Cinema La Placita brightens up Thursday nights with free

As Tucson's summer heat lingers into fall, nighttime remains the one time of day when doing something outdoors actually sounds like fun.

Cinema La Placita, screening every Thursday night at downtown's La Placita Village shopping center, offers such desired entertainment. The film series began this summer and will continue to screen classic movies each week until the weather becomes too cold.

Erika O'Dowd, program director for the film series and marketing director for La Placita Village, said Cinema La Placita was conceived as a way for Tusconans to cool off after yet another hot day.

"I've lived in cities with outdoor movies, and they're a lot of fun," she said. "One of the best ways to enjoy Tucson in summertime is at night."

In addition to offering free entertainment, O'Dowd said, Cinema La Placita also helps out a good cause. All donations benefit the ongoing restoration of downtown's Fox Theatre. The Fox, a classic movie palace built in 1929, was once renowned for its beautiful, ornate art-deco interior.

"It's just amazing," O'Dowd said. "The feeling inside is incredible."

The restoration project is recreating the theater's original ambiance and preparing it to once again host movies and cultural events. So far, Cinema La Placita has raised more than $2000 towards the Fox's restoration, to be completed two years after funding is secured.