In this week’s column I’m going to be completely honest. Eating out every week gets expensive, really expensive. Basically, I was looking around and trying to get suggestions on where to eat, and my bank account suggested I stay home. Soon after, I talked with some of my friends, and I realized many of us are juggling three, four or even five jobs just to stay afloat alongside doing schoolwork. And yet, despite my wallet’s protests, I keep finding some excuse to go out. I definitely don’t want to spend my college years sitting cooped up at home all day, so this week’s column is my solution to get the best of both worlds. Below I’ve listed my personal recommendations of things to do in the Oklahoma City area which are either free of super inexpensive.
Go to a Street Fair
Since moving to Oklahoma City, one of the things which he surprised me most is the sheer number of regularly scheduled street fairs which take place around the city. For instance, on the second Friday of every month the Plaza hosts LIVE on the Plaza, which features food trucks, music, shopping, and a variety of activities centered around a theme. Past themes have included storytelling, dogs and skateboarding. Nearby, the Paseo district also hosts a monthly street fair on the first Friday of every month where all of the art galleries open their doors, food trucks line the street and a variety of performers, from fire dancers to violinists, perform up and down Paseo Street. There’s also a huge variety of annual street fairs such as the Day of the Dead Fair, Open Streets OKC, OKC Pride, and so much more.
Ride Around Town
So this one isn’t exactly free, but it’s pretty cheap and really fun, so I added it to the list. One of my favorite cheap outings is to rent out a Spokies bike or Lime scooter and just ride them around town with no destination in mind. Right now, the bikes cost $1.00 to start and $0.12 for each minute while the scooters cost $1.00 plus $0.15 for each minute. Honestly there aren’t many other places where you can buy 10 minutes of entertainment for less than $2. Admittedly, just thinking about riding through downtown in the middle of rush hour is anxiety-inducing. However, I’ve found downtown is pretty much deserted on Sundays and holidays, especially if you stick to the area north of the Devon tower. Just make sure to check out the local laws first concerning where you can and cannot ride. Recently they added the Bricktown Canal to the list of banned areas after finding 28 Lime scooters at the bottom of the canal.
Go Outside
Scissortail Park is one of the newest additions to the Oklahoma City metro area, and it is the perfect place to spend the afternoon when the weather is nice. During the warmer months, this huge park has food trucks, a splash pad, paddle boats, a dog park, a stage area, and so much more. Things such as paddle boat rentals cost money, but it is totally free to walk around, get some exercise and just enjoy the fresh air. And if that isn’t enough free nature for you, about 15 minutes north of OCU is the Martin Park Nature Center. This huge park features a visitor’s center with tons of cute animals, a giant pond filled with turtles and a viewing area to watch for birds or white tailed deer. Additionally, if you’re the running type, there’s tons of running and hiking trails to explore.
Other Ideas
If I took the time to write detailed descriptions about every free thing in Oklahoma City, then this article would go on forever. So I’ve gone ahead and quickly listed a few other inexpensive excursions alongside a brief description of each.
Oklahoma Contemporary: Oklahoma’s premier museum for contemporary art.
OKC Rattlesnake and Venom Museum: A small museum featuring dozens of venomous snakes and other reptiles.
Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art: A giant art museum on the OU campus which houses more than 20,000 works in its permanent collection
45th Infantry Division Museum: This free museum is dedicated to America’s military history, specifically the history of the 45th Infantry Division. Fun fact: this museum happens to house the world’s largest collection of objects owned by Adolf Hitler.
OKC Tunnels: These underground tunnels I believe were built to help Oklahomans navigate around the city. Instead they’ve turned into a photography hotspot. They’re lined with gorgeous neon lights, and if you’re curious as to what they look like, take a peek at the recent shoot OCU’s photography club did there.
The National Weather Center: The center that’s responsible for predicting the weather for the entire United States. Tours of the center are free, but they must be booked in advance.
The Oklahoma Hall of Fame: Typically there’s a small fee to visit this museum dedicated to famous Oklahomans. However, during the summer admission is free every Thursday.
The Oklahoma State Capitol: If you’re a political nerd like me then you may be interested in taking a free tour here.
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