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.

The Bard in the Park

There's no better place to see Shakespeare than outdoors. When the Bard is performed outside, the setting's the thing.

I have vivid memories of when I was young seeing All's Well that Ends Well in an open air barn in New Hampshire, with a lightening storm raging all around us. In Newport, Julius Caesar, became super eerie as the sun set and a fog rolled in. And my first week in college at NYU, my room mate and I walked down to Chinatown to see Shakespeare in the Parkinglot, which was interrupted by oblivious residents walking through.

Now it's time to make your own memories. Here's your chance to see Shakespeare outside this summer in Boston.

This year's Shakespeare on the Common debuts with All's Well That Ends Well. Pick up a picnic dinner at Bina Alimentari, disguise your drinks, bring a chair or blanket to sit on and settle in early to get a good view.

Showtime is at 8PM Tuesday through Saturday and 7PM Sunday, right in the middle of the Common.

In addition, the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company will be traveling to parks all over Boston to put on scenes of the Bard. Catch them July 31 at 5pm on the North End waterfront; August 6 2pm on the Common or August 13 with circus performers at 2pm on the Common.

And of course, all this is free.

Rain, Rain Go Away

Most times wishing the rain away doesn't work. And sadly, even my poncho doesn't keep out all the rain.

When I'm in a new city, I'll suck it up a bit and get out to see the sites under an umbrella. But when I'm in my hometown and want to get out of the apartment for some culture I'm glad that Beantown does offer some indoor highlights.

Historic Ball Crawl

Boston is chock full of historic places, including bars. And most historic bars around here are covered in dark wood, have small windows and cozy atmospheres. Just right for forgetting about the rain outside. Downtown, saddle up to the ancient bar at the Oyster House, do a free Thursday tasting at Durgin Park basement bar, make your own cocktail combo at the Bell in Hand, or imagine yourself back in the time of speakeasies at Stoddards.

Top of the Hub

Technically Top of the Hub is another bar, but this one is more tall than historic. Silly tourists pay $13 to see Boston from on high at the Skywalk. Skip it. Instead, go up one more flight for free (make sure you dress a bit nice - no ponchos) and check out Top of the Hub. Dinner isn't exactly cheap, so I usually just saddle up to the bar, order one drink and take in the view and live jazz. The one time you'll enjoy being high and dry.

The Theatre

Forget about the rain, and the world, taking in the theater. The cheapskates' way to do it would be to get 1/2 price tickets at the Bostix booth - found at Faneuil Hall and Copely Square.

Spa Pampering

Getting a pedicure will only keep you out of the rain for 30 minutes or so spend the day indoors Chuan Body + Soul. A thirty minute massage is a bit pricey, but considering you get to spend the entire rest of the day floating in between pools, hot tubs, saunas and relaxation rooms - it's worth it.

Museums

See previous posts for all the ways to get in cheap to lots of places, but my favorite museum is always cheap - the MIT Museum. $3.75 if you flash your Charlie Card. Be forewarned - you could loose your entire day here. This is the science museum for adults and blows the Museum of Science out of the water.

Bookstores

It's common knowledge that curling up inside with a book is the best way to spend a rainy day. I get most all my books at the library. (This is the Boston on the Cheap blog remember?) But it's hard to deny the allure of dozens of shiny new books at local independent bookstores. Trident Bookstore on Newbury includes a cozy cafe. Raven in Cambridge and on Newbury has a great range for intellectuals and amazing prices on used books. Brookline Booksmith in Coolidge Corner is my go-to favorite though. It's big, with an entire basement of used books, and you can browse every category imaginable. Best of all there's comfy chairs sprinkled throughout - the better to curl up and read in.

What's on your rainy day list?