DLNews Education:

Popcorn, Books, and a Whole Lot of Summer Fun in Cathedral City

Every Friday evening, something wonderful unfolds outside the Mary Pickford Theatre in Cathedral City. Kids and their families gather in line, chatting and laughing, waiting for the doors to open — and for the goodies that come with it. Before the movie even starts, every child walks away with a free book, a bag of popcorn, and a bottle of water in hand.

It's all part of a free summer movie series that's part entertainment, part secret mission: getting kids excited about reading.

The program is put on by Cathedral City's Parks and Community Events Commission, alongside the local nonprofit Dinner with Patsy. Their goal goes beyond a fun night out. They're tackling a real problem — summer learning loss, that dip in skills kids can experience when school lets out and books get set aside for pool days and video games.

The stakes are bigger than most people realize. Studies show nearly one in five adults in the U.S. struggles with literacy, and organizers believe the solution starts young. By putting a free book in a child's hands alongside their favorite movie treats, they're hoping to spark a genuine love of reading that sticks for life.

Parents seem to agree it's working. Many say their kids look forward to the weekly outing, not just for the movie, but for the thrill of picking out a new book to bring home. It's a night that feels like a treat, but doubles as a building block for their child's future.

This year marks the program's fifth summer, and it's more popular than ever. So far, organizers have handed out more than 5,000 books, with plenty of Fridays still to go.

The series continues through the end of the month, giving families more chances to enjoy a free night out while quietly reinforcing something powerful: that reading can be just as fun as movie night itself, and that a single book can open doors that last a lifetime.