174. Free Dinner with Dave

Good friends, Good (free) food, Great (free) music.
Dinner with Dave is a 100% free event with a complimentary light dinner at Memphis at the Santora in the Santa Ana Art District AND live music. I heard the food is good here and if it's anything like it's sister bar/restaurant, the nightlife atmosphere at the Manhattan Beach location is pretty cool (there's another one in Costa Mesa). Tomorrow on May 12th, the event kicks off with a DJ at 9 PM, then the live band and dinner start at 10 PM. It is a bit of a late start, but it's F-R-E-E. With that said, arrive early and enjoy a drink at their bar (optional). This is a great group date idea for 21+ (sorry, the restaurant is normally family-friendly, but not for this late-night activity).

Cool bar at the Memphis Cafe
Originally uploaded by PAGalloway

The single-course dinner is served buffet style and according to many Yelp reviewers, Memphis at the Santora is yum! One Yelper claims that the freshly made chocolate berry bread pudding is worth the wait (and money). Parking is free here, either on the street or at a parking lot a block away. Free food, no cover AND free parking!

I won't be able to make it tomorrow night, but I'm marking my calendar for every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month (yes, it's bi-monthly!!). I'm not sure when @DinnerwithDave events first started but it's first mentioned on Yelp in 2007. Click HERE to read the Yelp reviews mentioning this event. I can't believe I just learned about it now. Looking forward to this one!

Approximate cost of creative date idea = Free.
Actual value of the cheap date idea = Priceless.
Kiss & Tell Date Idea by @TheOCGazette

121. Persian Festival of Norouz - 3/7

It's officially Spring Season tomorrow!
To celebrate this special moment of vernal equinox, join in the Persian Festival of Nrouz on Sunday, March 7th, at The Bowers Musuem in Santa Ana. Museum hours are 10 AM - 4 PM daily except for Mondays and a few holidays. For this particular festival, the celebration will be held Noon - 3:30 PM. Spend your Sunday afternoon immersing in Persian culture, including traditional Persian dance, music, food, art, face painting, etc. General admission is normally $12 per person but it's completely free tomorrow. The event is family friendly and a casual day date idea for a group.

2009 Iranian Festival
Originally uploaded by matunos

If you can't make it this Sunday, come back on the first Sunday of every month in 2010 for FREE admission courtesy of Target. The festival theme changes every month. Here's a quick list for the rest of this year, but check the website for details about each event.

• April 11 Silk Road Festival
• May 2 Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival
• June 6 Pacific Islands Festival
• July 18 Americana Festival
• August 1 Native American Festival
• September 5 Indian Festival of Lights/Diwali
• October 3 Italian Festival
• November 7 Mexican Day Festival
• December 5 International Holidays Festival

Parking is $2 on the weekends, but nearby meters and limited street parking may be available. While we're at it, mark your calendars for the sister event, Mehregan (Persian Festival of Autumn) in Costa Mesa during early October (future date idea!). By the way, the Persian tradition calls for wearing new clothes or Persian folk outfits. Also, the belief is that whatever a person does on Norouz will affect the rest of the year. Enjoy!

Approximate cost of creative date idea = Free Admission.
Actual value of the cheap date idea = $24 Total.
Kiss & Tell Date Idea by @mamimaria