Don't Forget the Chair in Maple Grove

Back to the Future lit up the big screen in the park in Maple Grove, MN, and the local DeLorean crew answered the call. One by one the stainless steel gullwings rolled in, lining the walkway like a low-key Twin Cities version of Hill Valley.

The weather did its part. Warm, clear, and just breezy enough that sitting out on the grass actually felt like a good idea. Driving a DeLorean slowly down a park walkway while people point and smile never really gets old, and this night was no exception.

Kids spent half the evening chasing Doc Brown cosplayer Andy Strano around the park, which is exactly what should happen when Doc shows up in a sea of DeLoreans. Families wandered the row of cars, picking out little details and grabbing photos before the movie started.

The only hiccup in the timeline was a very practical one: realizing a lawn chair had been left behind. That meant a slightly awkward U-turn in an intersection to go back and grab it. Not quite as dramatic as hitting 88, but it did earn a few laughs on the way past.

By the time the sun went down and the opening credits rolled, the park felt like a little pocket of shared nostalgia: stainless steel silhouettes, Doc Brown holding court with the kids, and a crowd happily watching Marty McFly on the big screen a few feet from the real DeLoreans.