Pride Parade

After my last post, my friend Christina Conway of Twinklings made a stellar recommendation for what should be a wildly entertaining free Saturday activity: Attend the San Diego Pride Parade which will be kicking off from University Avenue and Normal Street at 11 a.m. on July 17.
Indeed, I noticed some buildings were already decked out for the Pride extravaganza this weekend on University Avenue.

One more go

Yep, I think I will try to actually take in Residents Free Tuesday tomorrow at Balboa Park. I'm hoping to teach myself some San Diego history and peruse some rock and roll photos.

Free Tuesday at Balboa Park

The free-admission-Tuesday phenomenon at Balboa Park museums was one of the first San Diego freebies I learned about here. 

And now, I've finally lived in the city long enough to actually want to take advantage of it.

Which museums are involved rotates, and the free-ness is for San Diego County residents and active military and their dependents.

Today is the fourth Tuesday of the month, which means you can wander San Diego's Air and Space Museum, Automotive Museum, Hall of Champions or the House of Pacific Relations International Cottages.

Fine print: 

Special exhibits, like "the science of...aliens" at the Air and Space Museum may not be free.

Fifth Tuesdays are not free, although there are some Balboa Park institutions that always offer free admission according to Balboapark.org's schedule.

Timing:

Air and Space final entry is at 4 p.m. It closes at 4:30 p.m.

Automotive Museum final entry is at 3:45 p.m. It closes at 4 p.m.

Hall of Champions closes at 4:30 p.m.

Cottages close at 3 p.m. 

Saving: 

Between $8 and $24.75 for an adult.

P.S.

The reason it took me several weeks to want to hit up free-museum-day is because on the East Coast, indoor activities are reserved for days that are rainy, freezing, unbearably humid or otherwise uncomfortable - which is much of the time.

It is, of course always free to stroll around Balboa Park enjoying San Diego's amazingly consistent good weather. You can even park your car for free!

Ray at Night - Coming up

Your San Diego freebie for:

Saturday, June 12, 6 to 9:30 p.m.

Find it:

At and around Ray Street in North Park (between University Avenue and North Park Way).

Thanks to Lisa, co-owner of Olive Branch Green Building Supply, for this tip.
It looks like galleries and other shops host artwork during the monthly Ray at Night event. So, yes of course you can spend money at Ray at Night. I'm sure merchants and artists would prefer it.
Otherwise, it looks like a good opportunity to explore North Park.

The beach

I am unemployed. This means I can go to the beach on a weekday and find a parking spot. Now, whether I can convince myself to stop feeling guilty if I'm not working on job searching and/or job skill-building during business hours and take an hour to stop by the beach is a personal issue.

To those coming to SD from elsewhere, like me, the concept of free parking at the beach can be quite a nice discovery. In Cape Cod, parking your car at the ocean during the summer season could cost about $15 per day, last I checked. I used to ride my bike from the hostel I worked at with a beach mat sticking out of my backpack to avoid the fee.

To be fair, if you don't already own some sunblock or other useful things like sunglasses, a hat and a water bottle, heading to the beach may cost money initially (unless you opt for the sunset option).A tip I picked up from one of our hostel guests is to use an old sheet as your beach blanket. They dry quickly and take up far less space in the washing machine than beach towels.

Fiesta del Sol - Free today

Weekend music festival Fiesta del Sol closes today, Sunday, June 6, with concerts booked by Belly Up, between South Sierra and Acacia avenues Fletcher Cove in Solana Beach. 

The most comprehensive info I found on the annual event is a press release from the Green Chamber of San Diego County.

Find the backwards (the schedule starts with the last set of the day) band line-up at the Fiesta Web site, as well as details on how to get there - you can buy two-for-one COASTER tickets to get there.

Art Around Adams - Free today

Head to Art Around Adams for me today.
I can't make it, unfortunately, but if you will be in the area of Adams Avenue between 3 and 9 p.m., take advantage. Businesses will be hosting visual arts and music from 30th Street to Vista Street, Normal-Heights to Kensington.
Exodus Studio presents, and details are at artaroundadams.org.

P.S.
To the north, and closer to the beach, today is also the start of the two-day Fiesta Del Sol in Solana Beach.

Music at Solana Beach - Coming up

Your San Diego freebie for:

Saturday, June 5 and Sunday, June 6

Find it:

At Fletcher Cove in Solana Beach.

Fiesta del Sol has a line-up of two days of concerts (Belly Up in Solana Beach books them, as they did for the Roots Festival on Adams in Normal-Heights) between South Sierra and Acacia avenues. The most comprehensive info I found on the event is a press release from the Green Chamber of San Diego County.

Find the backwards (the schedule starts with the last set of the day) band line-up at the Fiesta Web site, as well as details on how to get there - you can buy two-for-one COASTER tickets to get there.

Balboa Park museums - Free today

The free-admission-Tuesday phenomenon at Balboa Park museums was one of the first San Diego freebies I learned about here. 

And now, I've finally lived in the city long enough to actually want to take advantage of it.

Which museums are involved rotates, and the free-ness is for San Diego County residents and active military and their dependents.

Today is the first Tuesday of the month, which means you can wander the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, Natural History Museum, Model Railroad Museum and the Centro Cultural de la Raza.

Fine print: 

Some things, like the giant screen theater at the San Diego Natural History Museum, aren't included on Free Tuesday, and there are some other restrictions.

Fifth Tuesdays are not free, although there are some Balboa Park institutions that always offer free admission according to Balboapark.org's schedule.

Timing: 
The Science Center is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. today. The Natural History Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the Model Railroad Museum is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Savings: 

Between about $7 and $16 for an adult.

Free museums from BOA - Coming Up

Bank of America customers get free admission to select museums on the first weekend of the month. You can figure out what's free in San Diego, or in whatever city you are heading to at museums.bankofamerica.com, which can be kind of a clunky site to navigate.

Visit the Birch Aquarium at Scripps in La Jolla (open between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.) or take the kids to the New Children's Museum (open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, and from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday) June 5 and June 6.

If you are hitting the road, the Riverside Art Museum will be free for BOA cardholders Saturday, as is the Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana. You can also try the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach,  or Muzeo in Anaheim.
Heading to L.A.? Stop in LACMA or the Autry Center of the American West.

Art Around Adams - Coming Up

Your San Diego freebie for:  
Saturday, June 5, between 3 and 9 p.m.

 Find it:  
At Normal-Heights and Kensington

Art Around Adams promises "1.6 miles" of music and art when "more than 75" businesses along the Adams Avenue area from 30th Street to Vista Street provide performance and gallery space, according to artaroundadams.org.

Sadly, I won't be there to check it out, but if you go, please let me know what I missed.