Newark Bears Baseball Stadium has a new life.
Instead of hosting ball games, it is now the location of Newark Moonlight Cinemas, a drive-in that opened on July 24.The 7.41-acre lot at the site of the old stadium, which demolished in 2019, can accommodate approximately 350 cars at a time.
The theater is run by Ayana Stafford-Morris, an Newark-born filmmaker, and her husband Siree Morris, a true real estate developer.
The variety of films, arranged through Stafford-Morris, come with films directed through black administrators or with black actors and actresses.Recent films include “Do The Right Thing”, “The Wiz” and “Straight Outta Compton”.
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“We serve a predominantly African-American community,” Stafford-Morris said. Right now, with racial tensions so high, we need to showcase African-Americans and show other people positive images.”
According to the U.S. Census, Newark has 49.7% black.
Stafford-Morris’ documentary “Why Is We Americans?”, which focuses on a Newark family, was recently shown at a film festival that included a drive-in.
“I turned to my husband and said, “I need to take this to my city, ” said Stafford-Morris.And so he did. Her husband helped land big enough to house a huge movie screen and many cars.
Stafford-Morris is proud to run a business in Newark, a company that helps keep the citizens of Newark at its forefront of their business model.
“When we started, there was some retrospective about the Newark call in the title,” he says.”But I said no, it’s the Moonlight Cinema in Newark.It’s time to redefine history. It’s a bright, positive thing in Newark.”»
The films are screened each and every night from Thursday to Saturday and the doors open at 7 p.m.and videos start at nine p.m.Concessions can be requested through the FanFood app.The Newark Moonlight Cinema season runs until October 4.
Tickets cost $12 for adults, $8 for youth and loose for under-4s.
Newark Moonlight Cinema is at 54 Bridge St., Newark; 973-264-9506, newarkmoonlight.com.
Rebecca King is a food for NorthJersey.com.To receive more information about where to dine and drink, subscribe today and sign up for our North Jersey Eats newsletter.
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