First Thursdays

Today is Thursday - most of you are aware of this. But most of you probably like Thursday because a) it's the day before Friday or b) because there's awesome TV on. However, I like Thursday because many cities offer FREE things to do on Thursdays.

First Thursday is a FREE art and culture event that many cities have to raise citizens' awareness of the arts in their communities. I did a quick search and found events happening in Santa Barbara to Portland to Boise to Austin. They happen in many cities across the U.S. and take different forms. Some cities do a gallery in a public place, some people bring in live music, some cities offer free admission to art museums. If you're interested in a free event that exposes you to new cultural things, I'd recommend doing a little research.

Here in Western Washington, lots of great things happen on First Thursdays! In Seattle, Pioneer Square hosts a free art walk, and there's free admission to great museums: the Experience Music Project, Seattle Art Museum, Seattle Asian Art Museum and the Science Fiction Museum. In Tacoma, they have THIRD Thursday events, like free admission to the Museum of Glass and Tacoma Art Museum.

Here's to free access to art and culture (at least once a month)!