ST. GEORGE — As part of their annual spring fundraiser, the Zion National Park Foundation will host special showings of a new IMAX 3-D film at the Zion Canyon Giant Screen Theatre in Springdale on April 16. In addition to the film — which celebrates the centennial of the National Park Service — an array of interactive exhibits and activities relating to the area’s national parks and monuments will be available for both adults and children.
The event starts at 3 p.m. at the plaza of the Zion Canyon Giant Screen Theatre. Special showings of the new IMAX 3-D film, “A National Parks Adventure,” will play at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. The Zion Canyon Giant Screen Theatre will donate ticket proceeds to the Zion National Park Foundation.
“This is a really fun way to usher in the 2016 Centennial of the National Park Service,” Jill Burt, director of operations and development for the Zion National Park Foundation said. “It’s also the kickoff for National Parks Week, and it will be a fee-free day in the park.”
The Zion National Park Foundation holds a spring fundraiser for the park every year, and Burt said this year it worked out perfectly to partner with the Zion Canyon Giant Screen Theatre, the Utah Office of Tourism, the park’s concessionaire Xanterra and its Zion National Park Lodge, as well as the administration of Zion National Park to create an afternoon of fun and learning about the legacy of our national parks.
“We’re especially appreciative of the folks at the Zion Canyon Giant Screen Theatre who have so generously agreed to donate the ticket sales from both showings to the fundraising efforts of the Foundation,” Burt said. “It’s a wonderful gesture and the kind of philanthropy that helps fund important projects in the park that otherwise would not be funded.”
While there will be a cost for the movie tickets, Burt said everyone is invited to come and enjoy all the other free activities and entertainment.
“At 4:00, we’ll have the first special showing of the film in the Zion Canyon Giant Screen Theatre, and tickets are $10,” she said. “Or at 6:00, for a ticket of $20, people can enjoy hors d’oeuvres and a reception, beginning at 5:00 p.m., with Zion National Park Superintendent Jeff Bradybaugh, before watching a special screening of the film introduced by local dignitaries.”
“A National Parks Adventure” is narrated by Robert Redford and was commissioned specifically to celebrate 100 years of the National Park Service. It is the latest production of MacGillivray Freeman Films, a celebrated producer of large-screen 3-D films.
“It’s a breath taking and inspiring experience to watch,” Burt said.
Lyman Hafen, executive director of the Zion National Park Foundation, said the event is a fitting way to bring in the centennial year of the National Park Service.
“All of us here in southwestern Utah are the beneficiaries of the amazing parks that surround us,” Lyman said, “not only for their economic benefit to our communities, but for the personal joy and renewal they provide us.”
Ticketing information:
Zion Canyon Giant Screen Theatre does not have online ticket purchasing. Tickets can be purchased for the two screenings of “A National Parks Adventure” the day of the show only at the box office; however, anyone wanting to reserve a seat in advance can call 435-772-3264 to have their name put on a list to guarantee them a seat for one of those two showings and pay for their tickets upon arrival. Unreserved seats will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis.
Event details
- What: Screenings of the IMAX 3-D Film “A National Parks Adventure” to benefit Zion National Park
- When: Saturday, April 16. Activities start at 3 p.m., and showtimes are at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.
- Where: Zion Canyon Giant Screen Theatre, 145 Zion Park Blvd., Springdale
- Tickets are $10 to the 4 p.m. show or $20 to the 6 p.m. show, which will include hors d’oeuvres and a reception starting at 5 p.m.
- For more information, call 435-772-3264.
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