5 Free & Cheap Culture Events This Week

Fall is finally freaking arriving, y’all. The weather will (soon) turn crisp, the pumpkins will invade everything up to and including your coffee, and perhaps most importantly, you’ll have plenty of weekend time because football is boring and there are much more interesting things to be doing in Dallas.

This week, you can get out of the house and get your mind off the Dallas Cowboys’ terrible sans-Romo prospects without spending much (or any) of your hard-earned cash at all. Try these five free (or cheap) culture events — unlike the Cowboys, they won’t let you down.

Banned Poetry
Monday, September 21
The Wild Detectives
Free

Throughout the ages, conservative fun-killers have been banning literature for various reasons. In this reading of banned poetry from writers like Allen Ginsberg, Roald Dahl, and Gwendolyn Brooks (among others), you’ll likely get a good sense of why — revolutionary ideas aren’t particularly popular among those who are perfectly satisfied with the status quo. Once you’ve finished with the live readings, you can seek out the books that contain these frequently-banned books for a crash course in the subversive.

Pegasus Reading Series: R. Flowers Rivera, Richard Bailey, Bess Whitby & Horace Bray
Wednesday, Sept 23
Kettle Art
Free

The Pegasus Reading Series hopes to bring together the writing and music communities along with showcasing the best of both worlds. At this reading at Kettle Art, R. Flowers Rivera, poetry professor at UT-Dallas and author of the award-winning Heathen will join fellow poets Bess Whitby and Richard Bailey, along with guitarist Richard Bray, for readings, music, and conversation. Past iterations of the Pegasus Reading Series have brought some intellectual heavy-hitters together, and this week’s event is no exception.

2015 Greek Food Festival of Dallas
Friday, September 25
13555 Hillcrest Rd
$6

The best kind of festival is a food festival, and you’re going to need to prepare yourself for the State Fair once the crowds have thinned. The best way to stretch your stomach and competitive eating skills is at the annual Greek Food Festival of Dallas, where you can gorge yourself on gyros, baklava, and beer, all while taking in music and dance, cooking demonstrations, and shopping a Greek market. Bring a tote bag for all your finds, and plenty of room in your stomach. It’s going to get real.

Dog Days of Denton
Saturday, September 26
North Texas Fairgrounds
Free

For the last 22 years, Dog Days of Denton has been the best place in Dallas-Fort Worth to celebrate your favorite furry friend. Take your scruffy little bro to the North Texas Fairgrounds for a chance to run on the agility course, hang out with dozens of other dogs, and shop for a sweet new collar. You can also have a “Glamfur” shot taken of your precious pooch, with all proceeds going to benefit dog-related charities.

DADA Fall Gallery Walk
Saturday, September 26
Dallas
Free

Every year, the Dallas Art Dealers Association hosts the DADA Fall Gallery Walk, during which more than 30 galleries and art spaces will open their doors to the public for free tours. There is no real starting point here — only this map that will serve as your guide to participating galleries. (http://dallasartdealers.org/dada-presents-fall-gallery-walk-september-26-2015/) You can drive all over Dallas and complete the whole map, or stick to spots close to your neighborhood. Either way, you’ll be able to put your finger on the pulse of the arts scene without spending a single dollar.