With summer approaching, friends and families will be looking to fill their leisure time with inexpensive, fun activities.

Turkey Hill Minit Markets and its sister company, Turkey Hill Dairy, have partnered to provide just that to people in south-central Pennsylvania.

The companies recently became the sponsor of a new portable outdoor movie screen that will be set up for weekend screenings in the region beginning Friday.

The screenings will be presented by Hershey Drive-In Theatre, a portable drive-in and outdoor movie theater operating in southcentral Pennsylvania.

The movie screen will be named the Turkey Hill Screen, said Erin Dimitriou, Turkey Hill Minit Markets advertising and public relations manager.

The events should fit into anybody's budget, Dimitriou said.

"The Hershey Drive-In Theatre contacted us with this idea, and we thought it would be a great way for families to see movies with no admission fee charged."

The inflatable screen measures 40 feet high by 48 feet wide, with an image area of 20 feet by 26 feet, and weighs 700 pounds.

USA Theatres, a nonprofit organization that promotes drive-in and outdoor theaters in central Pennsylvania, owns the screen and will help manage the events.

The drive-in theater and Turkey Hill screen are scheduled to premiere Friday at Shank Park in Derry Township, Dauphin County. The theater and screen will continue to travel around the region at locations in Hershey, Hummelstown, Ephrata and Dover.

Movies will begin at dusk every Friday and Saturday evening through August.

Though no admission fee will be charged, donations will be welcomed and concessions and souvenirs will be available for purchase. Proceeds benefit Christian Public Entertainment Network.

As promoted on the USA Theatres Web site, movies shown on the Turkey Hill Screen will exhibit "faith-based, morally-driven, and family-friendly programming." The feature presentation for Friday and Saturday will be the animated film "Madagascar," featuring the voices of Ben Stiller and Chris Rock.

People will be able to hear the movies directly from a car stereo or a hand-held radio, said Wes Dunn, a major investor and organizer for USA Theatres.

Jason Williams, public relations and promotions coordinator for Turkey Hill Dairy, said he is excited for the community.

"This sponsorship with the Hershey Drive-In Theatre represents a relationship with the people. … This is a wonderful opportunity for communities to enjoy outdoor movies again."

Turkey Hill Minit Markets consists of a chain of convenience stores and gas stations. Based in Lancaster, it has more than 240 stores in central Pennsylvania and the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area.

Turkey Hill Dairy is a dairy processor in Conestoga that sells fresh milk products.

• For more information on upcoming movie dates, go to USA Theatres' Web site, www.usatheatres.com.

Show times and locations are as follows:

Shank Park, Bull Frog Valley Road, Hershey: June 6, 7; July 11, 12; Aug. 8, 9.

Hershey Conewago Campground, 1590 Hershey Road, Elizabethtown: June 13, 14, 27, 28; July 25, 26; Aug. 15, 16.

Ball field at Friendship Community Church, 3380 Fox Run Road, Dover: June 20, 21; Aug. 29, 30.

Meadows Park, Hanshue Road, Hershey: July 18, 19.

Open field at Ephrata Community Church, 70 Clay Road, Ephrata: Aug. 22, 23.

E-mail: jwalk@lnpnews.com