Free Admission to the AGO - FREE!

This is an amazing deal, no strings attached. You get free admission to the Art Gallery of Ontario, to be used any time up until January 18th, 2009. Regular price admission is $18 so this a great find. And with the AGO transformation designed by Frank Gehry, it's a whole new experience.

Here's what you have to do: text message WHOA to AGOAGO (246246) from your cell phone. They'll text you back one free admission. Keep the text message and show it to get in for free.

Here's more details.

Toronto's 2nd Annual Nuit Blanche September 29th 2007

Anyone who made it out to last year's (Scotiabank) Nuit Blanche knows it tops the charts for free fun in Toronto. Get a crowd of friends together and come downtown to explore all sorts of interesting and creative events across the city. It's FREE. And it's all night long. The even starts at sunset, 7:03 p.m. on September 29th.

TIPS: Have a nap in the afternoon. No really. Bring lots of water and some snacks - even though art galleries and games and all sorts of other crazy places are open it's not that easy to find refreshments. The line for Tim Horton's was an event in itself. Also, bring an umbrella. Being cold and wet and walking through the fog at 4 a.m. will make a great story, but other than that it's just how it sounds. Cold and wet.

Check out all the details along with maps and a handy Nuit Blanche Survival Guide here.

WinterCity Fest: Wild On Winter WOW! Series at Nathan Phillips Square

As part of the two-week WinterCity Festival, there is an amazing free (yes, free!) concert and entertainment series going on at Nathan Phillips Square. The Wild On Winter concert series includes some great bands including Sloan, The New Pornographers, and The Philosopher Kings.

Concert Days: January 26th, 27th, and 28th, and February 2nd, 3rd, and 4th.

While various bands and local talent will appearing throughout the day, here are some highlights:

January 26th: The Philosopher Kings @ 8:00 P.M.
January 27th: Sloan @ 8:00 P.M.
February 2nd: Mobile @ 8:00 P.M.
February 3rd: The New Pornographers @ 8:00 P.M.

Here's the full line-up for the Wild On Winter series.

Before the concerts you can catch some free theatre as Italy's Kitonb Extreme Theatre Company presents the North American Premiere of "Carillon -- The Flight of Time". With a show that features dance, acrobatics, light displays, and an aerial performance that takes place 20 metres above the audience, this one is sure to be an unforgettable experience.

Carillon can be seen January 26th & 27th, and February 2nd and 3rd at 7:00 P.M.

Also at Nathan Phillips Square, The American Express Ice Gallery presents Gordon Halloran's Paintings Below Zero, featuring an installation of colourful and abstract paintings in ice. The ice rink itself will become a giant piece of art, so this one promises to be a unique experience -- how often do you get to skate on a painting?

The Ice Gallery Hours:

January 26 - February 4, 2007
Monday to Friday: 5 - 10 pm
Saturdays: noon - 10 pm
Sundays: noon - 6 pm

Don't forget, all of this is FREE, so take full advantage of WinterCity and enjoy the best that T.O. has to offer, including Winterlicious and the Warm-Up Series with discounts and coupons for attractions and events going on across Toronto.

Play On and Play Encore Programs at Stratford Festival

Since I've done a post on Shaw Festival, it's only fair that I follow up with one on Stratford. The 2006 season for Stratford Festival closes on November 12th, and there are some great savings available for the 18-34 crowd. Stratford has two special discount programs. Play On offers $20 tickets for people ages 18-29. Play Encore offers tickets up to 50% off for ages 30-34.

To take advantage of this program, you have to register online and pick up your membership card at a participating Bank of Montreal location. Membership is free.

The $20 discount tickets for Play On are available for specific showtimes only, and applicable performances will be shown online approximately two weeks in advance. One of the good things about these discount programs is that each member can buy two tickets, so that means you can bring someone else along of any age and still get the discounted ticket price.

Read more about the Play On and Play Encore discount tickets or buy tickets at the Stratford Festival site.

Categories: Theatre, Cheap, Tickets, Day-Trips, Culture

$30 Under 30 Tickets at Shaw Festival

The 2006 season at Shaw Festival is slowly winding down to a close and the Fall colours are still vibrant, so now is the perfect time to head out on a day trip to Niagara-on-the-Lake. The season runs through to November 19th, so there are still lots of opportunities to see some of the best theatre in the area.

Here are the plays that are still available: The Invisible Man, High Society, Arms and The Man, and Design for Living.

One of my favourite things about Shaw is that they have deals for people under the age of 30. None of this stuff where only students and seniors get a break. Shaw has a $30 under 30 program where you can get tickets to basically any show for $30, and that even includes evening and weekend performances. The only exception is you can't get A+ seating, which seems more than fair to me.

Buy Shaw tickets online here.

To round out your day trip, you may want to visit some of the many wineries in the area. Most are open for tours and tastings year-round, but you can confirm hours and tour times here.

Categories: Day-trips, Theatre, Culture, Cheap, Tickets