings.

Live Oak Park will be the venue for the next Summer Movies in the Park in Fallbrook as it will host a screening of "The Secret Life of Pets" Friday, July 21. The movie will be shown on a large screen positioned on the soccer field.

According to Johanna Salomon, a Parks Recreational Supervisor who works out of the Fallbrook Community Center, the event will begin at 6:30 p.m. with activities for kids. The movie will be shown at dusk (around 8 p.m.).

“We offer a lot of activities for kids – different games and arts and crafts – prior to the movie,” said Salomon. “It’s unstructured play and they get to pick what they want to do.”

While the kids play, parents can select their viewing spot, spread out blankets and set up their picnic dinner.

“People can bring any food they want,” said Salomon, who added that alcohol is prohibited. “People can bring lawn chairs, but we ask those that do not to sit in front so they don’t block people’s view.”

People planning to attend the movie viewing at Live Oak Park should use the entrance located at the intersection of Reche Road and Gird Road. Parking, like the movie, is free.

The first Summer Movies in the Park event in Fallbrook this year was held June 30 at the Fallbrook Community Center when attendees viewed "Sing." The community center will also host the third and final Summer Movies in the Park of the season Sept. 8 when it screens "Moana." The back lawn of the Fallbrook Community Center is utilized for the screenings.

Salomon said Summer Movies in the Park is a hit with families.

"It's a good event for the kids," said Salomon. "Parents don't have to stress about where they are or what they're doing. A lot of grandparents come with their grandchildren, which is nice."

Salomon said Parks and Recreation is able to put on the events for free thanks to sponsors.

"This year Sharp (Rees-Stealy Medical Centers) is our title sponsor but we also have other smaller sponsors as well," said Salomon.

Salomon said the events are beneficial in that they expose people to the Fallbrook Community Center and Live Oak Park.

"We want people to enjoy the county parks," said Salomon.

The Fallbrook Community Center features three different playgrounds, a volleyball court, tennis courts, a basketball court, and two different picnic areas.

"We have a lot of amenities for people to use for free," said Salomon. "So they can come by and do some physical activity, which is one of the charges that we're leading. The community center hosts a variety of health and wellness programs."

People, for a fee, can attend health and fitness classes taught by professional instructors at the community center. Classes offered include Beginning Yoga, Tai Chi, Zumba with Sol, Pickleball, Fitness Fusion, Healing Yoga, Adult Fitness Circuit Training, Healing Pilates Mat, and Soul Line Dancing.

The community center also offers weekly summer camps for kids age 5 to 12. Each week has a different theme and all include a fun field trip. Already this summer, the camps have taken kids to San Diego to visit the Children's Museum, the USS Midway, and Waterfront Park. Campers also enjoyed a San Diego Seal Tour. Upcoming road trips include visits to the Safari Park, The Wave Waterpark, and Petco Park for a Padres game.

Kids attending the camps can be dropped off at the community center as early as 7 a.m. and picked up as late as 6 p.m.

"Our camp is really flexible, so for working parents it's super convenient," said Salomon. "They can drop them off, sign them in and know they're in good care throughout day."

Children bring their own lunch, and the community center provides an afternoon snack.

"We do a lot of different activities throughout the day, everything from arts and crafts to science experiments to sports and games," said Salomon. "It's a really good way for them to learn how to socialize with other kids and to learn about sharing and those kind of things."

The cost of the weekly summer camps is $130 per child and there are still openings for Week 8 (July 31-Aug. 4, "Olympics" is the theme) and Week 9 (Aug. 7-11, "Wilderness Adventure").

Art Camps (with varying fees) are also offered at the community center and there are spaces available for weeks 7-10 (July 17-Aug. 11.).

"Our camps are made affordable through the hard work of the Friends of Fallbrook Community Center," said Salomon. "They are very dedicated to seeking out donations and grants, and they help us pay for a lot of the transportation costs. We're very grateful to have them. They also help provide scholarships to kids that can't afford to go to camp. We've actually sponsored close to 18 kids this season already between our spring and summer camps."

For more information about Summer Movies in the Park or the Fallbrook Community Center, visit http://www.sdparks.org.