Movies on the Pitch: The Princess Diaries

A Movie From the Middle of the Field

Of all the free movie nights in DC this summer, this is the one with the best seat in the house: the actual field at Audi Field, the stadium where DC United and the Washington Spirit play. On Thursday the gates open at 7pm, families spread blankets on the pitch, and The Princess Diaries plays on a screen big enough for the back row of a soccer stadium. My kids cared less about Anne Hathaway's princess lessons and more about the fact that they were sitting on the same grass the pros slide across. Both reactions count as a win.

It's free, but you do need to reserve tickets ahead on Audi Field's site, and they go quickly once word gets around. Concessions stay open through the movie, so dinner can be stadium food, which for most kids is a feature and not a bug. Blankets yes, outside chairs no, and the whole thing wraps around 10:30, late for a school year night but fine for August. If your crew includes a soccer kid, walking through the players' gates onto the pitch is worth the trip before the movie even starts.

Parent Tips 💡

• ✓Reserve the moment you read this. Free stadium events in DC have a way of being fully claimed by Wednesday.
• ✓Get there at 7. The first hour on the pitch is open play time, and kids treat the grass like recess.
• ✓Skip the outside snacks. Stadium rules apply, so plan on concessions or eat before you come.
• ✓Bring the biggest blanket you own. The pitch is enormous and sprawling out is half the luxury.
• ✓Pair it with the river. The Anacostia riverwalk to Yards Park makes a nice pre-gate stroll if you come early.