Fraze Pavilion is turning its lawn into a drive-in of sorts this weekend, screening the racing blockbuster F1 on a newly installed 40-foot screen. The showing kicks off today, as part of a Party on the Plaza that starts at 6 pm with food trucks and a live DJ before the movie rolls at sunset.
The screening is part of Fraze Flicks, a brand-new eight-movie outdoor series for 2026 that stretches the Kettering venue's community calendar well past its usual concert season, according to the City of Kettering, Ohio - Government. As reported by Dayton Magazine, the series pairs sunset screenings with pre-movie plaza parties, and this weekend's lineup includes Renny's Henny Wings and Nothing Bundt Cakes serving up food ahead of the film, plus live DJ music running from 6 pm until the sun goes down.
F1, released in 2025 and directed by Joseph Kosinski, follows a retired Formula One driver who comes out of retirement to mentor and team up with a younger teammate. The film stars Brad Pitt as that retired 1990s driver, Sonny Hayes, alongside Damson Idris as rookie teammate Joshua Pearce, both driving for the fictional APXGP team, per Wikipedia. The high-budget production came from Apple Original Films in partnership with seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton and Jerry Bruckheimer.
A Blockbuster Built On Real Racetracks
F1: The Movie grossed more than $629 million worldwide after its June 27, 2025, theatrical debut, making it the highest-grossing sports film of all time before it began streaming on Apple TV+ in December 2025, according to Apple. Production crews filmed actual Grand Prix racing weekends to capture real motorsport footage rather than relying solely on staged sequences. Kosinski, who previously directed Top Gun: Maverick and Tron: Legacy, used practical driving effects and authentic race cars built by Porsche and Mercedes for the film.
Getting In And What It Costs
General admission tickets for today's screening run $20.06, while an eight-movie full season pass is available for $60 plus service fees, according to Etix. Lawn attendees who want extra comfort can rent seat backs on site for $15. Fraze Pavilion enforces bag restrictions of 12 inches by 12 inches by 6 inches and prohibits outside coolers or pets, with oversized bags needing to be returned to vehicles since no bag check is provided on site, per the City of Kettering.
A Venue Named For A Local Invention
Fraze Pavilion is a 4,300-seat outdoor amphitheater owned and operated by the City of Kettering inside Lincoln Park Civic Commons, and it has served as a regional hub for live music, festivals and community events since opening in 1991, according to Wikipedia. The venue takes its name from Ermal C. Fraze, a Kettering engineer who invented the pop-top beverage tab in 1959 after forgetting a can opener at a picnic, per the Wright State Newsroom. Revenue and donations tied to Fraze's family helped fund community developments across Kettering, including the amphitheater itself.
The park has been busy all summer: Lincoln Park Civic Commons hosted the 38th annual Art on the Commons fine arts festival earlier this month, drawing more than 100 artists from around the country and thousands of visitors, according to Play Kettering. Fraze Pavilion also welcomed a faith-country crowd earlier in August when Anne Wilson performed at the venue.
Beyond today's F1 screening, the inaugural Fraze Flicks season continues through October 17, with upcoming titles including Wicked, Black Panther, Minions: The Rise of Gru and Hocus Pocus, according to WHIO TV. Earlier entries in the summer lineup featured Grease and Crazy Rich Asians, giving Kettering families a steady run of outdoor movie nights on the venue's new screen well into the fall.
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