Cheap and Free Events in Dallas This Week

Full Moon Ride Through the River 
Belo Garden Park
1014 Main St.
7:30 p.m. Monday
Free
During the summer, it’s easy to stay indoors, crank down the air conditioner and binge on Netflix until your eyes bleed. After all, temperatures around here reach egg-scrambling numbers. But occasionally there’s a good enough excuse to throw on sneakers and venture to the great outdoors. The Full Moon Ride Through the River offers the chance to ride alongside the Trinity River during the less-than-scorching time of the day. Beginning at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 7, at Belo Garden Park, 1014 Main St., load up your water and bike the 12-mile paved trail at this easy social ride ending at around 10 p.m. at BuzzBrews Kitchen Victory Park. The ride and the fresh air cost nothing. For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page. — Diamond Victoria

Scarface Screening
Magnolia Theatre
3699 McKinney Ave.
7:30 and 10:35 p.m. Tuesday
$8.50-$11
Sure, summers these days are great for movies packed with computer-generated imagery, sexy stars and long box office lines. It’s a multimillion dollar time of year for an industry bursting at its seams with over-the-top, action-packed thrillers and science fiction fantasies. But long before we experienced Guardians of the Galaxy or Transformers, movie production was much simpler. And Magnolia Theatre, 3699 McKinney Ave., thinks its Tuesday nights should be dedicated to these movie classics that cement cinema as one of the most important and influential art forms of modern history. At 7:30 and 10:35 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 8, catch the 1983 crime film Scarface as part of the theater’s weekly Big Movie series. Directed by Brian De Palma and written by Oliver Stone, Scarface is the American Institute of Film’s No. 10 gangster film. Tickets range from $8.50 to $11 and can be purchased at the box office or online at landmarktheatres.com. — Diamond Victoria

Pour Yourself Into History
Granada Theater
3524 Greenville Ave.
6 p.m. Tuesday
Free
History classes always seemed to be the hardest in college because, for some reason, the teacher never allowed the students to drink alcohol during the lesson. There’s no better way to make an important lesson sink in than taking a shot right after you learn it. The Dallas Historical Society knows the importance of alcohol in obtaining knowledge, and that’s why it’s hosting Pour Yourself Into History lessons with Dallas Hotel Magazine at the Granada Theater, 3524 Greenville Ave. Each event features a special history talk from a noted subject, copious amounts of happy hour drinks, and lively discussions fueled by the magic and majesty of alcohol. The next Pour Yourself Into History lesson starts at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 8. Attendance is free. Visit eventbrite.com to register.  — Danny Gallagher

Memphis Street Collective
4827 Memphis St.
6-9 p.m. Thursday
Free
Here in Dallas, we’ve got our markets down. We love them and champion them. But the inaugural Memphis Street Collective from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 10, at 4827 Memphis St. (in the parking lot of presenters and hosts HowDo and Greenlight), is a little different. Yes, it’s set up like a marketplace, and yes, there will be food (Café Momentum) and drink (Peticolas Brewing Co. and Texas Wildflower Vodka), but the rest of the vendors aren’t just selling wares. They’re hawking inspiration via live demonstrations and creativity showcases. Join Cactus Makes Perfect, Your House or Mine, The Wild Gem, Knot So Cookie and others for a marketplace experience like no other. The collective is free to attend, but bring cash and cards for purchases. Visit eventbrite.com to RSVP. — Merritt Martin

Kendra Greene
Wild Detectives
314 W. 8th St.
7:30-9 p.m. Thursday
Free
Kendra Greene is a small-talker’s dream come true, a woman whose response to “So, what do you do?” yields stories about an Icelandic phallological museum, bottle feeding baby boars and creating a costume for a model of an Ice Age giant ground sloth. Her writing evokes that feeling of having stumbled onto the Most Interesting Person Ever at a party, giving readers a sense of disbelief that the stories underlying her long-form essays are real. Her latest, Vagrants and Uncommon Visitors, which she’ll discuss from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 10, at the Wild Detectives, 314 W. Eighth St., is the third in a series that explores quirky Icelandic museums. This time, she enlists the help of illustrator Fowzia Karimi to expose the wonders of Sigurgeirs Bird Museum, which sits on the stunning Lake Mývatn in Northeast Iceland. Once a private collection of beautifully taxidermied birds, the museum took shape as a tribute to bird lover Sigurgeir Stefannson, who died in an accident. It’s now a nearly comprehensive collection of specimens native to Iceland and a touching memorial to a lost son. Greene’s lyrical work layers themes of grief, preservation, history and nature for a breathtaking literary experience that will give you conversation starters for life. Admission is free. — Jennifer Davis-Lamm

SLC Punk! Screening and Concert
Texas Theatre
231 W. Jefferson Blvd.
8:30 p.m. Friday
$8-$16
Set in Salt Lake City in 1985, SLC Punk! follows two punks, Stevo and “Heroin” Bob, as they navigate the various subcultures and scenes in a city erroneously billed in the film’s trailer as “the most conservative city in America.” Other than the well-chosen soundtrack of punk rock gems, the 1998 film written and directed by James Merendino is perhaps most memorable for Matthew Lillard’s performance as Stevo — both his on-camera delivery and his narration of the film create an unforgettable character encountering pitfalls and contradictions after adopting his belief in anarchism. Catch a 35mm screening at 8:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 11, at Texas Theatre, 231 W. Jefferson Blvd. A “Behind the Screen” concert follows the film at 10:30 p.m. The punk rock after-party features, Sub-Sahara, Loafers and Thyroids, three local acts influenced by punk and garage rock. Tickets for the film are $10, and tickets to the concert are $8, with a bundle price of $16 for both. For more information, visit thetexastheatre.com. — Daniel Rodrigue

Dallas Black Film Festival
Act of Change Institute of Cultural Arts
3200 S. Lancaster Road, Suite 623
Friday-Sunday
$10-$25
Film can transport audiences to places they can only imagine. It can open their minds to new ideas and perspectives. Film festivals help celebrate this medium by uniting communities. The annual Dallas Black Film Festival has been doing that for the last 14 years and will return with another slate of entertaining, awe-inspiring and thought-provoking movies starting Friday, Aug. 11. The festival kicks off with a retrospective of the important contributions African-American filmmakers have made to film with its theme of black music in film. It will host a series of screenings through Sunday, Aug. 13, from both mainstream movies and independent cinema, as well as a number of events that celebrate the rich legacy of African-American films. The festival will be at the The Act of Change Institute of Cultural Arts, 3200 S. Lancaster Road, Suite 623. Visit dallasblackfilmfestivals.com for showtimes and ticket ($10/$25) information. — Danny Gallagher

Rock the Block
Main Street at Second Avenue
6-10 p.m. Saturday
Free
Deep Ellum is a cyclical creature with highs and lows of growth and creativity. If weekend night parking availability is any indication, it’s on a high right now. Artist collective and foundation Chosen Musicians is celebrating the neighborhood with a Rock the Block party from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday at Main Street and Second Avenue. Rock the Block aims to showcase Deep Ellum’s diversity and community of visionaries with live entertainment and music (DJs included), a selection of vendors and, of course, food trucks. Admission is free, but bring cash for drinks, bites and band merch. Search the event on Facebook for details on how to become a vendor or to inquire about performance openings. — Merritt Martin

The Boho Market
Dallas Farmers Market
1010 S. Pearl St.
10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday
Free
The Boho Market at the Dallas Farmers Market, 1010 S. Pearl St., will pop back up for its final summer appearance from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 12. The market brings together local artisans, artists, trinket-makers, crafters and designers for a multistop shop near all of the other locally sourced goods at Dallas Farmers Market. Browse stalls stocked with affordable and one-of-a-kind jewelry, clothing, soaps and apothecary items, pet wares, treats and vintage goods. Admission and parking are free. Find more information at the event page on Facebook or at thebohomarket.com. — Jennifer Davis-Lamm