We hope you have a lot of fun watching the outdoor movies at this year’s 13th annual Plaza Classic Film Festival, produced by the El Paso Community Foundation. Due to the pandemic, we are taking extra precautions to make sure everyone has a safe experience. The emphasis will be on staying in your vehicles, wearing a mask if you have to leave your vehicle, washing your hands and observing social distancing.
Remember, the movies start July 30 with the sing-along version of the Beatles’ Yellow Submarine at Ardovino’s Desert Crossing and end August 9 with Casablanca at the El Paso International Airport’s newly dubbed Hangar 7 Studios. Tickets are $25 per vehicle, on sale at plazaclassic.com/schedule.
We’ll announce our digitally streamed movies soon. They’ll run from August 5-9 on plazaclassic.com.
Where are these places?
Let’s go in the chronological order of when we’ll be showing the movies:
July 30
We’ll be using the large, unpaved lot just below (east) of Ardovino’s Desert Crossing restaurant in Sunland Park, NM. We’re showing the sing-along version of the Beatles’ Yellow Submarine there.
July 31-August 1
The El Paso Community College Valle Verde Campus lot is just off I-10. Take the Hunter exit, go south on Hunter and turn at the light where the large Taco street sign is. If you’re coming from the other direction, it’s a left turn into the lot. We’re showing Jaws and Charlie Chaplin’s The Kid on July 31, and Smokey and the Bandit with the Marx Brothers’ Duck Soup on August 1.
August 2-3
The Camp Cohen Water Park lot is just off Gateway North, between the northbound TransMountain exit and Transmountain, on what used to be the first base side of Cohen Stadium. We’re showing Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds on August 2, and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial on August 3.
August 4-5
We’ll be using the lot on the northeast side of the El Paso County Coliseum grounds. Entrance will be from Boone Street. The screen will be on the north (Paisano) side of the lot, facing south. We’re showing Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park on August 4 and Selena on August 5.
August 6-7
We’ll be at the gravel lot on the southwest corner of The Hospitals of Providence East Campus, near Loop 375 and Edgemere. Entry will be from Tierra Cortez Avenue, just south of the HOP campus (the main entrance must be left open for emergency vehicles). Turn east on Tierra Cortez, then north (left) into the paved lot in front of Medical Plaza A. Staff will direct you to the entrance nearby. We’re showing 1956’ Godzilla, King of the Monsters! on August 6, and a double bill of Young Frankenstein (“That’s Fronk-un-steen!”) and the original Frankenstein on August 7.
August 8-9
The newly dubbed Hangar 7 Studios is a hangar on the northwest corner of El Paso International Airport property. The street address is 6600 Airport Road, but it’s easier to remember that it’s on the east side of the Airport Road/Leigh Fischer Boulevard intersection. Some may remember it as the El Paso Natural Gas Co. or Continental Airlines hangar. Entrance will be through the second set of gates. We’ll be set up outside of (not inside) the hangar. We’ll have a double bill of The Rocky Horror Picture Show (a PCFF staple) and Hedwig and the Angry Inch on August 8 and Casablanca (which ends at an airport) on August 9.
What time do we show up? When do the movies start?
Admission starts at 7:30 pm. It’s best to buy your tickets in advance (we’re using touchless ticketing) and get there early enough to get a good parking spot. There’s some pre-show programming at 8:30 pm, followed by the first movie, classic comedy short or cartoons at 8:40 pm. Most nights, we’ll be done between 11 pm and midnight. The screen is 32-feet by 18-feet, rigged to a portable stage, except at the airport, where we’ll be showing movies on a 50x30-foot “screen,” in other words, hangar doors painted white.
How does parking work?
Staff in masks and yellow reflective vests will direct you. Parking is first-come, first-served. VEHICLES WILL BE PARKED IN A CHECKERBOARD PATTERN WITH SPACES BETWEEN THEM. Turn off your headlights when parked. Don’t tap your brakes during the movies. RVs and limousines not permitted. We reserve the right to relocate your vehicle if needed.
How will I hear the movies?
Via FM radio. The frequency will be posted on the screen before the program begins.
What about social distancing?
Please STAY INSIDE your vehicle, unless you need to use the restroom. WEAR A MASK if you have to step outside of your vehicle. Sitting outside is prohibited (patrons may watch from the bed of a truck, but MASKS ARE REQUIRED). Law enforcement officers will patrol the premises.
What if I have to use the restroom?
Male, female and disabled portable restrooms, with hand washing stations, will be available at each location (additional indoor restrooms will be available at the El Paso County Coliseum). Observe SOCIAL DISTANCING (6 FEET APART) if you have to wait in line.
What about safety and security?
Law enforcement officers and emergency medical technicians will staff all events. Parking attendants and law enforcement officers will direct traffic in and out of each venue.
Can we bring our own food and beverages?
Yes! Concessions will not be available at most locations (Ardovino’s DC and the Coliseum will have concessions). No alcohol allowed.
What about pets?
Nope, pets are not allowed.
What if I want to leave before the movie is over?
We hope you don’t. But, if you must exit early, use your parking lights until you are off the premises. Re-entry is NOT permitted.
How do I get tickets for your other movies?
Tickets are $25 per vehicle, including double features, on sale at plazaclassic.com/schedule. Click on the name of the movie you want to see. A brief description and on-sale button will appear. Ticket sales at each location, if available, will be via plazaclassic.com/schedule. No cash sales.
What if I have a question?
Put on your mask and ask someone wearing a yellow reflective vest or a law enforcement officer.
Anything else?
Stay safe. Stay in your vehicle. Wear a mask if you have to leave the vehicle. Be considerate of others.
And enjoy the movies!
