George Streetfest presents “Raiders of the Lost Ark” at the Electric Theater

George Streetfest gets patriotic on Friday, July 1, as the southern Utah staple ushers in the Fourth of July with “All American George.” It’s another grand first Friday outdoor celebration filled with music, dance, food, culture, and joy, and this particular event will be a little extra special because it will throw movies in to the mix! And honestly, who doesn’t enjoy a great movie!?

As usual, the action will take place in downtown St. George at various venues from 6 to 10 p.m. This must-experience evening will feature a plethora of amazing musical acts including the wonderful Lyndy Butler, the much-buzzed-about up-and-coming indie outfit Sleep Dealer, the skilled New Orleans-influenced Jambalaya Jazz Combo, and Dixie’s well-respected blues rockers Whiskey Tooth. Attendees are also invited over to Tabernacle Street where they can dance the night away at DJ Spinz Dance Party. And of course, there will be plenty of food and vendor booths on hand all over the downtown area.

And new to George Streetfest is the George Dollar Movie at the Electric Theater. This magical movie series kicked off last month with a rousing midnight screening of Disney’s “MacFarland, U.S.A.,” but sparks will really fly at 9 p.m. as the Electric Theater presents a very special 35th anniversary screening of “Raiders of the Lost Ark.”

For the few of you who haven’t seen “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” this relentlessly paced action film from George Lucas and Steven Spielberg features the legendary Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones, a rugged archaeologist who heads out on an intense globe trotting adventure, all in an effort to find the resting place of the mythical Ark of the Covenant before those pesky Nazis get their hands on it. Indy’s journey will reunite him with ex-flame Marion Ravenwood (played by spunky Karen Allen) and find him squaring off against diabolical adversary Rene Belloq (Paul Freeman.) Ford, who had already won the hearts of audiences the world over for his spirited turn as Han Solo, is a revelation here as one of cinema’s all-time great adventurers.

With “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” Lucas and Spielberg crafted an unforgettable homage to the spellbinding adventure serials of their youth. This is one of the greatest films ever made, and Streetfest attendees will have an opportunity to experience this movie in all its fortune and glory with a house full of adoring fans at the newly renovated Electric Theater.

Your cinematic adventure will begin at 9 p.m. with a screening of a locally made Guerilla-style short film called “Idaho Smith and the Treasure of the Emerald Pool.” This affectionate homage to all things Indiana Jones stars local celebrity Sheldon Demke as soldier of fortune Idaho Smith. When word surfaces that Montezuma’s Treasure might be buried somewhere in the heart of Utah, Smith teams with outback adventurer Walt MacGuffin (Ctormy Thomas) and intellectual scholar Denholm Freeman (Bruce Bennett) in an effort to locate the treasure. The journey wont be easy however, as it will bring Idaho and Walt face to face with the villainous Halestorm (Tysen Bang) and femme fatale Roisin Excel (Bernadette Brady).  It’s just another day at the office in this zany, action-packed prequel to “Idaho Smith and the Sword of Laban.”

Tickets for this amazing night at the movies are only $1 and can be purchased at the George Store tent during Streetfest.