Yes, Edmonton has a very developed culture of watching movies in the open air. In summer and even in winter, the city and its surroundings regularly host both one-off screenings and entire open-air film festivals. There are free family screenings in parks and squares, charity drive-ins, commercial events with paid admission by car, as well as a winter festival unique in the world with screenings on a “snow screen.”
Below is a detailed picture of how it works, what formats exist, where it takes place, and how a newcomer to Edmonton can take advantage of it all.
Main formats of open-air movie screenings in Edmonton
Conventionally, all events can be divided into several types.
First, there are municipal screenings organized by the city of Edmonton, primarily the Movies on the Square program at Sir Winston Churchill Square in the city center. These are free evening outdoor movie screenings with a large screen, seating/lawns for viewers, food trucks, music, and a family atmosphere.
Second, there are numerous “movies in the park” organized by neighborhood community leagues (similar to Ukrainian neighborhood associations or microdistrict associations), churches, youth organizations, and charitable organizations. Such screenings are usually free, aimed at families with children, and take place in the courtyards of community centers or on lawns near schools and churches.
Thirdly, there are drive-ins, where you watch a movie from your car on a big screen, with the sound transmitted via your car radio. Some of these events are paid (tickets are sold per car), while others are charitable, where instead of money, donations are requested for a specific organization.
Fourth, there are themed festivals and one-off events, such as the International Festival of Winter Cinema (IFWC), which is positioned as “the world's only free open-air winter film festival with a snow screen” and is integrated into the Silver Skate winter festival in Hawrelak Park. There are also screenings within cultural festivals, such as Asian or Chinatown initiatives with free evening screenings on the street.
City program Movies on the Square
The most famous city initiative, Movies on the Square, deserves a separate mention.
The venue is Sir Winston Churchill Square, the central square in front of City Hall and the library, in downtown Edmonton. It is there that the city organizes several movie nights every year during the warm season. The format is simple: a large screen is set up in the square, sound is provided through powerful speakers, and viewers lay out mats and blankets and bring their own chairs. In 2025, the program included, in particular, screenings of Free Willy in May as part of Splash Day Movie.
The films are selected to be family-friendly, usually with a rating that allows children to attend without any problems. According to the city's website, this is “the ultimate outdoor movie experience” — that is, the most “classic” version of summer cinema. Participation is free: there is no charge, but there may be food trucks or kiosks selling food and drinks for a fee.
Such events are usually announced in advance on the city's official website in the festivals and events section, as well as on the City of Edmonton's social media pages. Some local websites (Family Fun Edmonton, Edmonton.family, Edmonton.events) maintain consolidated calendars and review articles that list all the dates of these screenings.
Community screenings: movies in parks and neighborhoods
Another popular event is movie screenings organized by community leagues and other local initiatives.
A typical example is the Balwin Community League Movie Under the Stars: a screening of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial in an open area near the league center, with free admission and viewers asked to bring their own chairs and blankets. Similar events were held in Terwillegar (Summer Movie Nights at Terwillegar Spray Park), Callingwood/Lymburn, Rosenthal, North Millbourne, and other neighborhoods.
Usually, it is one evening in the summer (July–September), starting around sunset (which is quite late in Edmonton in the summer), with children's activities before the film and fireworks or a prize draw at the end. Some of these evenings are tied to Community League Day, youth festivals, or celebrations such as Youth Day Edmonton.
For a newcomer, the practical conclusion is simple: almost every neighbourhood in Edmonton has its own community league, and their websites/Facebook pages are one of the best channels for finding out about free movie screenings near your home.
Drive-in: movies from your car
The drive-in format has a long tradition in North America, and it is also alive and well in Edmonton, although not on the same scale as classic movie theaters. Such screenings are often organized outside the central part of the city—near shopping centers, in parking lots, and in towns around Edmonton.
Recent examples include the drive-in at the Edmonton Garrison Fitness Centre (tickets are CAD 20 per car, but admission is free for military personnel and residents of Sturgeon County), the charitable Sherwood Park Mall Drive-In at the Park, where CAD 10 per car goes to support the Boys and Girls Club, as well as double-feature screenings in Devon, Millet, Fort Saskatchewan, and others.
Individual resources, such as Family Fun Canada (Edmonton section) and FamilyFunEdmonton, publish extensive reviews of “Drive-in & Outdoor Movies in Edmonton & Area” for the current year, where you can see the date, cost, exact location, and movie title. So even if the drive-in format is not available every day in the city itself, there are enough options within a 30-60 minute drive to spend at least a few evenings during the summer “like in the movies of the 60s.”
Winter phenomenon: International Festival of Winter Cinema
A unique feature of Edmonton is the International Festival of Winter Cinema (IFWC). The organizers describe it as “the world's only free outdoor all-winter film festival—on a snow screen,” i.e., the world's only free open-air winter film festival with a completely winter aesthetic.
The festival takes place on ice/snow as part of the larger Silver Skate winter festival, which traditionally takes place in Hawrelak Park (now sometimes moving to other parks due to reconstruction). The screen is a special snow structure; viewers sit on benches covered with fur or blankets, dressed in warm clothes, sipping hot chocolate or mulled wine, while the temperature can be -10 or lower.
The films focus on winter life, indigenous peoples, climate, and snow as a cultural and natural phenomenon. In this way, Edmonton demonstrates that “open-air cinema” is not just for summer evenings, but also a full-fledged winter experience, integrated into the “Winter City” concept.
For someone from Ukraine, this may seem exotic: visually, it looks more like a combination of a ski resort and an art festival than a regular cinema. But if you love winter and cinema, this is one of the MUST-see formats that makes Edmonton special.
Private initiatives and backyard cinema
In addition to official events, there are private initiatives in the city that promote the culture of watching movies in the open air. For example, YEG Backyard Cinema positions itself as a service that brings the cinema to your backyard — they rent out screens, projectors, sound equipment, and help organize a movie night in the backyard of a private home.
Such services are popular for birthdays, small corporate parties, school or church events. Formally, this is a private event, but visually and in terms of feel, it is a full-fledged “open-air cinema” where you yourself determine the program, guest list, and format.
Where to find information about screenings
The large number of organizers means that there is no single “super site,” but there are several key sources where new residents can systematically follow announcements.
First, the official City of Edmonton website, Festivals and Events section. City-wide events are published there, including Movies on the Square and individual summer/winter festivals with open screenings.
Second, local family portals: Family Fun Edmonton / FamilyFunCanada (Edmonton section), Edmonton.family, Edmonton.events. Every year, they compile lists such as “Drive-in & Outdoor Movies in Edmonton & Area,” “Edmonton Outdoor Movies to Watch in August,” etc., which include all the main free and inexpensive screenings with dates, addresses, and brief descriptions.
Third, Eventbrite is a platform for registering for events. There, you can filter events in Edmonton by the tags “outdoor” or “drive-in movie” and see both free and paid options.
Fourth, social networks and community league websites. They are the ones who most often organize “Movie in the Park” and similar events at the district level, announcing them via Facebook/Instagram and their own web pages.
Characteristics of outdoor movie screenings in Edmonton
If we try to summarize what makes this tradition special, we can highlight several points.
First, a strong connection to the community and family. The vast majority of screenings are free or have a nominal fee and are aimed at all age groups, not just young people. Organizers often specifically choose films that are familiar to both children and parents — classics such as E.T., Free Willy, popular animated films, and new family blockbusters.
Second, seasonality and climate. Summer screenings are concentrated in the period from June to September, when the evenings are warm enough and the days are long. The winter IFWC, on the other hand, plays on the frost and snow as part of the experience, inviting viewers to “embrace winter” rather than hide from it.
Thirdly, geographical dispersion. While in many cities such events are concentrated in the center, in Edmonton, open-air cinema is a real “network” throughout the city and even beyond, from ICE District Plaza to small towns like Millet or Camrose. For a newcomer, this means that there is likely to be “something interesting” within a short drive from home.
Fourth, a combination of commercial and charitable models. Some screenings are intended to raise funds for community organizations (e.g., BGC Canada through Sherwood Park Mall Drive-In), while others are organized solely as a free service to the community.
Practical tips for visiting
From a practical standpoint, watching a movie under the open sky in Edmonton has its own nuances related to climate and format.
First and foremost, bring warm clothes and blankets. Even in August, evenings can be cool, especially in open areas or near the river, so experienced city dwellers bring not only a blanket to sit on, but also outerwear, a hat, and gloves if the forecast promises +10 degrees and wind.
Second, bring your own chairs or sleeping mats. Most organizers do not provide seating for all spectators; at most, there are a few benches. Therefore, folding chairs, sleeping mats, or simply a blanket are almost standard equipment for such events.
Third, arrival time. For popular events, especially in the center, good viewing spots are taken early—an hour before the start. This is especially true for families with children who want to sit closer, but not in front of the screen itself.
Fourth, food. Food trucks operate at large city events, but prices can be high. Many people treat these evenings as a “picnic plus movie,” bringing their own snacks and drinks, while adhering to the rules regarding alcohol and glassware.
Conclusion
In response to the question of whether open-air movie screenings are organized in Edmonton, the answer is not simply “yes,” but rather “it's part of the city's culture.” The city has developed a whole range of formats, from free family screenings in the central square and community league courtyards, to nostalgic drive-ins, to a unique winter festival with a “snow screen.”
For a newcomer to Edmonton, such events are one of the easiest ways to feel part of the local community, hear English “live” in a relaxed atmosphere, get to know your neighbors, and simply spend a warm (or frosty, if it's IFWC) evening. All you need to do is subscribe to a few local websites and social media pages, check the event calendars, and be prepared for the fact that movies under the stars in Edmonton are not a one-time “exotic” event, but a regular part of life throughout the year.