Tempe residents, get ready to roll out your blankets and fire up your picnic spirit—free outdoor cinema is making a grand return to Kiwanis Park this May. The city's much-loved Movies in the Park series is set to light up the north soccer fields with family classics every Friday night, starting at dusk, around 7 p.m. according to the City of Tempe's announcement.

Coming with blankets and snacks in tow, families can snuggle up to enjoy a movie under the stars, starting with a splash into "The Little Mermaid" on May 3. But hold your seahorses, as there's more than just a movie—a pre-show extravaganza kicks off at 5 p.m., featuring the "Summer of Fun Kickoff" event which, full of activities and games, will include a showcase of Tempe's recreational and cultural staples. Dusk, generally welcomed at 7 p.m., is when the movie magic begins.

Subsequent Fridays will see an array of popular hits, with "Wish" on the docket for May 10, "Finding Nemo" for May 17, making a splash for audiences, and the family-friendly "Elemental" wrapping up the series on May 24. Each screening, positioned perfectly under the evening sky, promises to be an outing the whole family can dive into.

Tempe Parks & Rec urges everyone to arrive early to snag a prime movie-watching spot on the grass. And there's no need for moviegoers to worry about entry fees; every flick in this series is as free as the air in open Temper skies. For further details, call (480) 350-5200, or if you're from the press and find this as newsworthy as we do, reach out to Savannah Harrelson at [email protected] or 480-435-5999.