And it starts!

I haven't been posting much recently because, well, there hasn't been that much going on. No holidays and cold weather don't give folks many reasons to have free events. But all that is changing. Warm weather, here we come! Get ready for a fabulous Spring full of Earth Day celebrations, culture festivals and general let's hang-outside-because-its-super-nice parties.

Earth Day on the Greenway - This Friday

11am-1pm Dewey Square

Really we should be celebrating the Earth and the fact that we have this gorgeous greenway here in Boston, instead of a superhighway, everyday. This festival will showcase the new gardens at Dewey Square, interactive music making and an historic Boston tour with BostonWalk.

Greek Independence Day Parade - This Sunday

1-4pm Boston Common

Poor Greece, they aren't doing so well these days. But 100 years of independence, that's some good news. The Federation of Hellenic Americans will be celebrating with a Big Fat Greek Wedding parade and festival on the Common. I'm pretty psyched to see what they have in the parade. And who doesn't love some good feta and olives?

Cambridge Science Festival - starting Friday

All week! Cambridge, MA

Holy camoly. Calling all nerds, RadioLab lovers, amateur tinkerers. The festival starts with a frickin' carnival on Friday at noon. The week-long festival will feature 'Everything You Wanted to Know About Slideshows' (really), a Light Blades show, 'Math and Origami', an author talk on How the Hippies Saved Physics, and more. Literally 100% of this looks fascinating. I won't judge if you take a week off of work and just hit this up all week.

All this and more over on Beantown on the Cheap. Know of a cool event? Let me know!

Icecream and bicycles

Go figure, Free Cone Day and the Hubway Bicycle launch happen on a really cold April day. Though the weather might not be totally conducive to eating frozen treats and cycling around, these events come but once a year.

Free Cone Day

Today! 12-8pm! Expect a line. There are a few shops in Boston, the most central being at 174 Newbury Street. Ignore the Park Plaza listing: that's now an Emack and Bolio's.

Hubway Bicycle Launch

You don't have a bike yet for some reason. Shell out the measly $50 and get yourself a membership to Hubway! Then get on down to the plaza in front of the Copley Square plaza at 12pm. There'll be free Boloco burritos until 12:30 and Mumbles will do a speech. If you ride to the event on a Hubway and check in with staff, your fees are waived for the day. (Cool, huh?)

No excuses to go hungry today . . .

Lights, Camera, Movie Deals!

Recently I let you know about how to see live theater on the cheap and last year it was how to score museum deals. But sometimes it's just one of those nights for dinner and a movie, ya know? Here's some upcoming free and cheap movies. It's also always a great idea to subscribe to DealsGoRound and YipIt (the names are really getting ridiculous for these coupon sites, no?) - deal aggregation sites. AMC and Fandango frequently come up as deals various sites all the time.

Free IMAX movie at the Museum of Science on Friday

Go early to get your tickets, because these go fast. Every once in a while there's a whole month of free IMAX movies at the museum - so go ahead and learn about Adrenaline or the Deep Sea. It's really more fun than nerdy.

Wild and Scenic Film Festival Saturday

Sponsored by 'e', the Wild and Scenic Festival is free. The movies, well, they're $5, but that's less than AMC for sure. Word has it Captain Planet will be in attendance. Do kids these days still know who he is? If so, that's pretty awesome.

Koch Bros. Exposed Movie Premiere Tuesday

I thought there were a lot of articles in the New Yorker exposing these jerks behind the Tea Party and every other kind of libertarian-nut case cause, but I bet seeing them in action will make you even more mad at these moguls funding the right wing.

Radical Film Night at Lucy Parson's Center Wednesday

This new Co-op bookstore on Centre Street in Jamaica Plain hosts showings of radical films every Wednesday to school you on the numerous causes you should care about. (Boy, didn't mean to turn this post into a liberal-enviro one, but hey, it's Boston.)

As always, all this and more over on the Beantown On the Cheap Calendar. See you out there!

Time to Honor St. Patrick

Today most American's will celebrate Saint Patrick by drinking copious amounts of alcohol. There is more to Irish culture, so I hope you'll at least consider going to hear some good Irish folk music while you're getting drunk.

If you're in Boston you have can't live more than a few blocks from an Irish pub. Chances are they'll have live music. I've listed a bunch on my BeantownontheCheap calendar, but don't limit yourself. Get started now and you should be able to get in quite a few bands and pints today!

To get you started on your journey . . .

Prepping for St. Patrick's Day!

Are you ready for St. Patrick's Day? You live in Boston, so you better be! Dig out that green sweater and prime your liver. It's on a Saturday this year, so no need to call out of work. (No Evacuation Day holiday either, I suppose though.) Here's some events leading up to Boston's favorite holiday.

Hyper Local Beer Festival Saturday 1-4PM

Medford

The craft beer scene has exploded in the past year, making this event look pretty amazing. Old stalwarts like CBC, Notch and Pretty Things will be there. But meet beer-scene newcomers Slumbrew, Mystic, Idle Hands and Night Shift. All easily accessible off the orange line.

Nightshift Brewing Launch Party Tuesday 7-10PM

Allston

Not free beer, but free merriment and good times. These guys started brewing in the middle of the night since that's all the time they had (poor things) but it was worth it, because now they're official! And they even have time to throw beer parties now.

Pretty Things Beer Release Party Wednesday 4-8PM
Brookline

The Publick House is basically beer geek heaven. Pretty Things is basically hipster beer. This party is a release of their X Ale Feb 22nd 1945 and 1940's attire is encouraged. So, yeah. This is going to pretty geeky-hipster-retro fantastic.

Erin Go Beehive Thursday 5PM-2AM

South End

The Beehive has free live entertainment every night. Next week they'll be bringing in Irish entertainment and will have Irish food and drinks added to the menu.

As always, all this and more at the BeantownontheCheap Calendar. Have fun!

Events worth leaping to

It might be the leap year or maybe the thawing weather, but cheap events are springing up all over.

Finale Dinner and Dessert Special

In honor of the leap year, dessert specialists, Finale, will be offering dinner for two plus dessert for just $29. Total steal, in my opinion.

First Thursday JP

This event is always awesome, and it's so great that they've kept this up all winter. City Feed will be giving out tastings of Baxter Beer, wine, toffee and ugly sauce. (whatever that is) All that some live Irish music. The Aviary, UForge and the Hallway will also be having gallery openings. (aka free booze)

Anna's Taqueira Spoon Ninja

Spoon Ninjas are lightning-speed burrito rollers. This leap day Anna's Taqueira will be hosting the best in the biz in a roll off to see who's the fastest. Then, if you'd like, give a try at it yourself. RSVP online.

The Maydes Metamorphoses: Leap Year Show

This $10 show at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education looks about as fascinating as they come. Emceed by a couple that run a salon down on the Cape, the show will feature award winning writers and film makers from Sundance. All performers will be wearing red and apparently, you're encouraged to too.

The Show Goes On - for 1/2 price!

Boston's theater district doesn't shine as brightly as Times Square. But then again, most New Yorkers avoid that crazy, tourist filled, commercialized area like the plague. In Boston we have all the great touring shows coming through, excellent opera companies, home-grown experimental theater and yes, even world premieres. And that's without all the traffic and blinding lights.

Tickets don't come cheap. Well, unless you know where the deals are.

GoldStar

Goldstar has the best prices for shows the night-of and in advance. Typically tickets are 50% of the regular price. And every once in a while, tickets are free. That's right, pay a small service charge and snag free tickets.

BosTix

BoxTix is the TKTS booth of Boston. They have a better selection of tickets and you can even buy them in person at Copley or Faneuil Hall. The service charges can be as high as $7.50, which usually make them not as good a deal as Goldstar.

Student Tickets

Do you still have your student ID? (I lost mine about a year ago - curses!) A.R.T offers day-of rush tickets for the kids for only $15. The Boston Symphony Orchestra gives out $8 student tickets the day of performances. Broadway in Boston, the folks behind the touring shows that come to the Opera House, Wilbur Theater and other places, sells limited numbers of rush tickets for $25, cash-only, 1 per person. The Boston Ballet is even in on the rush action with $20 day of tickets too.

Ushering

Ok, you're not a student anymore or are too embarrassed to try to pass for one. Many theaters will exchange you tickets for some of your labor. Call and email theaters individually to get on ushering lists. Email the Footlight Theater in JP, the country's oldest community theater that does some excellent shows. Blue Man Group is a wild time and depending on what seats are open that night, you might score front row tickets. Just call 617-426-6912. Be forewarned, though, you will have to clean up a crap-load of toilet paper in the theater after the show.

Do you have tips for seeing shows for free? Please share! As always, full calendar of events at the bottom of the page over at beantownonthecheap.blogspot.com.