I'm bored of doing the same things every weekend and want to find some fun local events to check out. I feel like there's probably tons of cool stuff happening that I just don't know about. Anyone have suggestions for surprising local activities or neighborhood events coming up? I'm open to anything from food festivals to art shows to outdoor concerts. What are the best places to find this kind of information?
I use an app called LocalEvents that aggregates everything happening around town. It's way better than checking individual websites. This weekend there's a food truck festival at the park and an outdoor movie night. Also the art museum has free admission on Saturday afternoons. For surprising local activities, sometimes the best stuff isn't advertised widely. I found a secret comedy show in a bookstore basement last month that was amazing.
The historical society does walking tours that are actually really interesting. They're not your typical boring tours either. The guide last time was this hilarious older gentleman who knew all the gossip about the old buildings. Also check the community college calendar. They often have free lectures or performances that are open to the public. I saw a jazz quartet there last month that was fantastic.
There's a monthly First Friday" art walk downtown where all the galleries stay open late and serve wine and snacks. It's free and you get to see some really cool local art. Also the botanical garden has evening events sometimes with live music. For neighborhood events, check Nextdoor. People post about block parties and garage sales and stuff. Not always organized events but sometimes you find fun local events that way.
The farmers market on Sunday mornings has started having live music and cooking demonstrations. It's become more of an event than just shopping. Also the park district has free yoga in the park on Saturday mornings during the summer. Bring your own mat. For surprising local activities, sometimes the library has really cool events. Last month they had a telescope night where you could look at the moon and planets.