Summit Park's Great Lawn will turn into an outdoor Halloween theater Friday, Oct. 9, when Spooky Summit Cinema returns with a free screening of "Hocus Pocus 2" at dusk.
The evening starts at 6:30 p.m. with a wildlife pop-up program led by instructor Margaret Janz of Great Parks of Hamilton County. The session, titled "Summit Cinema Pop-up: Ohio Wildlife," covers local wildlife, animal habitats and what residents can do to help native species thrive, according to the Summit Park events page. Great Parks, which manages more than 20 parks across Hamilton County, has partnered with Blue Ash Recreation to bring free nature programs to Summit Park from May through October.
Costumes are encouraged.
After the pop-up, the movie rolls on the Great Lawn at Summit Park, 4335 Glendale Milford Rd. in Blue Ash. Summit Park posted on X that the film starts at about 8 p.m., while the Blue Ash Recreation Center posted on X that the screening begins at 8:30 p.m. Families planning their evening should arrive early to catch the wildlife program and settle in before the projector fires up.
Free popcorn, crafts, giveaways and special guests round out the night. The event is free and open to the public, according to the Blue Ash parks calendar. Attendees should bring blankets or chairs.
Spooky Summit Cinema is the fall Halloween edition of the park's recurring outdoor movie series. The 2026 summer lineup, branded Toyota Presents Summit Cinema, ran from June through July with screenings of "Freakier Friday," "Hoppers," "Back to the Future" and "Zootopia 2." In October 2025, the Halloween installment featured "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" on the same Great Lawn.
The 130-acre park sits in the center of Blue Ash and hosts year-round events and activities. The wildlife pop-up is one of several free nature programs the Great Parks partnership has offered this season, giving families a chance to learn about Ohio habitats before settling in for a movie under the stars.
What's coming up:
- Friday, Oct. 9: Spooky Summit Cinema, Great Lawn at Summit Park, 6:30 p.m. wildlife pop-up, movie at dusk. Free.
