Families had a blast at King County’s second-annual Cine en el Parque in Steve Cox Memorial Park in White Center on Aug. 6. The Spanish-language outdoor moving night was co-sponsored by White Center Community Development Association and King County Parks. Cine en el Parque was a special opportunity for us to welcome everybody to one of our beautiful parks and build community.
King County screened the box office hit and animated Mexican film, “Un Gallo con Muchos Huevos” onto a 40-foot-tall inflatable movie screen (bigger than most indoor theatres) that turned the park into a spectacular outdoor cinema under the stars.
Before the movie, more than 500 people had an opportunity to visit with King County representatives and learn about Orca cards, recycling, pet adoption, elections, eco tips, emergency preparedness, King County Parks, wastewater treatment, the White Center Teen Program and rain gardens. They connected with nine community partner organizations that had booths at movie night, including King County Library System, White Center Community Development Association, Sea Mar, West Seattle Helpline, Highline College, Seattle Latino Film Festival, Latino Community Fund, 34th District Democrats, and United Way of King County.
While welcoming the crowd to Cine en el Parque, Matias Valenzuela, Director of King County’s Office of Equity and Social Justice said, “Just as some people are talking about exclusion and keeping people out of our communities, we can be proud that King County embraces the notion that our newest residents – our immigrants and refugees – bring innovation, hard work and a cultural richness that contributes to our region.”
The performances by dance troupe Ballet Folklórico Angeles, traditional band Los Socios and headlining Latino Rock group Revolver had families dancing, and community members commented on Facebook that the “event was beautiful and positive for families and for the community” and that it was “a big, fun day.” A big thank you to Mercedes Garcia from the radio station El Rey AM 1630 for being a great MC and for helping to promote the event.
