Arts & Entertainment

Downtown District Announces Movies At Market Square Park

The popular outdoor film series will continue this spring with physical distancing guidelines.

Press Release Desk, News Partner

Posted Sun, Mar 7, 2021 at 8:24 pm CT

Press release from The Downtown District:

March 7, 2021

The Houston Downtown Management District (Downtown District) announces the Spring 2021 schedule for Movies at Market Square Park, with the continuation of physical distancing guidelines in place in order to ensure the safety of all who attend. This popular outdoor film series features free screenings of 80s and 90s classics on Wednesdays and Fridays this March through May.

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Featured films are:

- St. Elmo’s Fire (R, 1985, 1h 50m): A group of recent college graduates embark on a series of misadventures in the real world. There’s Kirby, a waiter who wants to be a lawyer; Kevin, a moody writer who yearns for the wild Jules; Alec, whose political aspirations alienate his girlfriend Leslie; and Wendy, a quiet girl in love with Billy, who juggles roles as husband, dad and drunk. Together they grapple with adulthood.

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- Heathers (PG-13, 1988, 1h 43m): Veronica is part of the most popular clique at her high school, but she disapproves of the other girls’ cruel behavior. When Veronica and her new boyfriend, J.D., confront clique leader Heather Chandler and accidentally poison her, they make it appear as a suicide. Soon Veronica realizes that J.D. is intentionally killing students he does not like. She races to stop J.D. while also clashing with the clique’s new leader, Heather Duke.

- The Bodyguard (R, 1992, 2h 10m): Best-selling pop diva Rachel Marron deals with a stalker whose obsession has risen to the level of disturbing threats. At the urging of her manager, Rachel hires former secret service agent Frank Farmer as her bodyguard. Initially resented and treated with disdain for his hard-nosed security procedures, Farmer soon becomes an integral part of Rachel’s inner circle. As they spend more time together, client and protector become closer still.

- The Princess Bride (PG, 1987, 1h 38m): This cult classic tells the story of a farmhand named Westley who, accompanied by companions befriended along the way, must rescue his true love Princess Buttercup from the odious Prince Humperdinck. To be reunited, they must battle the evils of the mythical kingdom of Florin.

- Nine to Five (PG, 1980, 1h 50m): Three female secretaries who decide to get revenge on their tyrannical, sexist boss by abducting him and running the businesses themselves. The trio, one of whom has been passed over for promotion because she is a woman, spend a night together having drug-induced fantasies of killing the slave-driving chauvinist. One of them panics the following day when she suspects she really has poisoned the tyrant.

- Coming to America (R, 1988, 1h 57m): Eddie Murphy plays Prince Akeem, the prince of a wealthy African country, who wants for nothing except a wife who will love him in spite of his title. To escape an arrange marriage, Akeem flees to America to find his queen. Disguised as a foreign student working in fast food, he romances Lisa, but struggles with revealing his true identity to her and his marital intentions to his king father.

Guests are invited to bring blankets or lawn chairs and grab take-out from on-site cafe Niko Niko’s or another Downtown restaurant. On-street parking is free after 6 p.m. Visit www.downtownhoustonparking.org for an interactive map with garages, surface lots and other parking options in the area. Visit www.marketsquarepark.com for additional details and event updates.

Physical Distancing Guidelines

Physical distancing guidelines that guests must follow to enter the park include:

- Limited occupancy to 200; once the park hits the maximum occupancy, no other guests will be allowed in until other guests have left the Park

- There will be only two access points to enter and leave the park: Preston at Travis and Congress at Travis

- Each guest will be screened in advance of entering the park; temperature checks will be done after screening questions, and anyone who does not pass the screening or has a temperature over 100 degrees will not be allowed into the event

- Face coverings are required and must be worn over the nose and mouth, and masks will be made available for anyone without a face covering or wearing the wrong type of face covering; masks can be removed to eat or drink when sitting at a table or on the lawn in the designated space

- Physical distancing of at least 6 feet from other groups is required at all times

- There will be designated seating at dining tables, on the lawn and park benches

- There will be 8-foot wide circles on the lawn where groups of four adults can sit together; once all circles are occupied, no other guests can sit on the lawn

- Blankets, lawn chairs and picnics are still welcome

- Food, beer and wine are available for purchase at Niko Niko’s online only; a QR code will be available to download the menu and place an order

- No glass containers or outside alcoholic beverages are allowed

- Market Square Park has increased the cleaning and disinfection of bathrooms, drinking fountains, dog pumps and handrails to hourly shifts during events, and all staff have been educated on the importance of maintaining a high level of cleanliness with both personal hygiene and the workplace

- There will be ample signage with all event guidelines. Staff will also be available to answer questions during the event. All guidelines will be made available in advance of the event on social media/websites

Movies at Market Square Park: St. Elmo’s Fire

Friday, March 12, 2021, at 7:30 p.m.

https://fb.me/e/18jrAaL6c

Movies at Market Square Park: Heathers

Wednesday, March 24, 2021, at 7:30 p.m.

https://fb.me/e/6apnUlcFv

Movies at Market Square Park: The Bodyguard

Friday, April 9, 2021, at 8 p.m.

https://fb.me/e/Hw9pcT9w

Movies at Market Square Park: The Princess Bride

Wednesday, April 21, 2021, at 8 p.m.

https://fb.me/e/2lGmf8fZy