Taking it to the roof

Whole Foods Market, HillQuest and Hillcrest History Guild bring back movie night

By Jessica Dearborn | SDUN Reporter

Whole Foods Market Hillcrest, HillQuest.com and the Hillcrest History Guild partnered once again for the seventh annual Movie on the Roof. Approximately 75 residents and visitors gathered on the rooftop parking lot of the Hillcrest grocery store at 711 University Ave. Aug. 21, this time to watch the 1994 film “Eat Drink Man Woman.”

Representatives from San Diego Pretzel Company, Normal Height’s Viva Pops, Barnana and thinkThin Crunch stood by to hand out free food samples, and Whole Foods Market staff had fresh sushi prepared for sale.

A portion of the rooftop was transformed into an outdoor movie theater, and by 6:30 p.m. the evening was breezy and cool, as eager moviegoers brought their blankets and chairs, making themselves comfortable as they waited, chatting with one another, for the movie to start once the sun went down.

Nancy Moors and Ann Garwood, publishers of HillQuest.com, co-founded the Hillcrest History Guild in 2002 and have partnered with Whole Foods Market since the movie-night’s inception.

“In 2007, the Hillcrest History Guild created events each month to celebrate Hillcrest’s centennial year,” Moors said in an email before the event, calling the movie night an “evening of enjoyment” for everyone.

“We outreached to Ray Kau at Whole Foods with the idea of using the rooftop parking area to offer the neighborhood a free movie,” she said. The rest is Hillcrest cinema history.

Kau, marketing director for Whole Foods Market, welcomed the crowd and later said the movie night was just one way the store contributes to the San Diego community. The store sponsors the North Park Community Association’s Bird Park Concert Series, Little Italy Festa and August’s ArtWalk at Liberty Station.

“We always look for community events that we feel would engage our shoppers and the community,” he said.