5 Free or Cheap Arts & Culture Events This Week

It always seems as if September is the calm before the holiday storm. Once Halloween is knocking on the door, the rest of 2015 will fly by as a whirlwind of awkward visits with family and mountains of credit card bills from all that gift buying. The next couple of months are probably going to be crazy, which means that you should probably spend a little bit of time in the next couple of weeks enriching your brain before you spend the rest of the year filling it with football and shitty fall TV.

Fortunately, you won’t have to look too hard to find something to do that will actually flex your mind before the holiday brain drain. This week is packed with interesting stuff to do that won’t cost you a penny, so you can get your inner nerd (or artist, or musician) on without blowing those future credit card payments on pricey tickets.

The Dram Poets Society Open Mic
Tuesday, September 15
The Study at The Dram
Free
Whether you’re a seasoned poet or are new to rhyming, The Dram Poets Society is a great place to explore your love of both writing and reading poetry. Local poets and beginners alike will bring works of all kinds, including completed poems, monologues, and more experimental spoken word, in a non-judgmental, pressure-free performance environment. If you don’t have a favorite poem, plan to inspire the Society’s in-house poet with a topic of your choice and she will create a few lines that will surely move you.

King Lear
Wednesday, September 16
Samuell Grand Ampitheatre
$10
Nobody has ever written tragedies like Shakespeare, and King Lear is decidedly one of the most dramatic and tragic stories ever written. It might not be uplifting, but the story of Lear and his descent into madness seems sort of relevant as we approach the 2016 election cycle, especially when you consider the striking similarities between Lear and the chuckleheads in the GOP field, particularly Donald Trump.

Dallas Central Library Vinyl Sale
Thursday, September 17
Erik J. Jonsson Central Library
Free
Over the years, Dallas Public Library has continually maintained a vinyl record collection of nearly 40,000 albums of all kinds. Now, they’re looking to sell off part of their collection, and you could be the beneficiary of their meticulous care and cataloguing. Up to 6,000 albums — mostly classical — will be up for grabs, along with snacks, a DJ, and a cash bar. If you’ve ever wanted to drink booze in a library whilst grabbing up their records for $2 apiece, you’ve got to make it to this sale.

Fall Block Party
Friday, September 18
Dallas Arts District
Free
If you have yet to experience all that the Dallas Arts District has to offer, the Fall Block Party this Friday is your perfect entree. In addition to free tours of the District’s three museums, street music and dance performances, and movie screenings, Aurora will provide an exclusive look at their upcoming highly-anticipated immersive art project at sundown. Each museum will feature their own unique events, like a Korean tea service at the Crow Collection. In one night, you’ll be able to explore the best that the Dallas Arts District has to offer, all without spending a single red cent.

Park(ing) Day Dallas 2015
Friday, September 18
Downtown Dallas
Free
Downtown Dallas would look radically different with art filling up all those parking spaces, but that’s probably never going to happen — except for on PARK(ing) Day. On Friday, local businesses, citizens, and artists will transform metered parking spaces into miniature art installations and space for people to congregate. In addition to the art and community installations, two stages of live music and dance performances will be packed full of local talent. You’ll have to find a place to park or spring for an Uber, but you can otherwise enjoy a full day of Downtown Dallas in its most vibrant state ever for free.