BELFAST – Area children have pretty much figured out what they’ll be doing the next few weekends – catching the free movies at the Colonial Theater.

This is the sixth year in a row that the Colonial and its sponsors have offered free Saturday and Sunday matinees to local kids and their parents. The free PG-rated movies will run every weekend from now until Christmas. All told, five different movies will be shown.

“This is the sixth year and when its over we will have given out 18,000 free tickets,” Colonial Theater owner Mike Hurley said as the theater filled for the day’s second free showing of “The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle.” “While this is all free, it really is a very expensive proposition.”

Hurley said the movies are sponsored by the Colonial and a host of local merchants. MBNA New England also helps underwrite the annual Free Family Matinees. Scores of Belfast merchants take part in the promotion, which is seen as a way to bring people to the city’s booming downtown as well as to thank their patrons for the past year’s support.

“Think of all the people who might have gone out of town to go shopping. Instead, they’re taking their kids to the movies and hanging around Belfast,” said Hurley. “It’s a way for Belfast to say thanks.”

Hurley said the Colonial promotes the movies throughout Waldo County. Every school and day care center receives advance notice and the word-of-mouth advertising by area children ensures a big crowd. The kids, said Hurley, have learned by experience to arrive early because every show is usually filled to capacity.

“You have to get here a half-hour before the show or you’re out of luck,” Hurley said. “Believe me, it’s no fun to see a family show up and not be able to give them seats. That’s why we run two shows a day; 12:30 and 3 o’clock.”

Though the crowd is predominately young people, Hurley said there have been only a few instances where he had to remove an unruly youth. Hurley said one youngster that was disciplined a few years ago frequently reminds him that he was right to remove him.

“These kids are good kids and there’s a lot of parents who come, too. For a lot of people, if you have three or four kids, it’s a lot of money to take the family to a movie. We see a lot of the same families here every year,” said Hurley.

At the beginning of each movie, Hurley usually raffles off a toy and some free movie tickets. He also reads a partial list of sponsors and urges his audience to give them a round of applause and their support.

The next four weekends will feature, in the following order: “The Road to El Dorado,” “The Little Vampire,” “The Flintstones,” “Viva Rock Vegas” and “Pokemon 2000.”