On Wednesday, July 23, the lawn at Warwick Community Park slowly filled with blankets, beach chairs, and coolers as families gathered to enjoy a favorite summertime tradition: Summer Movies in the Park. After weeks of rain-soaked days and humid nights, the skies finally cleared for one of the nicest evenings in string of bad ones. And the timing couldn’t have been better for families eager to enjoy an outdoor movie.
Held behind the township building at 1733 Township Green in Jamison, the event marked only the second successful movie night of the summer so far, due to earlier weather delays. But on this rare, breezy July evening, the inflatable movie screen glowed against the night sky, and laughter echoed across the grassy soccer field as the evening’s featured movie, “Dog Man” sprang to animated life.
Warwick Township’s Summer Movies in the Park series features four family-friendly films each summer, typically shown every other Wednesday beginning in June. The movies start at dusk, usually around 8:45 p.m., once the sun has set enough for clear viewing. For many families, it’s become a seasonal staple.
“People bring their chairs, their blankets, and even their full setups; they’ve been coming for years,” said Dan Sharapan, Director of Warwick Township’s Parks and Recreation Department. “We have regulars who look forward to this every summer.”
The decision to show “Dog Man,” based on the popular children’s book series by Dav Pilkey, was part of a careful selection process designed to appeal to a broad audience.
“We aim for movies that are fun for kids but enjoyable for adults too,” Sharapan explained. “We’ve had requests to show more adult-oriented films, but with the playground and basketball courts nearby, we want to make sure everything stays family-friendly. That’s why we stick to G and PG-rated movies.”
The township alternates between animated films and live-action family comedies to keep the lineup fresh. This summer’s series opened with “Despicable Me 4” in June, followed by “Dog Man.” A rain-postponed screening of “The Big Green” was rescheduled for July 30, and the final film of the season, “The Little Giants,” was shown on August 6.
Though Warwick Township is small, the crowds for these movies are often quite large. “We usually get between 200 and 400 people per movie,” Sharapan said. “We used to hold them on Saturdays, but there were too many conflicts; vacations, sports, other events. Once we moved them to Wednesday nights, the attendance practically doubled.”
Families begin arriving around 8:15, but as Sharapan noted, “You always wonder where everyone is until right around 8:45. Then suddenly, it’s like someone opened a floodgate and there’s this big rush of people.”
Free parking surrounds the township building, though it fills quickly. For many attendees, it’s not just a movie; it’s a full evening out. Families bring food, eat picnic-style on the grass, and enjoy the open air. The Parks Department offers simple concessions, such as candy, cotton candy, soda, and water.
“We’re not trying to make money,” Sharapan emphasized. “The goal is to give families a free, enjoyable night out in the park. We want people to come, see the park, check out the new playground, and hopefully come back again.”
None of this would be possible without local support. Each movie night is fully sponsored by local and regional businesses, seven in total, who help cover everything from licensing fees to the company that sets up the screen and sound system.
“This series runs entirely on sponsorship,” said Sharapan. “Without them, we wouldn’t be able to do it.”
That same company sets up the massive inflatable screen and sound system in the middle of the grass soccer field, an ideal location for both visibility and sound. Even the back rows have a clear view of the screen once the sun dips low and the field turns dark.
For those in attendance on July 23, “Dog Man” was just part of the draw. The event created a sense of community. Kids giggled over candy, friends ran into neighbors, and parents got to unwind under the stars.
“There’s something special about watching a movie outdoors, surrounded by people from your town,” one parent said as she helped her daughter settle onto a beach towel.
And as the screen lit up and the animated adventure began, the crowd quieted, settling into that shared experience that turns an ordinary summer night into something memorable.
For Warwick Township, these nights are about more than entertainment. “It’s really about giving people a reason to gather and enjoy the park,” said Sharapan. “We want to create something positive, something families look forward to, and I think we’ve done that.”
With one movie night still to come this summer,“The Little Giants” on August 6, there’s still time to grab a blanket, pack some snacks, and join the crowd for one of Warwick Township’s favorite summer traditions.
For more information about future events and recreation programs in Warwick Township, please check out www.warwickrec.com.
