6 Free Date Ideas (Volume #2)

Usually being a “tourist” requires you to travel to some far off exotic location but there is probably a plethora of cool sights and public art displays to see in your own neighborhood.  Pick a day to venture in the “other direction” to visit local parks you’ve never explored before, or discover murals around town that you didn’t know existed, or check out a local parade that you otherwise wouldn’t care to take in.  Take photos and learn to appreciate your hometown in a way that visitors do.

We are often highlighting events and festivals each month and many of them are free (here are the latest posts: Colorado, Washington, Rocky Mountains).  Summertime is perfect for free events and concerts that take advantage of the pleasant weather with vendors, live music, and art.  Bring a water bottle so you’re not tempted to spend money on expensive vendor drinks if you’re on a budget; but if you can spare a few bucks, invest them in the local musicians, restaurateurs, and artists.

What’s the best part of little league sports games?  The atmosphere and cute kids showing off their skills.  What’s the worst part of little league sports games?  The lack of gambling.  Find a park over the weekend that is hosting a series of little league baseball, football, softball, etc.  Pick a team to cheer for and place friendly bets between one another to make things interested: loser gives winner a backrub; winner picks dinner; etc.  You’ll have true enjoyment cheering for the little ones and they’ll appreciate your support.

You probably have games lying around the house but even if you don’t you can acquire some good ones through the App Store.  From Heads Up, to chess, to billiards there are lots of free/affordable options for digitally supported two-player games.  A high enjoyment:investment option is to go to your local game store and give the employees a good idea of what you’re looking for in a game.  They’ll guide you in the right direction with little risk on your side.  One option is Hive which is a strategic tile game much like chess where every game will differ from the last; at as low as $20 new you can invest a very low dollar amount for hours of competition.

Looking to move sometime soon?  Doesn’t matter.  Get a tour of local homes and apartments by pretending to be home shopping.  What’s the newest apartment building in your city drawing up tons of attention for its rooftop pool, or killer fitness center?  Get the scoop yourself by visiting and checking it all out.  Weekends in the summer are filled with open houses around the city so go check out homes for sale and get a feel for what the market looks like; you know, just in case you do decide to move after all.

Many cities these days embrace as many community events as they can with a recent emphasis on outdoor movie showings.  In fact, we recently posted about the best outdoor summer movie venues in America, so start your research there.  Bring a bag of popcorn and some drinks (adult style or otherwise), a blanket, and get comfy for a night at the outdoor cinema.

Another trend for community events these days is “First Fridays.”  Artsy cities around the country often offer one night of exemplifying the artistic talent in the community.  This will include galleries open for free to the public providing snacks, live music, and new artists for locals to appreciate.  Sometimes the streets will be closed maximizing promenade space and room for food trucks to nourish the crowds.  Simply search online for such events, usually occurring on the first Friday of each month (hence “First Fridays”) and get your culture on!