She'll be appearing every first Friday of the month with a list of things you can do or look forward to that are completely free! Check out her first post below.
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Fun for Free? You
bet!
Being an experienced member of the Unemployment League
(admittedly not as fun as the Justice League but still notable) and a current
Member of Good Standing with the Very Tight Budget Guild, I have come to love
seeking out free and/ or low cost activities that help me get out of the house,
maintain my sanity, and have fun. Sound like something you want to get in on?
You’re in luck! Seattle is a haven of free and low cost activities, but let’s
start with a brainstorming session to get you going.
Set Personal Goals
First, is there anything you’d like to do or learn in
particular? This summer I’ve set myself a number of mini goals, from learning
to whistle with two fingers (so far this results in a lot of drool) to learning
how to take a compliment (there are etiquette books to help me here). If you
have a few things you’d like to master, or even start, make a list of goals
you’d like to accomplish: big, small, amusing. Having a list to reference when
you’re bored will give you a bit of direction as to how you could spend a few
moments of your down time. The best part of this is the automatic sense of
accomplishment you get from completing your goals!
Tackle a Few
Activities
Not really into setting goals and instead want to get out
there and tackle a few activities? Here are a few places you to get you on your
way:
The Near and Dear
I must begin with events dear to me, which directs us to our
first stop: Elliott Bay Book Company at
1521 Tenth Avenue in Seattle. Each month--nearly every day--this book store
hosts book reading and related events, most of which are free! Want to soak in a
bit of brain candy and intellectual stimulation? To have a person read to you
(or your kids!) for a while? To engage in a community-based event? This is the
stop for you! My favourite reading in May featured Top Pot Donuts, Molly Moon
Ice Cream, and Pike Place Market food readings…complete with free samples. For
the current schedule, go to http://www.elliottbaybook.com/node/events/current,
or better still pop by the store and see what’s happening. This is a great spot
to hang out and soak in the story rays.
Related to the topic of dear-to-me free stuff is Seattle’s LTD Gallery (http://www.ltdartgallery.com/) at 307
E. Pike Street. This small gallery is a very cool nerd and pop culture art
gallery with exhibits that change every month or two. The current exhibition is
“Geek Girl,” which will be featured until June 10. My favourite piece is called
“First Crush”…maybe because I was Wonder Woman for Halloween this year.
In Pursuit of Art
For more art-related pursuits, head over to the Seattle Art Museum (http://www.seattleartmuseum.org/),
the Seattle Asian Art Museum (http://www.seattleartmuseum.org/visit/visitSAAM.asp),
or the Museum of Flight (http://www.museumofflight.org/wells-fargo-free-first-thursday)
on the first Thursday of the month for free admission!
If that’s not enough art for you, I highly recommend
participating in the Blitz Capitol Hill
Art Walk on the second Thursday of each month during the summer for a truly
wonderful art experience. Not only will you visit various local venues
(galleries, restaurants, shops) to view great art, often times you’ll have the
chance to meet the artists, grab a free snack and drink, or contribute to a
display with your own creation. Maps, experiences, and previews are updated at
their website one week prior to the Art Walk (http://www.blitzcapitolhill.com/).
The next walk is Thursday, June 14th.
Alright, there’s your first art fix. Now let’s get physical.
Getting Physical
With weather this great you may want to spend as much time
as possible outside. If you don’t have a piece of sporting equipment of your own (a Frisbee, basketball, soccer ball,
etc) you may want to join one of Seattle’s free sporting groups.
Take, for example, the Seattle
Street Dodgeball group (http://www.dodgeballseattle.com/venues/seattle-street-dodgeball/).
I happened to be walking to work when I came across this game for adults. Do
you remember playing as a kid? Trust me, it just gets better with age. They
play at Cal Anderson Park in the southwest tennis courts Wednesdays and
Fridays, 8pm – 11pm in any weather.
The Great Outdoors
Not quite your kind of physical? For a quieter outdoor
experience, why not try birdwatching? The Seattle
Audubon Society for Birds and Nature offers free, two-hour neighbourhood
birdwatching adventures. You can check them out here at their website (http://www.seattleaudubon.org/sas/GetInvolved/GoBirding/NeighborhoodBirdWalks.aspx).
I love hiking
myself, and I’ve found this site to be the best for tracking down suitable
hikes: http://www.wta.org/
Okay, one more outdoor activity. Have you been to the Center for Wooden Boats? (http://www.cwb.org/) If not, you may want to stop by on a Sunday
afternoon and enjoy a free public sailing! They also have events like Tugboat
Storytime and Pond Boat Sailing at the Model Boat Pond (860 Terry Ave N) for
those who don’t fancy going out on the water themselves. I love this event!
If All Else Fails
Now, if you didn’t find anything here to tickle your fancy,
head over to The Stranger and browse
through their list of events, including free events. http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/EventSearch
Let us know if you’re looking for a specific type of
activity we didn’t list here, and I’ll do my best to track down a suitable
match for you! If you discover something great in the area, let us know so we
can share it with others. In the meantime, enjoy these activities to start, and
I’ll see you next month!
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