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Best Summer Movie Events On The North Shore & In Merrimack Valley

Watching movies has been a favorite summer pastime since the days of drive-in theaters. It is a way for families to get together, couples to enjoy a night out and friends to enjoy each other's company. However, going to a theater to see a hit movie is so common that the novelty has worn off. This year, instead of crowding into a theater to see the newest blockbuster releases, check out one of these summer movie events on Massachusetts' North Shore and in Merrimack Valley.
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Newburyport Waterfront Movie Series
36R Merrimac St.
Newburyport, MA 01950
(978) 465-4145
www.business.newburychamber.org
Date: Aug. 7, 14 and 21, 2013

The Newburyport Waterfront Movie Series is a free annual community event that combines movie entertainment with outdoor relaxation. Visitors can gather in the grassy park with snacks, blankets, folding chairs and perhaps some bug spray. The movies will show on an inflatable screen after the sun goes down. There are typically some vendors at the event, which runs until 10 p.m. This year's rain date is August 28, 2013.

Salem Art Festival Film Screening
Gulu-Gulu Cafe
247 Essex St.
Salem, MA 01970
(978) 740-8882
www.gulugulucafe.com
Date: June 9, 2013

Sit back in an intimate setting and view this year's indie film selections for the Salem Art Festival. The Gulu-Gulu Cafe is a comfortable and stylish restaurant that hosts various artists on a regular basis. Guests of the Salem Art Festival can order lunch, drinks, coffee and even beer as they enjoy the company of other art lovers during what will hopefully be a great movie from a local artist. Do not forget to check out other Art Festival events in Salem the same week.

Related: Boston's Best Spots For Film Geeks And Film Buffs

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Family Movie Night
Manchester Athletic Club
8 Atwater Ave.
Manchester, MA 01944
(978) 526-8900
www.manchesterathleticclub.com
Date: Every Friday

Family Movie Night at the Manchester Athletic Club is a way for families in the community to get together and connect while winding down for the weekend. The fee is $10 per child and the club serves pizza and juice. Guests are invited to wear their pajamas, bring a blanket and pillow, cuddle a teddy and get comfortable. Call the club for details on which movies are playing every Friday this summer.

Movie Night at Revere Beach
Revere Beach Blvd.
Revere, MA 02151
(781) 289-3020
www.reverebeach.com

Revere Beach is host to a set of family movie nights every summer and has been for several years. These are not large events, but rather intimate community events that usually draw a small group that settles on the sand in front of a large television screen. That it takes place directly on the beach sets it apart from every other summer movie event in the North Shore. Families can spend the day at the beach and then wind down with a family movie when the day is done.

Movie Theater
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Haverhill Experimental Film Festival
Chit Chat Lounge
103 Washington St.
Haverhill, MA 01832
(978) 374-9710
www.haverhillexperimental.org
Date: June 7 and 8, 2013

The Haverhill Experimental Film Festival is a celebration of strange, surreal and anti-Hollywood short films. Expect to see films that are thoughtful, funny, emotional or just plain confusing at both the Chit Chat Lounge and the Haverhill Public Library. This is not a blockbuster film festival. There are no stars and no big budgets. Entries can come in from all over the world, but will be selected from a mostly indie group of submissions.

Related: Boston Area's Best Independent Movie Theaters

Shelly Barclay is a professional freelance writer and amateur author. She writes on a variety of topics from food to mysteries. She loves to share the culture and rich history of her birthplace and home, Boston, with the rest of the world. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.

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