Local (Free) Ish: 7/17-7/19

Posted by Stacks (Follow Me)- Stacks was born in DC and raised in VA. That's about all you need to know about him. - To see more posts by this author click here

Cover charges are a necessary evil. I don’t think that fact can be argued as it is a way for the venue to gauge how many people attend a show (and recoup expenses) and also how the performer generates the revenue for their checks.

However…it is not always necessary to have to pay a cover to see a quality performance and despite the fact that we live in one of the most expensive metropolitan areas in the country, there are still plenty of ways to do it on the cheap…and I’m gonna show you how.

[Note: We live in an area with tons of free museums and other forms of entertainment...for the tourists. Rest assured that none of that will be included here as there is now way that I'm going to suggest a trip to the Air & Space Museum as a fun, Saturday night event]

Without a doubt, I have got to start this out with the Kennedy Center: Millennium Stage, free concert series. Although mentioned before, this is worth reiterating as there is nowhere else in the country (if not the world) where it is possible to attend a performance of this caliber, at no cost.

And this is not a one-time thing either, you can catch a performance every day, at 6pm, throughout the month of July with shows ranging anywhere from the Afro Bop Alliance to the U.S. Naval Academy Band.

Opus 88 (scroll about 1/2way down) in McLean has free, live jazz performances every Friday and Saturday night. This weekend is contemporary jazz band, the David Bach Consort.

Another brief mention from something else that was featured before . . . at the Capital Fringe Festival, all of the covers go directly to supporting the independent artists. Even with that, they also have a free chat where speakers discuss how to be a Green Audience with tips on ways to attend performances while at the same time, reducing your impact on the environment. Also, they have a Free Store at the Trading Post where, in the spirit of “free”, people donate used books, clothes, music, and other items and in return, can select items for themselves that others have donated. The free store is located at 1013 7th St NW (Weds-Sun throughout the run of the festival).

For additional resources and more information on the freecycle network, visit www.freecycle.org

I know that there are plenty of other things going on that can be done for free. Take museums, monuments, and parks out of the mix…what are your suggestions for free things to do in the area? [Best suggestion gets something for free]

udothedishes…

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Local (Free) Ish: 7/17-7/19