Cheap, Outside Fun

Hope everybody had a nice, relaxing holiday weekend. I spent mine going to the O's game Friday night and catching up with family (and waaaay too much chocolate) yesterday.

But I wanted to let you guys in on a very cheap, easy way to enjoy an afternoon or evening outside. My roommate's birthday was this weekend and, for the occasion, she rented a pavilion in Patterson Park. By contacting the city and paying $135, she was able to secure the pavilion for eight hours, have grills and alcoholic beverages on-site, and have as many as 250 guests attend. When Saturday afternoon turned warm and sunny, we were able to spend the remainder of the evening enjoying the nice weather, a great alternative to a house party in the spring and summer months. And, when you think about it, pretty cheap. If you get about a dozen friends together and pitch in $10 each, that's a whole day of having your own little spot in one of Baltimore's beautiful parks.

Of course there are a couple of rules. Such as, you have to be 21 years old to apply (which I should hope most of my readers are) and give the city 30 days advance before the requested date. And, obviously, you need to clean up after yourself. Not a bad deal all in all.

To apply for a permit in one of the city's many parks (Patterson, Druid Hill, Wyman, Robert E. Lee, Carroll, Riverside, etc) visit their permits website, apply, and have a blast!

[Image: courtesy of 600block.com]