It's springtime, so the festival season is upon us.
Tomorrow, Saturday, May 8th, will be the 19th Annual Santa Monica Festival at Clover Park off Ocean Park Blvd. There will be 7 hours of nonstop FREE entertainment and activities starting at 11 AM. To highlight a few, you can learn (or watch) ballroom dancing, join the Zumba dance party, listen to live music, participate in hands-on workshops and more (click HERE for the complete schedule). This is a nice day date plus it's family-friendly, but I'm not sure if this event is pet-friendly. UPDATE 05/21/10: Per @LADogEvents, this IS a dog-friendly event!!
Not only is admission free, but parking is too. However, biking to the event is highly encouraged. As such, complimentary bicycle valet is being offered. That service seems to becoming more common but here's the bonus: all bikers can fill out a survey to be entered into a raffle to win a brand new bike! You and your date can roll up on your old bikes and may come away with a shiny new one. According to weather.com, it looks like it will be a perfectly sunny day tomorrow for a bike ride and festival in Santa Monica (63-67 degrees).
UPDATE 05/11/10: Click HERE to view photos of the event by @DrinkEatTravel.
Approximate cost of creative date idea = 100% Free.
Actual value of the cheap date idea = Priceless.
Kiss & Tell Date Idea by @CitySearchLA
Friday, May 7, 2010
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
169. FREE Tuesday Night Cafe
Support your local artists in Downtown LA!
Yup, it's Tuesday again, which means Tuesday Night Project shares performing art again with the public, such as music, poetry, theatre, comedy improv, dance, karaoke and more. Tuesday Night Cafe (TNC) is a FREE event at 7:30 PM every 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month between April and October. Of course, donations are always appreciated! This outdoor performance is usually held at the Aratani Courtyard in Little Tokyo, which is family-friendly and dog-friendly (that's a rare find!). For directions, tonight's line up and updates, click HERE.
TNC has been teetering between #1 and #2 spot for Yelp LA Nightlife (click HERE to read Yelp reviews). Either way, this is something worth checking out. Street parking is free after 8 PM. The cheapest paid parking lot is at Joe's on 2nd St between Central and San Pedro. Come early to find parking and grab a seat. Otherwise, bringing your own chair and blanket would be a smart idea to stay comfortable for 2 hours outdoors. No drinks and food are served here, so feel free bring something or stop into Little Tokyo Cafe next door before the show.
If prefer to watch from the comfort of your own home or are out of town, watch the performances LIVE online (yes, streaming live at 7:30 PM PST). If you miss it or simply want to rewatch it, no worries! TNC is on YouTube too! As of this moment, there are at least 16 previous shows at your fingertips. Enjoy!
UPDATE 05/11/10: For ease of reference, the future show dates are: 5/18, 6/1, 6/15, 7/6, 7/20, 8/3, 8/17, 9/7, 9/21, 10/5 and 10/19. Mark your calendars!
UPDATE 05/17/10: Last minute change of venue due to chance of rain: Senor Fish at 7:15p at 422 E 1st St, Los Angeles.
Approximate cost of creative date idea = Free.
Actual value of the cheap date idea = Priceless.
Kiss & Tell Date Idea by @tnproject
Yup, it's Tuesday again, which means Tuesday Night Project shares performing art again with the public, such as music, poetry, theatre, comedy improv, dance, karaoke and more. Tuesday Night Cafe (TNC) is a FREE event at 7:30 PM every 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month between April and October. Of course, donations are always appreciated! This outdoor performance is usually held at the Aratani Courtyard in Little Tokyo, which is family-friendly and dog-friendly (that's a rare find!). For directions, tonight's line up and updates, click HERE.
TNC has been teetering between #1 and #2 spot for Yelp LA Nightlife (click HERE to read Yelp reviews). Either way, this is something worth checking out. Street parking is free after 8 PM. The cheapest paid parking lot is at Joe's on 2nd St between Central and San Pedro. Come early to find parking and grab a seat. Otherwise, bringing your own chair and blanket would be a smart idea to stay comfortable for 2 hours outdoors. No drinks and food are served here, so feel free bring something or stop into Little Tokyo Cafe next door before the show.
If prefer to watch from the comfort of your own home or are out of town, watch the performances LIVE online (yes, streaming live at 7:30 PM PST). If you miss it or simply want to rewatch it, no worries! TNC is on YouTube too! As of this moment, there are at least 16 previous shows at your fingertips. Enjoy!
UPDATE 05/11/10: For ease of reference, the future show dates are: 5/18, 6/1, 6/15, 7/6, 7/20, 8/3, 8/17, 9/7, 9/21, 10/5 and 10/19. Mark your calendars!
UPDATE 05/17/10: Last minute change of venue due to chance of rain: Senor Fish at 7:15p at 422 E 1st St, Los Angeles.
Approximate cost of creative date idea = Free.
Actual value of the cheap date idea = Priceless.
Kiss & Tell Date Idea by @tnproject
Monday, May 3, 2010
168. Tsunami Teppanyaki Dinner
One of my favorite style of cooking is teppanyaki, a Japanese cuisine that uses an iron griddle to cook food. The word is derived from teppan (iron plate) and yaki (grilled, broiled or pan-fried). Besides always being delicious, teppanyaki is like a dinner show (see onion volcano picture on right). The only downer is the price of this all-inclusive meal, which does include soup, veggies and rice.
However, Tsunami Steakhouse and Sushi Bar in Huntington Beach makes it an affordable "cheap date" with the following dinner specials on weeknights:
UPDATE 05/18/10: I came here for 1/2 off sushi rolls, which are generous in size, so don't order too many at first like I did. There is plenty of teppan dining space, so reservations are not really required, but it will probably be quite busy for the $9.95 teppan. I'm definitely coming back on Thursday!
Approximate cost of creative date idea = As low as $8 pp + Tip + Tax.
Actual value of the cheap date idea = Priceless.
However, Tsunami Steakhouse and Sushi Bar in Huntington Beach makes it an affordable "cheap date" with the following dinner specials on weeknights:
- Tightwad Tuesday: $13-18 Teppan specials (Regularly $19-23), $3 Coors Light, 1/2 Off Sushi Rolls.
- Flatbroke Wednesday: 2-for-1 (BOGO) Dining & Teppan.
- Anniversary Party on May 20th: $9.95 Teppan specials, $2 Coors Light, $5-7 Special Sushi Rolls. Click HERE for details.
UPDATE 05/18/10: I came here for 1/2 off sushi rolls, which are generous in size, so don't order too many at first like I did. There is plenty of teppan dining space, so reservations are not really required, but it will probably be quite busy for the $9.95 teppan. I'm definitely coming back on Thursday!
Approximate cost of creative date idea = As low as $8 pp + Tip + Tax.
Actual value of the cheap date idea = Priceless.