RICHARD GOULD HERALD STAFF WRITER

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ROANOKE RAPIDS - Families in search of free fun and movies are in luck.

This summer, Party Town USA will kick off three family-nights of free entertainment called “Movies in the Park.” Party Town will erect their 16'x9' inflatable screen on the lawn at Centennial Park.

The festivities begin at 6:30 p.m., and the movies start at sundown.

The movies chosen are classics with broad appeal, and organizers say they're non-offensive and fun for the whole family.

Movies in the Park will commence on Friday, June 29, with a screening of the 1952 John Philip Sousa biopic “Stars and Stripes Forever,” starring Clifton Webb and Debra Paget.

The next movie in the series - the classic 1957 romance “An Affair to Remember,” starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr - will be shown on Friday, July 13.

The series concludes on Friday, Aug. 3, with the 1979 coming-of-age drama “Breaking Away,” starring Dennis Quaid and Daniel Stern.

The movies being shown are the main events, but there's more to it than just films. In addition to their huge movie screen, Party Town will bring several of its outdoor inflatables for the kids.

Hot dogs, barbecue, funnel cakes, cotton candy, popcorn, lemonade and much more will be available at the park. If parents would rather bring their own food and snacks, they are encouraged to do so, organizers said.

Showing movies in the park for free isn't a new idea; bigger cities have been doing it for years. Tucson, Ariz., for example, draws crowds of thousands to their summer night movies.

While Cassi Guttersen of Party Town doesn't expect a turnout quite that size, she does expect a crowd of 500 or so to show up for the festivities.