{As seen on Fox28′s Good Day Columbus}
This week’s cheap & creative date is…

Gyros + Bowling!

What: Fun, affordable bowling alley + family-owned authentic Greek food
Where: North Columbus – TCL – 5860 Roche Drive & YGG – 6196 Cleveland Avenue
When: TCL- Sunday-Thursday 9p-12a = specials! YGG – M-Th 11a-9p, F 11a-10p, Sa 12p-10p, closed Sunday
website - CapriBowling.com

Top reasons why this $20Date is awesome: 

• Mondays-Thursdays, 9p-12a = 90′s at 9:00! “Bowl at 1990 prices” $2/game, $3 shoe rental
• Mondays-Thursdays, 9p-12a ALSO = College ID nights! $8 gets you 2 games, shoes, slice of pizza & a beer! What?!
• Fridays & Saturdays = Rock ‘n  Bowl! 10p-2a, $3/game, $3 shoe rental
• Yanni’s is delicious! And family owned & operated with authentic yummy food. Making this local establish and must-try! {alas, I did not have my camera at Yanni’s…no pictures of delicious greek food}

Total: $10 to bowl for 2 (which includes 1 game & shoe rental) + 2 Small Gyros $3.95 each = $20 with tax!

Not to brag, but I won;)

Happy Dating,

PocketBook Jess

This week’s cheap & creative date is…

at the Scioto Mile!

What: Downtown Date – Scioto Mile + Milestone 229 {+live music if you go this weekend!}
Where: 229 S. Civic Center Drive {Milestone}
When: M-Th 11a-10p, F-Sa 11a-11p
Happy Hour: M-F 4p-6p – $4 Drafts, $5 Signature Cocktails, $6 Appetizers
website -milestone229.com & sciotomile.com

I absolutely love that this Downtown area has flourished over the last couple of years — thank you Mayor Coleman! The Scioto Mile winds around the Scioto River (starting at Broad Street) & with a beautiful new path and swinging benches, this is the perfect place to watch the sunset. Rob & I started our night at Milestone 229, a swanky restaurant on the Scioto Mile path, enjoyed their happy hour, and finished our evening with a stroll down the path. **ALSO** This weekend, the 28th & the 29th is WaterFire Columbus {and the Riverfront Arts Festival} making this a double-part $20Date! 7:30 live music begins, 8:30 fires are lit! Free!

Top reasons why this $20Date is awesome:

• Milestone 229′s food was delicious and their signature drinks are unique and artistically made.
• Our service was wonderful! Happy Hour is only available at the bar, but they have one inside AND one outside on their large patio.
• Milestone 229 normally has menu prices that wouldn’t fit the $20Date bill — but Happy Hour makes this possible!
• The place is popular {as it should be!} but during Happy Hour, you don’t have to wait! Worth. It.
• Meters are easy to fine around the Scioto Mile area.
• There is a sweet fountain right outside the restaurant that makes me want to be a little kid again! And yes, we did run through it;) <–you can spend a lot of time just hanging out by these cool fountains!
• Even though I already love Columbus, the newly revamped Scioto Mile makes me truly love my city even more. It’s such a neat Downtown treasure!

Total {the 1st time} = $6 Skillet Mac-n-Cheese + $6 Four Snacks + tax/tip = $20

Total {the 2nd time} = $6 Margherita Pie (big enough to share!) + $4 local brew + $5 Blueberry Hill specialty drink + tax/tip = $20

Happy Dating,

PocketBook Jess

Looking for a fun $20SummerDate? Check out my recent guest post at the awesome Columbus on the Cheap! Columbus on the Cheap is home to many, many, MANY great affordable or free events going on through Columbus–I subscribe to Val’s emails and so should you!

Check out my post HERE!

Happy Summer Dating,

PocketBook Jess

This week’s cheap & creative $20Date is…
{as featured on Fox 28 Good Day Columbus last Friday! }

Putt Putt + Ice Cream!

What: Westerville Mini Golf & Batting Cages + Knight’s Ice Cream
Where: Westerville – 450 W. Schrock Road & 596 Cleveland Avenue -  2 minutes drive between each!
Hours:  Knights – 11:30a-9:30p Su-Th , 11:30a-10:30p F-Sa. Mini Golf – 9a-10p everyday!
WestervilleMiniGolf.com & Knight’sIceCream.com

Rob & I love going to the Westerville Mini Golf & Batting Cages—you feel like a kid again AND this could potentially be multiple $20Dates! Date #1 (featured here) = Round of mini golf [$6/adult] + ice cream. Date #2 = Batting Cages [$5 for 6 tokens] + ice cream. Date #3 = Westerville Golf Center (in the same parking lot) small bucket of golf balls [$5] for the driving range (they have clubs you can use there)+ ice cream! They all involve ice cream of course!

After we did a round of putt putt, we drove down the road for Westerville’s local Knight’s Ice Cream! A fun, laid back summer $20Date complete with delicious ice cream. This date also gives you a lot of talking opportunities, but while doing an activity, so perfect for the 1^st or 100^th date. Rob won last time, but we will be back so I can challenge him for a re-match.

Total: $6/adult + two $4 cups of ice cream = $20!

Kisses:
*Mini Golf + Batting Cages are fun & you don’t have to be an athlete to enjoy yourself
*Knight’s Homemade ice cream is affordable & worth every penny
*Many choices for this summer date—we’ve already been there 3 times this summer!
*They have daily deals as well, which makes for group dates, friend dates, or family dates very affordable

Misses:
*They’re only open during the summer! (for good reason, I know;))

Happy Dating,

PocketBook Jess

Hi!  I’m Val from Columbus on the Cheap, where I blog about free and cheap things around our great city of Columbus.  I’m a big fan of $20 Dates and love how Jess gives all of the details on how recreate their cheap dates!

Looking for some cheap dates this weekend? Here are some suggestions, or check out the Full Event Calendar at Columbus on the Cheap for more ideas!

Thursday:

Enjoy the FREE monthly Wex Drive-In Outdoor Film Screening of The Royal Tenenbaums at dusk at the Wexner Center Plaza at 15th Avenue and High Street.  Bring some snacks, a blanket, and chairs.  There will be beverages for purchase, as well as a food cart and popcorn, or stop into a happy hour on campus on your way.  Anyone have a favorite campus-area happy hour?

Friday:

Hockey Fans won’t want to miss the FREE 2012 NHL Entry Draft Party and Open House at Nationwide Arena on Friday, beginning at 6 p.m.  There will be free parking in the arena garage, and the first 500 people get a free t-shirt.  They will have food and beverage specials, or you can stop into 343 Front Street or one of the many area bars for happy hour.  There are a lot of events downtown on Friday (Draft Party, Comfest, Clippers game, Popcorn w/the Pops), so traffic will be heavy.

If downtown driving sounds like a nightmare, check out one of the wine tastings at Whole Foods Dublin ($5), Kingsdale Giant Eagle ($6), or Meza in Westerville ($1 each).  It’s also 4^th Friday in Westerville, so you can walk around the festival before or after your wine tasting.

Saturday:

It’s going to be hot and possibly rainy – which is perfect for some air conditioning and movies!  Capa Summer Movie Series is showing Cartoon Capers at 10 a.m. and Hello, Dolly! with Babs at 7:30 p.m.  – tickets are just $4 for each!  From Book to Film at Gateway Film Center will feature Peter Pan at 1:30 – admission is free with a Columbus Metropolitan Library Card.  Feeling crafty?  They’ll be making Mason Jar Planters for Crafternoons at OSU Urban Arts Space at 1 p.m. (rsvp required).  Other options include Comfest, Easton Art Affair, and Columbus Clippers game (see below).

Sunday:

It’s gonna be a hot one again, but you can stay cool with FREE admission to the Columbus Museum of Art.  Head up to Earthfare for lunch between 12-3 p.m. for Burgers for Bucks, and enjoy $2 grilled burgers or veggie burgers (additional sides $1).  If you can brave the heat that evening, Captain Morgan & the Pep Boys will be performing at Worthington Concerts on the Green at 7 p.m. or pack a picnic and check out the last FREE outdoor performance of Robin Hood by the Actors’ Theatre at German Village’s Schiller Park at 8 p.m. (performances are also on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday).

All Weekend – pick your day!

ComFest and Easton Art Affair will be going on Friday – Sunday….two VERY different festivals, but both with free admission.

If you’re heading to ComFest, you can bring coolers with food and drink (no alcohol!).  Beverage tokens are available for purchase.  This festival is great for some SERIOUS people watching and good music.  Don’t forget a blanket or chairs!

Columbus Clippers are in town hosting Lehigh Valley Ironpigs on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday – check out the promotions going on for each day.  Tickets start at $6 and you can bring in small bags or backpacks with food and beverage in plastic bottles (no alcohol).

Splurge Date of the Weekend (NOT a $20 date, but still worth it!)

Celebrating something special or have a bit of extra dough in your pockets?  Get tickets for Picnic with the Pops, featuring Idina Menzel (the original broadway Elphaba from Wicked and currently on Glee) at the Columbus Commons on Saturday night.  Tickets are $20 at Kroger ($23 at the gate), but you can pack a picnic and cooler (including booze), so there won’t be any additional expenses other than parking.

Don’t forget, there’s lots more going on this weekend listed on my event calendar.  Follow me on Twitter or Like me on Facebook for regular updates!

Thanks for letting me guest post Jess!  I can’t wait to read about your next $20 Date!

Thank YOU Val! Check out her site, ColumbusOnTheCheap.com for all things awesome & affordable in Cbus!