The Best Things in Life Are FREE

Free Hugs
Chances are, you’ve probably heard the old line, “the best things in life are free”, and you may have even heard it in one of the many different versions of the song with the same name. In fact, there are at least ten different versions of the song that was originally written by Lew Brown, Buddy DeSylva, and Ray Henderson for the musical Good News in 1927. Some of the well-known artists to cover the song with or without drastically altered lyrics include the Ink Spots, Dinah Shore, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Jo Stafford, Hank Mobley, Sam Cooke, Lou Donaldson, and Janet Jackson. As a result, there certainly hasn’t been a shortage of artists trying to convey the importance of the free things in life, but finding things that are free to enjoy can be a lot more challenging than it should be. It is, therefore, fortunate that there are a number of free activities in the Boston area this weekend that are sure to put a smile on your face without forcing you to touch your hard-earned cash.

First, if you are a Shakespeare fan, you may want to head over to the Fairbanks House in Dedham, MA this weekend. This is because the Fairbanks House is hosting the Dragonfly Theater’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at 5:00 P.M. tonight and tomorrow (June 26th and 27th, 2015) and at 2:00 P.M. on Sunday (June 28, 2015.) This production will allow you to see Shakespeare’s classic comedy about a group of ancient Greeks caught up in fairy mischief from the comfort of this historic house’s lawn. For more information on the Dragonfly Theater’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which is completely free and open to the public, please visit the Dragonfly Theater’s website.

Secondly, if you’re not really a Shakespeare fan or you would prefer wandering around an air-conditioned building to sitting on a lawn, there are a number of museums and historic locations offering free admission today. In fact, the MIT Museum in Cambridge, MA; the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, MA; Tanglewood and the Mount in Lenox, MA; the Worcester Art Museum in Worcester; and the Peabody Essex Museum and the House of the Seven Gables in Salem, MA are all offering free admission today as part of the Highland Street Foundation’s Free Fun Fridays. For more information on these locations and other locations that are offering free admission to everyone as part of the Highland Street Foundation’s Free Fun Fridays, please visit the Highland Street Foundation website.

Finally, if you’re looking for some free information on Norman Rockwell or any of the other artists that created the magnificent works of art that you may encounter at the museums above, you should definitely check out Artsy.net. In fact, Artsy will not only give you the opportunity to read biographies and articles on over 50,000 artists but will also give you the opportunity to see some of the amazing works of art that these artists have created.

Photo credit: Street matt / Foter / CC BY