10 Fun (and Cheap!) Things to Do on a Saturday Night

No matter where you live, I bet you can find a good time somewhere. Here's some of York's best kept secrets, how we found them, and how YOU can find some pretty slick things to do on a night out.

1. Linedancing. Hear me out. This is way fun, and way good exercise. I was never a huge fan of country music, but you know what? All that country sound makes sense once you're dancing to it. Get on Facebook and Google and start looking for dance halls near you. Dances tend to be in real small-town type spots like Elk's Lounges, fire halls, restaurants with big banquet rooms, and township buildings. Try something new, learn a new skill, and meet a whole subculture you probably didn't even know existed in your town! If you're in York, the best game in town is CutaRug Line Dance-- look them up on Facebook for more information.

2. Hole-in-the-wall BBQ. Believe you me, somebody in your town is running a barbecue joint out of an old house. There's this place in Spring Grove called 3 Hogs BBQ that looks super duper ghetto on the outside, but on the inside it's brisket heaven. We pulled up and it literally looks like a house with a smoker in the driveway-- plus there was some kind of wheelchair train of folks holding onto a guy in a motorized wheelchair tooling down the streets of Spring Grove. But hey, we got great barbecue and a good story out of it. Once again, get yourself on Google and click the hole-in-the-walliest place you can find with great reviews.

3. Roller skating. When was the last time you strapped on brown suede skates and raced your friends for a while? Probably way too long! York has a great spot, Mr. Q's, that we like to go to and skate for a couple of hours. Bonus fun thing: find a roller derby and go watch! This is another one of those super fun subculture things that you probably didn't even know existed! Check out your local skate spot's bulletin board for leagues and race times.

4. Bingo. It's not you're grandma's bingo anymore, kids. I have a friend who went to a designer purse bingo, a friend who's been to drag queen bingo, and the local fire company puts on "naughty bingo" once a year. Obviously you can still find some more relaxed bingos, but if you're feeling adventurous and like you want to meet new and different people, there's a bingo for that! This activity is kind of like line dancing in that you usually find it in lodges, fire halls, YMCAs, churches, and other local hot spots. Check your township/borough/city website, Facebook, or Google "bingo near me".

5. Local theater productions. York has at least two local theaters, Dreamwrights and York Little Theater. See if your town or a neighboring town has a local theater and check it out! We saw Into the Woods at Dreamwrights last summer and loved it!

6. Volunteer. No matter where you live, someone runs something that could use your help. Check out local animal shelters, homeless shelters, women and children's centers, the YMCA or the YWCA, and see what they could need you to do. There's more to volunteering than handing out soup or mucking out animal stalls-- the York SPCA puts on galas as fundraisers, Lifepath (the local homeless ministry) puts on a big book sale once a year, the City of York puts on festivals that need volunteers-- check out what's happening in your area and volunteer for something that fits your skill set and interest area for an unconventional good time!

7. Diner crawl. York has several all-night diners-- and I bet wherever you live has a few too. Try the fries at one, the pancakes at another, and the milkshakes at another! Or if you're healthier than that maybe... never mind, if you're healthier than that you shouldn't be eating diner food.

8. Hiking. Hiking is fun, and you can do that regardless of where you live. Find a park near you, national or otherwise, grab a buddy and start exploring! If nature walking isn't your thing, try "hiking" around your downtown or neighborhood. Take a look around at things that you haven't notice before, and walk slow. Breathe and be happy to live in the place that you are. We love Nixon Park, Lake Redman, Codorus State Park, and (obviously) Downtown York!

9. Cook something. But not, like, macaroni and cheese. Pinterest an awesome Shwarma recipe! Find some odd Thai recipe! Google "authentic southwest USA recipes"! If you're feeling really kitchen-adventurous, pick a recipe with ingredients that will require you to go to an ethnicity-specific grocery store to get all of the ingredients you need. Don't Trader Joe cop-out on this-- it's part of the fun to hit a store you wouldn't normally ever drive by, let alone go into!

10. Find a local band. Whether it's the group of middle aged dads trying to be the next Barenaked Ladies or your high school buddy's punk-rock garage band, supporting local musicians is a great way to spend a Saturday night! Plus, they tend to play in bars with happy hour appetizers. Why would you ever say no to music and loaded french fries?! Pick your favorite fry joint and check out their website or Facebook page for upcoming events-- they'll usually list upcoming performers there. And their appetizer specials. (Note to self: stop blogging while hungry...)

Those are just 10 of the most fun things we've ever done on a Saturday night-- and the best part is, they don't cost an arm and a leg. I think the most expensive thing on there is $40ish. Unless you have a Bingo addiction. Then it might get kinda pricey.

Check back regularly for more fun ideas for girls' night, guys' night, date night, couples' night, family night... or just Saturday night!