Like most broke college students, I often ask myself the same question over and over. Why do awesome things like concerts, movies and sports games have to cost money?
Still, living on a weekend entertainment budget of approximately nothing does not always have to be boring. There are plenty of free or cheap things to do around Boston.
And for those looking for something far off the beaten path, free fun can still be found. There are two organizations in Boston centered around off-beat and free events that bring quirky and fun-loving people of all ages together.
Banditos Misteriosos
At 2:59 pm, on April 2, 2011, a large queue of folks old and young, some costumed, others clad normally, gathered at Cambridge Common. The point of the assembly seemed unclear, until one minute later, when a signal sounded– and the feathers flew. Such was the commencement of the Boston edition of World Pillow Fight Day.
The event was hosted by Banditos Misteriosos, a group which, according to its website, has “the goal of getting Bostonians participating in ways just a little out of the ordinary, while all the meanwhile utilizing the city’s great public spaces.” This includes annual pillow fights, the occasional water gun battle, scavenger hunt or live choose-your-own-adventure game.
The Banditos’ events are all free and thus draw a large college-aged crowd. The April 2 pillowfight event had representation from Harvard, Suffolk, Boston College, Northeastern, Boston University, and more.
Their next event will be this summer. The exact date is to be announced, but it will include a giant puzzle.
The Boston Society of Spontaneity
On the Saturday following the pillow fight, the Boston Society of Spontaneity had plans of its own—namely, having several of its members dress up as butlers and provide first-class service to the riders of the Red Line.
Elevating the quality of a ten-minute T ride is just a small part of what Boston SOS is about.
“Our only real mission is to have fun. Plain and simple. Pure, unadulterated fun,” James Cobalt, Boston SOS executive director, told the Quad on Wednesday. “Our version of fun usually involves keeping strangers on their toes with unusual surprise events like flash mobs and harmless pranks, but we also like to mix it up with things like guerrilla gardening, urban adventures, and street art.”
Anyone can participate in Boston SOS events, whether they be Monty Python-style “silly walks” in the Prudential Center, or the classic No Pants Subway Ride.
Boston SOS gets a lot of support from Boston’s especially large student population, but it has some unexpected supporters, as well. “I think college students especially are more willing to try something different, but we get really young kids and grandparents too- and lately a growing number of 30-somethings,” Cobalt said.
Boston SOS’s next event is this Monday morning at 12:00am. It will include a midnight bike ride the entire length of the Boston Marathon, before the race starts.
These two organizations prove it– fun doesn’t have to cost a thing.
