By Patricia Hall, Fairfax Family Fun

Summer is a prime time for movies, with Hollywood releasing blockbusters and “tentpole” films. But it’s also a good time to catch up on second-run movies and beloved classics, and summer movie series provide a great way to do just that. Each summer brings back both discounted movies at some theatre chains as well as film festivals run by local organizations, most of them outdoors. These events are in addition to discount movie programs that are ongoing throughout the year. The end result:  many options for free and cheap summer movies! See options for Northern Virginia below and start planning your film festival fun!

Indoor Movie Series

Regal Cinemas Summer Movie Express
$1 tickets, multiple locations
Regal Cinemas offers select movies for only $1.00 per person through its nine-weeks Summer Movie Express program at select locations. The series, from June to August on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, are all family-oriented films. See our post on the Summer Movie Express program for 2017.

Cobb Theatres Kids Summer Movie Escape
free, Leesburg
Cobb Theatres in Leesburg offers free movies every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 10 am. Admission is free and provided by same-day ticketing only. The series begins on June 13 and ends on August 3, 2017. There are 16 different movies in the series, all rated PG. See the 2017 schedule online.

Sherwood Cinemas Summer Series
free; Fairax
The City of Fairfax presents free monthly movies on a state-of-the-art big screen at the Sherwood Community Center on select Friday nights.  Movies begin at 7 pm and all are family-friendly (rated PG). The 2017 screenings are: Ice Age, Kubo, Storks, Trolls, and Sing.

Bow Tie Cinemas Summer Kids Series
free, Reston
Each year Bow Tie Cinemas shows free movies on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from June to August. Locally, the cinema a the Reston Town Center participates in the program. Check the Summer Kids Series page soon for the 2017 schedule.

Alamo Summer Kid’s Camp
$1-3 tickets, multiple locations
Alamo Drafthouse locations offer summer movies at discounted rates, with all proceeds going to local nonprofits. Most Kids Camp screenings are ages 3 and up, but some are for all ages. See the Alamo Kids Camp page soon for updates on the 2017 program.

University Mall Theatres Summer Cinema Camp
$2 tickets, Fairfax
This discount movie theatre makes a good bargain even better with its summer series. Guests can enjoy family-oriented films for just $2 per movie Monday through Friday mornings. Sign up for updates on the University Mall Theatres page.

Outdoor Movie Series

Outdoor movie series in Virginia, DC, and suburban Maryland – free
Enjoy a movie under the stars! Each year nearly two dozen series in Northern Virginia and surrounding areas show free outdoor movies (most of them family-friendly) on giant screens. Some of these events also have additional attractions such as kids’ areas, food sales, open-air bars, and games. Most of the movies begin at dusk and take place on Friday and Saturday nights, but a few film series take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays. See our current list of outdoor movie events, which we will update throughout the summer!