Drive-ins used to be popular when I was a kid. They even became a summer ritual for our family! It was so much fun to pack everyone into the car and head to the local drive-in to see the latest movie. My brother, sister and I loved going to the snack bar to get some popcorn or candy to enjoy during the movie and there was usually a playground or swing set for hyper-active kids who couldn’t sit through a 90 minute film to burn off some steam. Outdoor movies in Toronto parks have made a massive appearance and that’s because they are the closest thing to the summer drive-ins of yesteryear. Read further to find out where you can see free outdoor movies in Toronto in summer 2022:
Toronto Outdoor Picture Show 2022
Toronto Outdoor Picture Show takes place at several Toronto parks in summer 2022.
Corktown Commons
Corktown Commons on Thursday evenings from July 7-28, 2022. See the following free movies: short films by Canadian filmmakers as the opening act to each film
Thursday, July 7, 2022, 7 p.m. – Singin’ In The Rain
Thursday, July 14, 2022, 7 p.m. – Best In Show
Thursday, July 21, 2022, 7 p.m. – Soul Power
Thursday, July 28, 2022, 7 p.m. – Catch Me If You Can
Christie Pits Film Festival 2022
Free outdoor movies at Christie Pits begin on Sunday, July 3, 2022. The event begins at 6 p.m. with screenings at sundown (approximately 9 p.m. in July and 8:30 p.m. in August). sFood and non-alcoholic beverages are available for purchase. Below is the schedule of free films:
Sunday, July 3, 2022, 9 p.m. – A League of Their Own starring Geena Davis, Tom Hanks, Madonna
Short: Magic in Plain Sight
Sunday, July 10, 2022, 9 p.m. – Paris is Burning – documentary about Harlem’s ballroom drag culture of the 1980s
Short: Haus
Sunday, July 17, 2022, 9 p.m. – Mermaids starring Cher, Winona Ryder, Christina Ricci /, Short: MerB’ys
Sunday, July 24, 2022, 9 p.m. – Sunset Boulevard starring Gloria Swanson and William Holden
Shorts: The Women’s Hour + Camera Test
Sunday, July 31, 2022, 9 p.m. – Almost Famous starring Kate Hudson, Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand, Anna Paquin, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Jason Lee
Short: Turning Tables
Sunday, August 7, 2022, 8:30 p.m. – Learn to Swim
Short: Broken Orchestra
Sunday, August 14, 2022, 8:30 p.m. – Cabaret starring Liza Minnelli and Joel Grey
Short: The Man That Got Away
Sunday, August 21, 2022, 8:30 p.m. – The Grandmaster
Shorts: Emptying the Tank + The Invincible Tiger and Crane
Sunday, August 28, 2022, 8:30 p.m. – David Byrne’s American Utopia
Shorts: The Story of the Dancing Heart + Monologue Harmonic
Outdoor Movies at Bell Manor Park, 1 Bayside Lane
Free movies at Bell Manor Park will take place on most Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. in August 2022. Food and non-alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase. The following free films and shorts will be screened.
Thursday, August 11, 2022, 8:30 p.m. – The Circus starring Charlie Chaplin
Shorts: Vistas: Dancers of the Grass + The Little Deputy
Thursday, August 18, 2022, 8:30 p.m. – Summer of Soul
Short: Whatever Happened to Jackie Shane? – This documentary of the Harlem Cultural Festival, a demonstration of radical Black joy and love, features performances by Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Sly & The Family Stone and Nine Simone.
Thursday, August 25, 2022, 8:30 p.m. – Josie and the Pussycats starring Rachel Leigh Cook, Tara Reid and Rosario Dawson
Short: Idols Never Die
All Toronto Outdoor Picture Show movies are free or Pay-What-You-Can.
Outdoor Movies in Sorauren Park 2022
Sorauren Park brings the residents of High Park and Parkdale together for free outdoor movies on Saturday evenings in summer 2022. The following free movies will be screened:
Saturday, June 25, 2022, 9:30 p.m. – Dumb and Dumber with Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels
Saturday, July 23, 2022, 9 p.m. – Rear Window with James Stewart and Grace Kelly
Saturday, August 27, 2022, 8 p.m. Big with Tom Hanks
Saturday, August 27, 2022, 10 p.m. – Days of Thunder with Tom Cruise
Saturday, September 24, 2022, 7:15 p.m. – Wall-E
I hope you get a chance to see some free outdoor movies in Toronto in summer 2022. Let me know in the comment section which parks you visited.
You may be interested in reading, “Food Festivals in Toronto in Summer 2022”.
