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!

Holiday Overload!

I feel like I'm experiencing it a bit already. Especially given that I got all my Christmas presents on Thanksgiving and am spending the next month in Belgium, which basically just exists in a perpetual Christmas state in December. Are you not filled up yet? Take advantage of these upcoming events to put you in the spirit.

Downtown Crossing Holiday Market Everyday 11-7

My favorite place to nip out of work and get a fresh-baked pretzel or coffee. Also a great place to get last minute shopping done from local artisans. Usually there's music too, and sometimes even Santa.

Christmas Tree Lightings Thursday 6PM

So in this weird tradition, the Mayor rides around on a trolley with a bunch of Christmas characters and basically tries to light every single neighborhood's tree. It usually is less than flawless, given Boston traffic. It all starts TONIGHT on the Common with music, lots of tv stations, performance by an Olympic skater and pyrotechnics. See the website for other lightings.

JP Holiday Events Thursday 6-8 and Saturday 11-5

Tonight, Jamaica Plain's First Thursday events continue with a holiday theme. Music and free food at stores all along Centre and South. Best place to score freebies and hear a tune is certainly City Feed - featuring Peak Organic Beer tasting and a band with a fiddle. On Saturday it's a

doubly merry day with the Loring Greenough Open House from 12-4 and the Holiday Fair at First Church across the street. Loring Greenough house is pretty cool and last year's free cookies and refreshments were awesome. Reportedly there will be the Boston City Singers and a joyful caroling mob at the First Church.

All that should get your holiday spirits up, but check out the calendar at the bottom of beantownonthecheap for a full listing of events.

It's getting scary here . . .

It's still just warm enough for kids to go trick or treating in costume without a coat - which definitely makes for some great trick-or-treating if you're a kid. For the rest of us, we get to amuse ourselves by dressing up like dead-somethings or sexy-somethings. Besides all the inevitable house parties for the holiday, here's stuff to get you in a spooky mood.

The Haunting of Hill House Friday & Saturday 8PM

The Taylor House B&B in JP

Ok, it's $12, so it doesn't exactly pass the cheap test, but free Notch beer makes it worth it I think. This looks crazy. It's a play about guests trapped in a haunted house - and it's being done in an old Victorian house off the pond. There will be a glow-in-the-dark Ouija board raffle and a fortune teller. Looks guaranteed to creep you out.

Archaeology Dig at the Harvard Museum Saturday 10AM-1PM

11 Divinity Ave., Cambridge

Not meant to be scary, but archaeology does conjure up some Indiana Jones type adventures. So show up on Saturday dressed to dig and learn about what Harvard archaeology students are unearthing.

JP Lantern Parade Saturday and Sunday 6-8PM

Jamaica Pond

Certainly one of the sweetest, most adorable community events we have in JP. Throughout the week there are lantern making parties at Spontaneous Celebrations and City Feed. Or just pick up your own lantern making kit at Boing!. As the sun sets around the pond, everyone takes a stroll around the pond. It's really cool to see the bobbing lanterns circling the water. I've also decided that kids in costumes are cute . . . while dogs in costumes are scary.

The Great Pumpkin Float Saturday 5:30 PM

Pope John Paul II Park, Dorchester

I haven't seen this particular float before, but I have attended the Pumpkin Regatta. It's amazing these things float! Bring a jack o lantern you don't mind parting with, cause it's going for a sail!

As always, more events and free stuff on the calendar at the bottom of beantownonthecheap.blogspot.com.

Events Galore

Need something to do this weekend? Never fear . . .

What the Fluff? Saturday 3:00-7:00 PM

Union Square's biggest event of the year. A celebration of all things Fluff. Yup. That white marshmellowy stuff you put on sandwiches when you were little. Contests and costumes galore.

JP Open Studios Saturday and Sunday 11:00 AM-6:00 PM

It's no secret that Jamaica Plain is filled with artists and this weekend, they whip it all out for a two-day long feast of art .

Most studios are people's apartments and nearly everyone offers free food and booze. The best galleries are in the industrial building on your right if you're walking South on Green Street from the T.

Smithsonian Free Museum Weekend Saturday All Day

Smithsonian Museums are always free, but they're in DC, so how does that help? But one day a year, hundreds of museums across the country go Smithsonian-style - Free! Pick out the museum you want to go to and print out your ticket today. I recommend tickets for the normally pricey MFA and Mapparium (Mary Baker Eddy Library).

As always, scroll to the bottom of my page for a full calendar.

Green Music Sunshine Diving

In the lineup for this weekend: two excellent looking festivals, urban cliff diving and an oldie but goodie.

Boston Greenfest

Boston City Hall plaza fills up with eco-clothing, energy efficient ways to remodel your house, recycled bottle earrings, and other things you should buy to be more earth friendly. (sarcasm) Ok, in addition to that stuff, there's some great organizations you should take part in to make Mass more green through political action and great music. (I just picked myself up a free CD of rockin' soul music.)

JP Music Festival

There's no better place to have a music fest. Jamaica Plain is full of musicians and greenspace. Put them both together and you get a great Saturday afternoon. I'm most excited about Erin Harpe & the Delta Swingers, slated to rock at 6 PM.

Urban Cliff Diving

Men in speedos jumping off the Institute of Contemporary Art into the Boston Harbor?! If this sounds to amazing to be true, you'll just have to go and find out if this is a prank or not.

KC and the Sunshine Band

I'm a fan of Get Down Tonight and Shake, Shake, Shake Your Booty and this is free, so why not? Bring a picnic, but don't plan on sitting down for what promises to be a rump shaker of a concert. Do you think they still look like this? --->

As always, full schedule of the months events and beyond at the bottom of the homepage.

Good Morning!

Wipe those sleepies out of your eyes. Do a big stretch. And get ready to . . .

Wake Up The Earth! Yes, that's right. Today is the hippie-tastic festival of the year. It's origins are celebrating local activists' work in 1979 to stop a massive highway from cutting through the neighborhood. I don't know about you, but I sure prefer our beautiful Southwest Corridor and orange line to a highway.

Today the festival is full of great ethnic food, half a dozen stages showing everything from Japanese drumming to jazz to circus acts and loads of dancing. Everyone looks like they had a 5 year-old dress them that morning and the vibe is positively groovy. The parade gets started at 11am and festivities go until about 6pm right outside Stony Brook T stop.

Think groovy is over? There's plenty more to do this weekend. Festival and fee stuff season is just getting started.

Lilac Sunday is held on Mothers' Day. It's when hundreds of mothers with their kids flock to the Harvard Arboretum and have their pictures taken with flowers. Looking past this, the flowering trees are actually quite spectacular and smell gorgeous.

Free Comic Book Day proves that indeed, the best things in life are free. Stop by a participating store to revel in geekdom and get a free comic book.

Free Southern Food with Expensive Hats Did you know today is the Kentucky Derby? (I wouldn't have except for a story on

NPR.) Really for us Northerners, this is an excuse to drink mint juleps, eat hush puppies and wear seersucker. Woodwards will be showing the Derby and serving up free apps in honor of the race. Goorin Brothers will be there selling hats. Drinks are on you.