Auburn Parks and Recreation hosted its annual Friday Fright Night movie event on Oct. 22. While the event has previously been held at Donald E. Davis Arboretum, this year the event was held at Kiesel Park.
This event was just one of several free movies offered by Auburn Parks and Rec as part of their Outdoor Movie Series held throughout the year.
Similar events hosted by Auburn Parks and Rec include the Summer Float-n-Movies, a Summer Film Series held at the Gogue Performing Arts Center and a free Outdoor Concert Series that is offered throughout the spring and fall at Kiesel Park.
According to the City of Auburn website, the inspiration for the event was to provide “an evening of spooky movies to get you in the mood for Halloween.”
“I decided to come out tonight because I love 'Hocus Pocus,' and I thought it would be a fun thing for me and my friend to do," said Jillian Minierri, first-time attendee of the event.
The first movie offered was "Hocus Pocus" at 6:15 p.m., and "Seven" at 8 p.m. Because "Seven" is rated R, most of the families with children shuffled out before the showing.
Kelley Dowdell, another attendee of the event, said she decided to come to the event to get out of the house and bring her kids to see the movie.
“I really wanted to stay for the second movie, but since my kids are too young we decided to just stay for 'Hocus Pocus,'” Dowdell said.
Auburn Parks and Rec also sent safety and security personnel to the event to ensure the safety of all patrons who attended. There was also medical personnel stationed around the park in case of emergencies.
Kassandra Jimenez, one of the medical personnel at the event, said she has been a regular at the outdoor concerts that have been offered through Auburn Parks and Rec, but this was her first time attending an outdoor movie.
“I’m originally from Illinois, and we have these types of events all the time," Jimenez said. "I was actually planning on coming anyway, so when I was asked to work it I was really excited."
Jiminez's role was to monitor the crowd and make sure that everyone was safe and could receive medical help if they need it.
This year is the fifth anniversary of Friday Fright Night, as the first event was held in 2016. This year’s event was also slightly different as it was just a one-weekend event, whereas, in the past, the event has showcased a different movie over the course of three Fridays in October.
Patrons were encouraged to bring their own blankets and chairs, and there were also several food vendors available at the site.
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Kara Mautz, senior in human development and family studies with a minor in journalism, is a culture writer at The Auburn Plainsman.
