How to Host an Outdoor Movie Night at Home

We love movies, we love company and we love popcorn. Put all those things together and you've got the making of a movie night. But let's go one better and do an outdoor movie night. A nice summer or warm fall evening, friends, food, drinks and something great to watch. How fun! We'll walk you through the steps to put together an outdoor movie night that will be a huge hit.

Step 1 - Prep the Backyard

Is the grass mowed, leaves raked, stray branches removed and pet accidents disposed of? Take some time the day before to tidy up, just as you would if guests were coming into your living room for a party.

Step 2 - Send out Invitations

Choose an evening when the weather forecast calls for little or no chance of rain and email or text your guests. Let them know what you'll be watching, whether or not they need to bring extra blankets and what refreshments you'll be serving.

Be sure to indicate if young children are welcome or if the movie would not be suitable for them. 

Step 3 - Choose a Movie

Here you'll obviously need to consider your audience. Are children coming or is this adults only? Do your friends like comedies, classics, rom-coms, action films?

Is it getting close to Halloween and you want something a little scary or maybe it's a warm winter where you live and you want a holiday film. You can make the choice or put together a short list and let your guests vote.

Step 4 - Set up the Equipment and Lighting

You'll need a large movie screen that can be set up outdoors and a projector that can hook up to a laptop or other movie streaming device. Don't have a screen? No worries. A plain white sheet or tablecloth works great? Don't have that? Try projecting onto a blank white wall, such as a garage door.

For your projector, have a chair or low table to prop it on so that it's steady and projecting at the correct height. We suggest doing a short test run to make sure the evening goes smoothly.

As for lighting, obviously there will be some light from the projected movie but likely not enough to help your guests navigate their way to the house to use the bathroom, get a snack or a beverage.

You can just leave the house lights on if they shine toward your backyard enough. Another option is porch lights or outdoor lanterns. Or you might want a whimsical touch by stringing some fairy lights around the trees and bushes. The amount of light should be soft and gentle so as not to interfere with watching the movie.

Step 5 - Create a Comfy Seating Area

Consider whether your guests will be comfortable sitting on blankets and fluffy pillows on the ground or if you also want to offer some collapsible lawn chairs.

If some of your guests are older, you can also have some regular folding chairs ready if they will be more comfortable in those. If you don't have enough blankets and cushions, ask your guests if they have any to bring.

Step 6 - Pop the Popcorn and Set Up the Snack Bar

It's not a movie night experience without snacks. You can choose to serve small plates and appetizers or just stick to movie theater fare.

Popcorn is a must and we love Dell Cove's Movie Night popcorn kernels for this. Pick up your supply here. You can pop it a few hours before the guests arrive or set up an air popper so people can make their own.

Melted butter and seasonings are also a must. We have a nice variety of both sweet and savory options along with glass shaker jars for easy access. Find Dell Cove's popcorn seasoning collection here, and the etched glass jars here.

Head to the store and grab individual boxes of old time movie theater style candies like Junior Mints, Milk Duds, Good & Plenty as well as M&M's and Reese's Pieces.

You can serve cocktails, wine and beer or no alcohol at all but definitely put out bottles of water and soda as well as plastic cups, collapsible individual popcorn containers and plenty of napkins.

All set? Lights, camera, action, enjoy!