As the sun starts to set earlier and earlier every evening, it is a bittersweet reminder of how the end of the summer break is upon us. It’s also the end for Sunsets at Sweetland summer events.

On Friday, the amphitheater hosted The Headhunters before showing Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them during its last event of the summer before kids go back to school. The events held by the amphitheater this summer were a great way for families to have a fun night out for free with these movie events. That’s a great thing for the community. Downtown  Development Authority Director Barbie Watts said the June 2 Sunsets at Sweetland event brought between 800-1,000 people out to the amphitheater. This shows how saving money can go a long way not only for family finances, but also building family memories.

It’s hard to have fun with the family and also save money at the same time, but Sweetland makes it easy with its summer events.

The cost of a normal night out of for a family of four would usually cost around $50, and that’s not counting food and snacks for the entire family. At Sweetland, it was free to watch the movie and picnics were allowed, meaning families didn’t have to spend a dime. Of course, if they wanted to, they could. There were plenty of vendors at the Sunsets at Sweetland events, making it easy to buy a meal or snack if needed.  This is the second year since the events have been moved from LaFayette Square, and it’s been a success.

“It is a free, family friendly event that we previously held at LaFayette Square,” Watts said in an email. “This is the second summer that we have held on Sweetland’s great lawn. The location change has enabled us to grow the event and give it more of a laid-back festival atmosphere with food vendors and lawn games for the children to enjoy while listening to the band and waiting for it to get dark enough for the movie to be shown.”

Sweetland still has the TajMo concert upcoming Sept. 29, but the sun has set on another summer series at the amphitheatre. We’re already counting down to next year, which we’re sure will include even more improvements and a great lineup of movies.