Best Free Entertainment

Finally, Crown Center found a suitable replacement for its late, lamented free Friday-night concerts. Its outdoor movies, shown at the pavilion that serves as an ice-skating rink during the winter, ranged from high art (Rear Window) to seasonally appropriate schlock (Independence Day, with fireworks following the film) to family fare (Back to the Future). Hyde Park, meanwhile, focused exclusively on the latter category, airing smarter-than-usual kid-friendly choices such as Freaky Friday and Shrek in the grass median at 38th Street and Gillham, with previews replaced by performances from the Renaissance Festival Players and the Pythons drill team. The Nelson's roster came straight from the new-releases rack, with a screen set up on the south lawn showing accessible artworks such as School of Rock.