UltraStar, city offer free movie nights

UltraStar Multi-tainment Center is hosting Movie Under the Stars every Monday night at 7 p.m. beginning April 15 in the Ak-Chin Amphitheater, and the city starts up its Saturday summer movie nights at dusk May 4.

“We picked Monday night as ‘family night,’” Director of Theater Operations Dan Terry said. “It’s a great way to bring the family out for a night together and enjoy a movie under the stars.”

He also said it will drive in more business during the weekdays.

“We have a gorgeous amphitheater and huge jumbotron that produces amazing sound, so we want to utilize it for family events,” Terry said.

He said people are busy on the weekends and take that time to see new movies and do other things.

“Monday’s aren’t very busy and people don’t have much going on,” he said.

He said the movies will be modern family movies out for at least a year.

Here are the first four movies scheduled:

• April 15, “How to Train Your Dragon”
• April 22, “Shrek”
• April 29, “Shrek 2”
• May 6, “Karate Kid”

The amphitheater concessions will be open. The free movie night will continue through May and possibly June.

“We’re going to stop it when it’s really hot out in the summer,” Terry said. “But will pick it up again in September.”

However, he said if the movie night is popular enough there is a possibility of continuing it throughout the summer.

“It’s just hard to tell if people will come out in 110-degree weather,” Terry said.

The amphitheater is at 16000 Maricopa Road.

UltraStar isn’t the only place in Maricopa offering free movies to Maricopa families.

The city’s annual Movies in the Park will begin Saturday, May 4 on the west football field at Pacana Park.

Movies start at dusk and concessions will be available beginning at 7 p.m.

Here is the 2013 movie line-up:

• May 4, “Wreck it Ralph”
• May 18, “Hotel Transylvania”
• June 1, “The Goonies”
• June 15, “Rise of the Guardians”

Pacana Park is at 19000 N. Porter Road.