Fun, Free Things to Do in Greensboro, North Carolina

Summer's here, and the living may be easy, but vacation plans in the current economy might be a little tougher for most people. More and more people are choosing a "stay-cation" that keeps them closer to home, not only saving money on travel and lodging, but also cutting down on hotel-room insomnia, backseat territorial squabbles and cries of "Are we there yet?", not to mention saving the planet from all the greenhouse gases our peregrinations normally produce.

But what if your activity budget is as limited as your travel budget? Take heart, Greensboro residents (and out-of-towners sleeping on their couches): There is much to see and do in Greensboro that won't cost a penny.

Things to Look at: Greensboro has a thriving art community, which results in a good number of galleries as well as public art pieces, most of which are concentrated in the downtown area. There is a nice mural at South Elm and Washington Streets, as well as a number of sculptural pieces in various outside locations as you stroll about. South Elm Street is also a hot spot for art galleries, including Ambleside Fine Arts (528 S. Elm), Artmongerz (610 S. Elm), Emmett Williams Gallery (Old Greensborough Gateway Center, 620 S. Elm), Emmett Studio (1009 S.Elm), Heart of Living Home Gallery (320 S. Elm), Metamorphosis Interior Design and Fine Art (524 S. Elm), South Elm Pottery and Gallery (500 S. Elm), and Yew Tree Gallery (604 S. Elm). Elsewhere Artist Collaborative (606 S. Elm) is not technically a gallery but a presentation space for ever-changing displays of visual and performance art; there is no charge, and the artists like it when people come to see what's up.

Just a few blocks from South Elm Street is the Greensboro Cultural Center at 200 N. Davie St, which houses the Center for Visual Arts, the Green Hill Center for North Carolina Art, and the Guilford Native American Art Gallery. The Green Hill Center hosts ArtQuest, a fun, interactive spot in which your kids can create art of various types. A donation is suggested to help them cover supplies, but the amount is up to you. If you have a car and just can't get enough art, Guilford College, A& T University and University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) all have very nice art galleries.

There is even a free museum in Greensboro! The Greensboro Historical Museum is located at the corner of Summit Avenue and Lindsey Street, close by the Greensboro Cultural Center (above) and the Greensboro Public Library (entrance on Summit Ave.) The historical museum is open Tues-Sat, 10a-5p and Sun 2-5p. The public library, which has a small art gallery, a cool children's section and internet access (you need a library card to use the computers, but ask a librarian for a temporary passcode if you are just visiting), is open Mon-Thurs 9a-9p, Fri-Sat 9a-6p, and Sun 2-4p

Places to Play: There are several public parks in Greensboro with free admission. If you are touring the arts district downtown, make sure to stop by City Park on North Elm Street (on your way from the galleries of South Elm to the Cultural Center

Other public parks include Country Park, with entrances off of Lawndale Drive and Pisgah Church Road, Battleground Park, entrance off of Old Battleground, which connects Country Park and Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, scene of the historic Battle of Guilford Courthouse (we're talking Revolutionary War, here, not Civil War), at 2332 New Garden Road, which provide walking and biking trails and historical information (the most kid-friendly of these three is Country Park, which has a beautiful lake with ducks and geese to feed, and a large play area.

Another good park for kids is Lindley Park, off Wendover Avenue at West Market Street, which has picnic and play facilities, a basketball court and the Greensboro Arboretum, a beautifully-landscaped 17 acres that features over 2,500 ornamental trees, shrubs and other plants native to the Piedmont.

Events: There are tons of free activities in Greensboro sponsored by local clubs: Good Ole Volks VW owners and enthusiasts, gather every Thursday at 6:30p at Herbie's Place, a local VW-friendly restaurant on Battleground Ave near Westridge Rd; Carolina Dog-Training Club meets Thursdays 8-9p at the Lewis Recreation Center (at Country Park, above), the Mystery Book Club, Fiction Book Club and other book-discussion groups meet regularly at the Kathleen Clay Edwards Family branch of the Greensboro Public Library at Price Park off of Hobbs Road between Jefferson and New Garden Road, and all branches of the library regularly host storytelling, presentations and other entertaining activities for kids and adults alike-for more information and schedule of events, go to the library website.

There are new events-everything from free concerts and movies to arts and crafts shows and demonstrations-occurring all the time in Greensboro, and a good source for schedules and locations is www.gotriad.com.

It is amazing how much free stuff is available in your community, once you start looking. Now if you will excuse me, I think I am going to run out and take advantage of some of it!