Answer first: the movie-night setup people assume they have to buy - a projector, a big screen, decent sound, even the popcorn machine - is all listed for rent on LEND-IT.CA. A projector with a 14-foot inflatable screen runs $35 a day; a karaoke machine with two wireless mics is $19. Rent it for the one evening, return it the next day, and the garage stays empty.
September is the sweet spot: dark early enough for a backyard screening, warm enough to sit outside. After that, the same gear moves indoors for birthday parties, Halloween movie nights, and the long winter of "what do we do with everyone Saturday."
What can you rent for a movie or party night?
Browse the audiovisual rentals category to see what is listed near you.
Why renting beats buying for this
A projector good enough for a backyard wall costs several hundred dollars, and most households would use it four times a year. The screen is worse: a 14-foot inflatable screen is wonderful for one evening and a storage problem for the other 364 days. This is exactly the ownership pattern renting is built for - high delight, low frequency, awkward to store.
Renting also upgrades the night. Instead of the small projector you might justify buying, you can book the big screen, the theatre popcorn machine, and real speakers for one evening - a proper event for less than the cost of taking the family to the cinema twice.
How to plan a backyard screening in the fall
Check sunset, not just the forecast. In September in southern Ontario the sky is dark enough to project by about 8 pm, and earlier every week after. By October you can start at 7.
Book the gear for a two-day window. Pick up in the afternoon, set up in daylight, return the next morning. Fumbling with an inflatable screen in the dark is how rentals get damaged.
Test the sound before guests arrive. A projector's built-in speaker covers a living room, not a lawn with twenty people. If the listing includes Bluetooth, pair a speaker and test it at distance.
Have an indoor fallback. Both projector kits above work indoors - if the rain comes, the screening moves to the biggest wall in the house instead of being cancelled.
Mind the neighbours. Outdoor sound carries. An early start and a reasonable volume keeps the movie night a neighbourhood favourite instead of a complaint.
The rest of the year writes itself
The same rentals cover a kid's birthday party (popcorn machine plus a projector for a cartoon marathon), a Halloween scary-movie night, a holiday family gathering with karaoke, a Super Bowl party on a wall-sized screen, and a New Year's Eve at home that beats going out. Once you know the gear is a booking away, "we should host something" stops being a purchasing decision.
Own a projector or party speaker that mostly sits in a closet?
That is the supply side of every event in this post. Projectors, speakers, karaoke machines and party gear are among the most bursty items people own - used a handful of nights a year, idle otherwise. You can list yours on LEND-IT.CA , set a daily rate, and let it earn between your own movie nights. The listings that book well state what cables and stands are included, how the sound connects, and what condition it should come back in.
FAQ
How much does it cost to rent a projector and screen in Canada?
On LEND-IT.CA, projector-and-screen kits currently run $35 to $75 a day depending on size and features. Add a popcorn machine or speakers and a full backyard cinema is still typically under what two family cinema trips cost.
Do I need a screen, or can I project onto a wall or sheet?
A flat light-coloured wall works indoors. Outdoors, a proper screen makes a real difference - wind moves a sheet constantly, and an inflatable screen is self-supporting and sized for a yard.
When is it dark enough for an outdoor movie in Ontario?
Around 8 pm in early September, creeping earlier through fall. By late October an outdoor screening can start before dinner - or move it inside; both kits listed above work indoors too.
What is included with a rental?
It varies by listing - cables, stands, remotes, popcorn supplies. The listing states what is included, and you can confirm details with the lender through in-app messaging before booking.
What if the weather cancels my plans?
Talk to the lender through the platform as early as possible - date changes are between you and them, and the in-app conversation keeps a record of what was agreed.
