Beers, bikes and blockbusters

If you live in Sacramento, you probably already know that some of the nicest evenings of the year happen in the late summer: pre-autumn winds, patchwork clouds and sun-kissed orange skies abound. Such evenings are the perfect time to get outdoors, ride bikes, watch movies and drink beer. In other words, they’re a great time for Reel, a new film festival that starts Thursday, August 2, and is organized by people who run the Wicked ’Wich food truck and The Greens Hotel.

The semimonthly film festival, which runs August through October, borrows from the model of drive-in theaters, but then replaces the cars with bikes. Dubbing itself a “bike-in theater,” it fits in with the whole “green” theme of the hotel. Then, add in food trucks, booze, pop-up shops and deejays. Even better, the event is free (except for the price of food and drink); it’s also 21-and-older and dog-friendly. To recap, your festival itinerary is basically: 1. bike over to the festival (oh yeah, there’s free bike parking, too); 2. buy a beer and some food; 3. set out lawn chairs and blankets to sit on; and 4. enjoy the films. Seriously, you can’t really go wrong with that. The festival runs 6 to 10 p.m. on the first and third Thursdays of the month from August to October at The Greens Hotel, 1700 Del Paso Boulevard. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/reelbikeintheater.

The film lineup is as follows:

August 2: Raiders of the Lost Ark

August 16: Dogtown and Z-Boys

September 6: Best in Show

September 20: Waste Land

October 4: Snatch

October 18: Exit Through the Gift Shop