The Greens Hotel on Del Paso Boulevard hosted the first event of a summer series that will hopefully become a requisite Thursday evening activity for Sacramentans in-the-know. The REEL Bike-In Theater hosts an outdoor movie on the big screen every first and third Thursday through the end of October. The purpose of the event is two-fold: to give the creative minds of the city something fun to do on Thursday night and to work towards changing the stigma that has been placed upon the area of Del Paso Boulevard for so long.

Image by: Anthony Caer

Indian Jones in “Raiders of the Lost Ark” was up first. The hotel complex was the perfect place to start the cool down after an ultra-hot Sacramento day, and neighborhood residents and others from around Sacramento came early, trickling in beginning around 6 p.m. Some took the time to check out the work of independent artists while others preferred to hang by the pool eating terrific food truck fare paired with a Track 7 brew or a glass of California wine.

The hotel's creative storefronts, aka rooms, serve as Pop Up Shops for events like this, in addition to housing a number of Artists-in-Residence full-time. This week rooms were occupied by fresh faces like Noelle C. of FineTuned::: Threads Trims & Shit, and slightly more seasoned store owners like Vanessa Lopez of heart. The heart clothing Boutique is located in midtown at 1903 Capitol Ave. and is coming up on its two-year anniversary.

Julia Beckner of "just" brought simple and colorful handmade Indonesian jewelry, clothes and much more. Cherie Hacker had mixed media of all kinds, from photos to screenprinted records. Pieces from her "Lamp & Endtable Project" are currently on display at the AXIS Gallery in Sacramento. Other Pop Up Shops included the Gypsy Mobile Boutique, art by Jeffrey DeVore, Molly Brown Design and Body Advantage, where attendees could stop in for a massage before the film.

Among giant pots of exotic plants, lawn chairs and blankets reserved space on the lot. Even an air mattress made it to the show. By 8:30 everyone was about settled in to enjoy the movie and the fact that the summer sun had gone down.

For many at The Greens it seemed that the movie was somewhat irrelevant. Groups throughout the complex gathered to chat, eat and have a glass of peach ginger sangria. At times, one got the feeling that it was more about getting out and being seen than about the movie. Tips on both style and free spirit were readily available for the taking.

Perhaps Indiana Jones summed up the event best of all.

“I don’t know, I’m making this up as I go.”

Next up is “Dogtown and Z-Boys” on Aug. 16. The quirky, lettered rooms of the The Greens Hotel should be fully booked, with many more artists and vendors available to share their creative wares, so if you're sitting around on a Thursday waiting for the weekend to begin, head to The Greens. There's a scene there just waiting to be had.

The Greens Hotel, located at 1700 Del Paso Blvd., will continue to host this unique bike-in art and movie experience until Oct. 18. The event is free and open to those 21 years of age and up. For more detailed movie information, see below or visit the REEL Facebook page.

Aug. 16: “Dogtown and Z-Boys” (documentary)
Sept. 6: “Best In Show” (comedy)
Sept. 20: “Waste Land” (documentary)
Oct. 4: “Snatch” (crime thriller)
Oct. 18: “Exit Through the Gift Shop” (documentary)

Image by: Anthony Caer