181. Greek Fests 2010

Opa!! It's time to eat and dance with the Greeks!
The Greek Festivals are coming!! I love watching the live music, Greek dancing & lessons (see my picture below), arts & crafts and (the best part in my opinion) Greek food & desserts (baklava, yum!). In general, these events run all weekend, Friday to Sunday, starting at 5 PM on Fridays and noon on Saturdays and Sundays, while closing up at 10 or 11 PM every night. Click on the links below for details and directions about each one. Admission ranges from FREE to $5 while kids under 12 are free at most festivals. Parking is free at all these locations and some provide free shuttles too.

Greek Fest
Originally uploaded by 365 Cheap Dates

Wow, there's practically one every month through summer. I've updated my Google Calendar, so click HERE if you would like to add these event(s) to yours too:

• May 21-23: OC Greek Fest in Anaheim, $3 at the door (or FREE with this coupon).
• June 25-27: Irvine Greek Fest, $3 except free on Saturday Noon-5 PM or print their Facebook coupon for free admission.
• July 9-11: South Bay Greek Festival in Redondo Beach, $2 but a coupon for free admission will be coming soon.
• Labor Day Weekend (to be confirmed): Long Beach Greek Fest, $3 but a coupon for free admission may be available later on the website.
• Sept 10-12: LA Greek Fest, $3 (day) or $5 (evening) but sometimes it's free on Fridays and watch out for a coupon in the future.
• For a complete list of Greek Festivals between LA and OC, check out GoLosAngeles.com.

I usually get a big group of friends to go (i.e. group date!) and have been to both the LA and South Bay Greek Fests. I may have to check out the others on the list now, but the SB one has been rated the highest on Yelp. According to the UrbanDictionary.com, opa is a word that Greek people use for no apparent reason at all and is used to describe a jubilant emotion of/during celebration. Opa, opa , opa!!!

Approximate cost of creative date idea = Free - $5 Admission + Food & Drink.
Actual value of the cheap date idea = Priceless.
Kiss & Tell Date Idea by my Greek Goddess, @CPAsally

157. Earth Day at SEA Lab - 4/24

Visiting aquariums is a nice day date idea anytime, especially on Earth Day!
Admission to the SEA Lab is free every day (closed on Mondays), but donations are always appreciated (recommended $4 for family and $2 for individual). This place is more than an aquarium because the SEA Lab's mission is to rescue animals. In doing so, we can enjoy these sea creatures up close and personal in the indoor and outdoor exhibits. Free tours are available upon request. The SEA Lab is a family-friendly spot, perfect for kids (like me in the photo below) who want to touch and feel *safely* at a touch tank.

SEA Lab Earth Day 2007
Originally uploaded
by 365 Cheap Dates

The best day to go is on the upcoming Earth Day Celebration on April 24th. From 10 AM - 2 PM that Saturday, several fun activities are planned:

• Shoe Collection: Bring your athletic shoes to be recycled into playground mats, running tracks and more.
• Clothes Collection Drive.
• Free Haircuts: On a first come, first serve basis, hair clippings will be turned into oil-absorbing hair mats for oil spills around the world.
• Bike Workshop: Donate it and get a 15% coupon for REI, or just bring your bike to help get it fixed.
• Exchange Your Plastic Bags: Trade in plastic grocery bags for a reuseuable tote bag made out of plastic bottles, while supplies last.
• Click for more info: Event Flyer and FaceBook Event Page.

Bonus: If you leave your car at home, then walk, ride your bike or use public transportation, you can get a free gift! Otherwise, bring quarters for metered street parking or there is a convenient pay-parking lot next door. According a Yelp reviewer, walk 1/2 mile away for free street parking.

Continue the fun by heading south to the Redondo Beach Pier, which is an easy 1-mile stroll, especially on a nice day. The Pier Shopping Area reminds me of a mini-Fisherman's Wharf from San Francisco. For more free aquarium fun, check out Cheap Date Idea #6 on Manhattan Beach Pier (only 5 min or 2 miles away) and Cheap Date Idea #15 in Long Beach. Better yet, click HERE for a list of FREE tide pool tours in LA & OC.

Approximate cost of creative date idea = Free Admission.
Actual value of the cheap date idea = Priceless.

46. Redondo Beach Xmas Boat Parade - 12/12

Here's yet another free thing to do this weekend!
On Saturday, December 12th from 5:30-7:00 PM, decked out boats (and dinghys as shown in the photo here) will be parading between King Harbor Marina and the Redondo Beach Pier (see route map online).

Santa's... dinghy?
Originally uploaded by snehls

This will be the 18th Annual King Harbor Christmas Parade in Redondo Beach. Come an hour or two early to take a romantic stroll along the one mile of waterfront during sunset. But make sure to stake your spot at one of the many restaurants, the Redondo Beach Yacht Club, the breakwalls or anywhere along the piers. Parking is available in the pier parking structure, Redondo Beach Marina and street parking (meters are free during this time of year). The weather bunny is predicting a 70% of light rain in the 50 degrees range, so bundle up (but I'm crossing my fingers that the weather bunny will be wrong again).

While you are having so much festive fun, why not...

List: Ice Skating Rinks in LA & OC

Here's a list of the ice skating rinks that are open this season! The admission price listed is per person for 1-hour skating session including the skate rental (except it's 90 min in Redondo). Click on the hyperlink for more details about each date idea.

• 22. Seaside Ice Skating at Redondo Beach (11/10-1/18): $14, open daily until 9:30 PM, where else can you ice skate close to the beach and enjoy the sunset? Enough said.
• 35. Winterlit Ice Skating in Santa Monica (10/30-2/15): $10, open daily until 10 PM on weekdays and midnight on weekends, this rink is open the longest for the season. UPDATE 01/28/10: This rink has been extended from Jan 31st to Feb 15th! (Valentine's Date Idea, hint hint).
• 37. LA Kings Holiday Ice Skating (12/3-1/1): $10, open daily until 11 PM (open the latest), Santa visits at least once per day, grand opening this year at LA Live in Downtown LA, rink size: 50' x 70'. UPDATE: LA Live kept it open one more day on New Year's Day.
• 41. Downtown on Ice at Pershing Square (11/19-1/18): $8 (cheapest rink), open daily until 10 PM, been around 12 years in Downtown LA, rink size: 50' x 90' (largest rink), only rink offering FREE live concert series throughout the season, usually attracts 350,000 visitors per year.
• 42. Irvine Skate Spectrum (11/1-1/18): $15.50, open daily until 9 PM on weekdays and 11:15 PM on weekends, only rink in Orange County as far as I know.
• If you prefer one rink over another, please do share!

UPDATE: Actually there are 7 (yes, seven) ice rinks between LA and OC. Thanks for sharing, LA Bargain Hunter! (@LABargains) Click here for more info.
Rink #6: Woodland Hills Ice
Rink #7: Holiday Ice Rink at The Lakes in Thousand Oaks


UPDATE 01/28/10: Correction, there are 8! A new one opens this weekend in Orange County, just in time for Valentine's Day (hint hint). This one is the best because it's completely FREE!
90. FREE Ice Skating at OC Great Park (1/30-2/28)

22. Ice Skating at Redondo Beach (11/10-1/18)

Who ever thought that we could ice skate at sunset by the beach?? Well, the City of Redondo Beach did! Today is the first day of the 2nd Annual Seaside Skating Season (Nov 10th to Jan 18th). You can buy tickets for $14 pp, which provides 90 minutes of fun including skate rental, at the Seaside Lagoon or online. Don't worry if you can't ice skate, because they offer lessons on site. Parking is available at King's Harbor for a flat rate with validation from the skate admission. The ice rink is open daily even during the holidays til 9:30 pm or later. The best time is to go an hour before sunset. Have fun!

UPDATE 01/09/10: During the 50th Anniversary Celebration on Jan 9th at 10 AM to Jan 10th at 11 PM, save $5 on ice skating (so ONLY $11 pp) by showing a $10 or more receipt dated in December or January from any of the King Harbor restaurants or businesses. Thanks to @CenterdinLA for sharing!

Approximate cost of creative date idea = $14 Per Person.
Actual value of the cheap date idea = Priceless.
Click here for map

16. Champagne, Sparklers & Bubbles, Oh My!

Champagne, Sparklers and Bubbles, Oh My!
Originally uploaded by 365 Cheap Dates

Bristol Farms offers something more than a simple wine tasting. For a set price ($23 plus tax), they serve you while you sit at a table and enjoy 6 wine tastings PLUS a light meal (bread, soup or salad, and a main entree with one or two sides, AND a dessert). Considering the value, this may not be the cheapest date idea, but perhaps a first date idea. You can't order any more or any less (besides a tip), so sticking to a budget will be easy. Depending on the location, the wine tastings are on either Tuesdays or Thursdays starting at 5:30 or 6 PM for 2 hours, with the theme changing every week (see schedule online). Please note that the wine tastings will end in 2 weeks but will resume after the new year. The last one of the year sounds fun, "Champagne, Sparklers, and Bubbles, Oh My!" on Thursday, Nov 12th, in Manhattan Beach or Redondo Beach or their other 6 locations. Due to the limited seating, advance reservations by phone is a must. If you're not a wine enthusiast, this is an easy way to try a few different ones locally without making the trek to Napa.

UPDATE 01/0710: Wine tastings will resume in February 2010, so check back for the schedule online.

UPDATE 06/02/10: The wine tastings are on sale right now with buy one and get one for 1¢ (yes, one cent), so that's $23.96 plus tax for two tastings with a light meal (or ~$12 pp). Reservations required.

Approximate cost of creative date idea = $12 Per Person + Tax.
Actual value of the cheap date idea = $80 Total Minimum.
Click here for map