The jazz concert series at Bradley Fair has always been one of my favorite cheap date ideas. The concerts are held every Thursday from June 4 to July 2, with a fireworks finale on the final concert of the season. The music starts at 7:30 pm, but I recommend getting there a little earlier as the concerts tend to draw a crowd.

This year's line up includes a couple of saxophonists (Grady Nichols 6/4 and Joseph Vincelli 7/2), a bluesy-jazz guitarist (Joyce Cooling 6/11), a dance band (Blue Eyed Soul 6/18) and an eight-piece ensemble (Mingo Fishtrap 6/25).

Check out Denise Neil's article in the Wichita Eagle or Bradleyfair.com for more information.

Labels: concert, jazz, outdoor, summer

Here's a couple of cheap date ideas that are sure to impress your date. One week you can get to know each other by enjoying some jazz music at Bradley Fair (the summer concert series is back; you can click here for a printable schedule). The following week, take him or her to cinema alfresco at the Brickyard. Both activties are free and give you the flexibility to be as cheap or extravagant as you like.

If you decide you want go to dinner before the concert, Bradley Fair offers several options. You can go all out and dine at Cibola (Sarah Newby's favorite restaurant), but I will tell you now the date will not be cheap. You can go ultra-cheap and go to McDonald's at Tallgrass, but that's not a very good idea either. For some nice inexpensive options, you could choose Applebee's, On the Border, Adrian's, and Bella Luna. I don't really recommend Applebee's because we've consistently received poor service there the last few times. I love the food and ambience at Adrian's. I've never been to the Bella Luna at Bradley Fair, but the food at their East Central location is fantastic. And, of course, On the Border has awesome drinks and will be perfect if you both like Mexican fare.

Pre-movie dining options abound if you go to cinema alfresco because the Brickyard is located in Old Town. Brickyard itself offers a burger and fries special for $5 on Thursdays. With these two date ideas, you can really adjust the experience to suit your budget simply by making different choices.

Now, I've looked at both schedules and my recommendation would be to go to cinema alfresco on June 19 for Election (one of my favorites; and it's an easy-going movie that's not so heavy for a first or maybe fourth date) and then attend the Bradley Fair concert on July 3. I chose the final performance because it concludes with fireworks. Hopefully, you'll experience some magical fireworks on your date as well.

Of course, you can do these activities as many times as you like for the duration of the series. However, it's important to add some variety and not do the same things over and over again (unless you both really enjoy jazz and then it's fine to go to the concert each week). Otherwise, you'll seem obviously cheap to your date and that's not the idea. The idea is to be creative so that you don't go broke while trying to impress your date. You know what I mean?

Labels: dining, dinner, jazz, movies, music