Free movie screening Saturday night hosted by Celebrate Laconia

LACONIA — Celebrate Laconia picked up where the Weirs Drive-In Theater left off for a free movie night on Canal Street. 

Celebrate Laconia is hosting the screening from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 20.

Potential movies to be screened during the event include "The Goonies," "Harry Potter," "Star Wars," the original "Jumanji" and "The Princess Bride." 

Celebrate Laconia, a nonprofit organization created by residents and business owners to promote the city, invited the public to vote on Facebook for which movie will be screened. 

Voting ends on Thursday, Sept. 18, at facebook.com/celebratelaconianh. Vote by commenting your top choice on the post. "The Goonies" was in the lead on Monday, according to their Facebook page, and Celebrate Laconia itself voted for "The Goonies."

By Wednesday afternoon, the choice of movie was clear.

“It looks like it's 'The Goonies,' it’s such a blowout,” Beth Castrucci, president of Celebrate Laconia, said Wednesday. 

They’ve acquired a license to screen "The Goonies," Castrucci said, which in turn allows them to use the movie’s art for their advertisements. 

“I actually just got it today,” Castrucci said. 

They’d consider the event a success if people come out to watch the movie and have a good time.

“I think it’d be the best during the summer nights,” Castrucci said of similar events the organization hopes to hold in the future.

Concessions, including candy, soda and popcorn, will be available for sale. Those in attendance are encouraged to bring chairs, blankets or air mattresses for seating. 

“We are very excited for this Saturday,” Castrucci said. “We will be having a free movie night on Canal Street. As a board we have been wanting to do an event like this for a while.”

At their meeting on Sept. 8 at City Hall, councilors approved a temporary traffic order directing the closure of Canal Street from 2 p.m. through the end of the event to allow for “ample” time to set things up.

There is another event occurring at the Colonial Theatre downtown on Saturday night, and City Manager Kirk Beattie has been in contact with an event manager there regarding coordination for parking for tour buses, according to a city staff report. 

The city’s Special Events Review Committee approved the movie screening request at their meeting on Sept. 3. 

Canal Street will be closed to vehicular traffic from its intersection with Main Street to its intersection with Beacon Street East from 2 to 10:30 p.m. 

Ward 5 City Councilor Steven Bogert asked Beattie if the business owners along Canal Street were notified of the event and road closure, and Beattie said most businesses will be closed during the event. 

In the future, Castrucci said they hope to collaborate with The Belknap Mill, potentially screening a film on that property.

Celebrate Laconia purchased an inflatable movie screen which will be used Saturday evening.

“We’ll have it all set up for the night,” Castrucci said. 

People are invited to come to Canal Street before the event to lend a hand in setting up, if they’d like. 

“We’re hoping it becomes a staple of downtown,” Castrucci said.