I know it has been a long time again since I’ve posted and I apologize. Life has been flying by non-stop! As most of you know, P and I are planning a wedding for next March and it has taken up a huge chunk of our schedule. However, now that we have gotten most of the “big stuff” out of the way (venue, dress, catering, flowers, photographers), I can concentrate on the little things in life that make me happy: exploring Jupiter, amateur photography, cooking and baking, reading, blogging, walking, urban gardening, and spending time with my parents and Blue, the farm dog.
Which brings me to my BIG PLAN for summer! Because of the wedding, P and I have to budget our income, something that I did pretty well by myself but have been struggling with since P and I became engaged. We love spending money on groceries (correction: I love spending money on groceries), eating out (especially cocktails and dessert), and going to concerts, local events and festivals, and shopping (of course). So, P and I have declared Summer 2016 the Summer of FREEdom! We decided that we are only participating in activities that are free of charge in order to save money for our wedding and a future home.
Despite neglecting JUP Girl for the last six months, I thought to myself “What a great blogging concept! I’ll compile a list of free activities in the Jupiter/North Palm Beach County area for my readers! And, voila, blogging is free too!” To kick-start the Summer of FREEdom, below is a list of free events and activities that we either already enjoy doing or that we hope to do this summer. Stay tuned, because my goal is to finish one post each week, going live on Sunday evenings. I hope you enjoy and that you too will find some fun free and local things to do during the Summer of FREEdom!
Palm Beach County Library System – An untapped treasure trove of free information and activities! We often forget that some of the best free activities are right under our noses. Yesterday, I stopped by the Palm Beach Gardens Branch and checked out two books on a new topic of interest: urban gardening. And it was FREE! There is an upcoming lecture, “Gardening in Small Spaces,” sponsored by the Friends of the Palm Beach County Library System and, GUESS WHAT??? It’s also free! I might have to mosey on down to the Acreage Branch on Thursday, July 14th, at 6:30 p.m. and check it out.
The Beach – We cannot forget God’s free gift to Floridians! And, in northern Palm Beach County, we are blessed with free parking, which gives you no excuse not to enjoy the surf and sand. Seriously, why don’t we go to the beach more often?
Local Parks and Natural Areas – Not all parks have free admission but some of our favorite ones do. As you know from previous posts, P and I adore Riverbend Park in Jupiter Farms. We also like the Cypress Creek Natural Area and Frenchman’s Forest (Prosperity Farms Road). Some new parks we would like to visit are North Jupiter Flatwoods (off of Island Way), Juno Dunes (U.S. 1 in Juno Beach), and the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area (U.S. 1 and Beach Road in Tequesta).
Downtown at the Gardens Rock and Roll Summer Concert Series – If you like classic rock and are willing to sweat a little on a Friday night, Downtown at the Gardens has a FREE outdoor summer concert series featuring tribute bands for everyone from Bon Jovi and Fleetwood Mac to Led Zepplin and The Eagles. We’re planning to go see the Caribbean Chillers (aka Jimmy Buffet) this weekend. Parrot Heads Unite (for FREE!)
Historical Society of Palm Beach County – Admission to this museum in the refurbished 1916 Palm Beach County Courthouse is FREE! Their current exhibition, By Land and Sea: Florida in the Civil War, ends on July 2nd (bummer!) but the museum’s permanent exhibit on local history is available year-round.
Los Trompos on the West Palm Beach Waterfront – Part of the city’s Art in Public Places Program, Los Trompos in an interactive art installation along the Intracoastal Waterway. Visitors can take a spin on the giant spinning top toys created in the style of Mexican Folk Art by designers Hector Esrawe and Ignacio Cadena – just don’t get too dizzy!
Do you have any ideas for free and local summer fun? Post a comment below or drop me a line at NativeJUP@gmail.com. P and I would love your suggestions.
xo,
JUP Girl
JUP Girl 
Love your idea and I will be checking out many of the free venues you are posting. Having a family of 6 has to tought me over almost 3 decades that the best things in life are free. Here are some of my ideas for future posts :
Sunrises and sunsets everyday, both are free
Fireworks this weekend
Nighttime turtle watch on the beach with a group or as a Romantic date(rememeber red flashlights only)
Marine wildlife center in Juno to visit the turtles rehabilitating
Busch wildlife center in Jupiter. They even have bears and panthers. (Many of the animals from the palm beach zoo, but free and no crowds)
Libraries loan DVDs for up to 2 weeks for free. With kids I always have several to choose from for a fun family night
Cosco has free food samples while you shop. It is always fun to go especially at busy times, bc there are more food kiosks
Busier Publix have a complete dinner sampling each night around 5 for shoppers to get ideas for what to cook. Love getting a free appetizer dinner.
Snorkeling is free
Surfing is free (if you have the equipment )
Bike rides are free
Swimming is free
I’ll let you know if I come up with more ideas for your series.
I can’t wait for your next post JUP girl
Happy 4th🇺🇸🎉
Xo d
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Dawn, thanks so much for your suggestions! I actually did think of going to Costco because we all know how much P loves the free samples!! Have a great week! xo Emily
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