BPAC brings back $5 summer movie series with health partnership

The Bologna Performing Arts Center is bringing back its $5 Summer Movie Series with a new partner at the front of the curtain: Bolivar Medical Center. The Tuesday series will run throughout the summer at BPAC on the Delta State University campus in Cleveland, giving families, summer program students and movie fans across the Mississippi Delta a low-cost night out that now includes health education before each screening.

The opening event is set for June 2 with “Hop Into Their World” in the BPAC Sculpture Garden. Before the movie, BMC will lead activities built around movement, creativity and basic nutrition lessons. Children will hop across lily pads like frogs, test balance like flamingos, crawl and carry objects through an obstacle course, design an animal avatar and pick healthier snacks at a themed food station. BPAC also said the pre-show experience will include a “Move Like a Hopper” Animal Movement Zone, a teamwork-focused obstacle course and a “Fuel Like an Animal” Snack Station with items called “Beaver Bites” and “Bunny Crunch.”

After the activities, audiences will head into BPAC’s Delta and Pine Land Theatre for the film. The center’s general admission for the series is $5, a price that keeps the movies within reach for local families and gives summer groups an indoor option during the hottest part of the year. BPAC previously tested the appetite for the program with a $30 Summer Series Pass in 2024 that included water and popcorn vouchers for the first showing.

The partnership also reflects how BPAC is positioning itself as more than a performance venue. Cade Holder, BPAC’s director of marketing and education, and Matty Bengloff, the center’s executive director, have both emphasized the movie series as a popular summer draw, especially for children in organized programs. Caitlyn Thompson, Bolivar Medical Center’s marketing, growth and outreach director, said the collaboration creates a setting where children can enjoy a memorable theater experience while taking part in health-focused activities.

BPAC has been part of Cleveland’s civic life since it opened on Sept. 1, 1995, after funding from the Mississippi legislature in 1994. That history matters in a place where access, affordability and family-friendly programming still shape what gets people downtown or onto the Delta State campus. This summer’s movie series blends all three, turning a simple $5 ticket into a broader community touchpoint for entertainment, education and health outreach.