Drive-in movies are coming back to Hawkesbury this summer, with the Harden Plaza parking lot transforming into an outdoor cinema for four free showings hosted by the Town of Hawkesbury in July and August.

On July 16 and 17 the film ‘Onward’ will be shown on both nights, with the French-language version shown on Thursday evening and the English showing on Friday. On August 13 and 14 the languages will be reversed for the showing of ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’, with the English version at the first showing, followed by the French version on Friday. All of the events are scheduled to run from 7-10:30 p.m. in the parking lot of the Harden Plaza opposite 452 County Road 17.

The event has been organized by the town as a way to allow area residents to enjoy an evening out while still respecting social distancing rules says Yvan Ruel, Communications Co-ordinator with the Town of Hawkesbury.

“The idea was to bring families there and people will obviously be in their cars so they will be able to respect social distancing,” Ruel noted. “We chose these two movies because they are for the whole family.”

Like most communities in the area, many events, summer camps and other activities have been cancelled in Hawkesbury and Ruel said the town’s recreational department is trying to fill the gap. Splash pads in the town’s parks were opened last week and other summer activities are gradually beginning to open up with precautions being taken.

Admission to each of the four drive-in movie showings is free and interest in the events has been even higher than expected since announced by the town last week. While there is plenty of parking space at the Harden Plaza, those who wish to see the films should plan to arrive early, as admission will be on a first-come/first served basis. It should be pointed out as well that alcohol is prohibited on the site, even if you are not the driver.

“There have been some posts (on Facebook) where people have talked about bringing wine, but that is not allowed,” Ruel noted.

Further information on the four individual drive-in movie showings can be found on the Town of Hawkesbury’s Facebook Events page at the following link: https://www.facebook.com/Hawkesbury.ON/events/