LOFT KIDS FEST has arrived in Tucson for a summer run of free family programming, bringing a slate of movies, games, popcorn and giveaways to Himmel Park and The Loft Cinema through June 28. The festival opened with an outdoor movie party at Himmel Park and will continue with regular weekend showings inside The Loft Cinema, offering an opportunity for families to attend morning screenings without an admission charge.
Weekend screenings at The Loft Cinema are scheduled every Saturday and Sunday through June 28. Doors open at 9:15 a.m. to allow attendees time for pre-show games and activities; those warm-up offerings are being run by the crew from Mildred & Dildred Toy Store. Feature films begin at 10 a.m., and each program also includes a short animated piece sourced from somewhere around the world to accompany the main presentation.
Children eat popcorn and watch a film at The Loft Cinema during LOFT KIDS FEST, part of Tucson’s free movie festival weekend screenings.
The festival’s curated lineup highlights a mix of family-friendly titles, sing-alongs and classic favorites. Scheduled screenings include Beauty and the Beast Sing-A-Long on June 6, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial on June 7, Spy Kids on June 13, Flow on June 14, The Addams Family on June 20, FernGully: The Last Rainforest on June 21, The Emperor’s New Groove on June 27 and The Muppet Movie on June 28. Organizers promoted the series as encompassing 11 days of free films, games and other activities across the two venues.
All festival admission is free, and complimentary popcorn is being offered at the screenings. In addition to the main features, the morning schedule is paced to give families time for pre-show entertainment and activity stations, with the short international animated films intended as a brief, global-minded surprise between the activities and the feature presentation.
The event’s move from an opening outdoor celebration at Himmel Park to indoor weekend showings at The Loft Cinema reflects a program designed for consistent, family-oriented morning screenings. Times are set to be family-friendly: doors at 9:15 a.m. to allow participation in the hosted activities, followed by the 10 a.m. start time for films. The Mildred & Dildred Toy Store team is credited with running the pre-show engagement portion of the program.
Families looking to attend can pick from the listed weekend dates through June 28 to catch a variety of animated and live-action titles, special-format presentations like sing-alongs, and short films from international animators. The festival’s organizers emphasize that the weekend screenings, activities and popcorn are provided at no charge, offering a low-cost option for summer entertainment in Tucson.
For those planning visits, the schedule of films and the format of the mornings remain consistent for each weekend showing: early arrival at 9:15 a.m. for games and activities, followed by the 10 a.m. animated short and feature presentation. The series runs through the final weekend of June, concluding with The Muppet Movie on June 28, and will have presented a mix of family favorites and thematic selections during its run.