How to Stay Cool All Weekend for Less than $20

It’s hot as hell, so here’s a guide to surviving the dog days this weekend (it’s supposed to cool off Sunday, but we planned just in case…) without breaking the bank.

Friday:

-Head over to the Whitney after work–it’s pay what you wish from 6-9pm. Or, if you get off early, go to the MoMA : tickets are free from 4-8pm every Friday. Film screenings are included, for all you Brazilian cinema fans.

– Be ready to dance at the Bell House’s Happy House event this evening at 10pm. Cool off to New Wave, French House, Disco, and Dance Punk. Awesome DJ sets, awesome air conditioning, no cover…

Saturday

–The Jewish Museum is free from 11:00-5:45, making it the perfect place to recover from the previous evening’s activities without breaking the bank. They have an amazing exhibition on lend from the Baltimore Museum of Art’s Cone Collection at the moment, so you’ll be seeing works by Matisse, Picasso, Gauguin, Renoir, and van Gogh without paying a dime.

-All of that culture and museum hoping made you thirsty? Fort Greene’s Thirst Wine Merchants hosts a free wine tasting from 3-5 PM on Saturdays.

-We could celebrate Paul Newman every day of the week, and fortunately the Museum of the Moving Image does too: they’re hosting a retrospective of his greatest films until Aug. 7th. Come marvel at the man who gave us Brick Politt and Eddie Felson with a double feature of two of his greatest films: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid at 4pm and The Sting at 7. Paul Newman looks sexy as ever in both of them, and admission is just the $10 museum entrance fee.

-Stay in the neighborhood for a late dinner and then head to Brooklyn Bowl for a DJ set by the always amazing RAC (Remix Artist Collective). The doors open at 11:30, the show starts at 11:55, and cover is just $5 in advance ($7 at the door)

Sunday:

-Yeah, we know it was a long night, but there’s nothing to cure a hangover like sunshine, and you’ve been beating the heat by staying indoors all weekend long. Try a different strategy by visiting the pool(s) at Riverbank State Park. The entrance fee is a measly $3, and they have both indoor and outdoor options, depending on just how hot the day turns out to be. If the heat wave sticks around Sunday, opt for roller skating in the indoor rink after swimming; if it has cooled off (fingers crossed!) head out to the tennis courts.