Cheap date ideas: ‘Leonardo da Vinci’ | Indie films | Corn maze | Shopping | Football

Whether you’re married or single, dating keeps the spark alive in relationships. Dates don’t have to be expensive, though. Every week we give you cheap date ideas — $40 or less — that are sure to impress your partner and keep you from going broke, too. If you have a cheap date night idea, send me an email or comment below.

Visit the High

The High Museum of Art is giving Atlantans a rare treat, and it struck me as a superb cheap date idea. The exhibition, ‘Leonardo da Vinci: Hand of Genius’ is free to the public during the preview on Monday, Oct. 5. This is an opportunity to see a highly acclaimed exhibit before the official opening on Tuesday, Oct. 6. The last admission Monday is 6 p.m., but you’ll have all day to enjoy. Normally, I don’t promote Monday dates, but this one is unique. In addition to 50 Leonardo da Vinci works, the exhibit also features work by Donatello, Rubens, Verrocchio and Rustici.  Pieces from the collections of  Queen Elizabeth II, the Vatican Museums, the Musée du Louvre, the British Museum, and the Museo Nazionale del Bargello in Florence are also part of the exhibition.

While it is free on Monday, the museum is half-off on Thursday nights and free to Fulton County residents the first Saturday of every month. The exhibition runs Oct. 6 through Feb. 21.

Pumpkins!

Halloween has its spooky moments, for sure. But you don’t have to go to another fright night to get closer to your boo. Why not leave the dark costume behind and head to a pumpkin patch, go on a hayride or visit a corn maze. The weather is beautiful in the fall, so get out and enjoy it on a really inexpensive date. Need a way to get started? On Oct. 24, Sterling on the Lake, located at 7004 Lake Sterling Blvd. in Flowery Branch, will host the fourth annual Life is good Pumpkin Festival. The Festival runs from 1-6 p.m. and includes pumpkin carving and much more. by no means is that your only option, though. Go to accessatlanta.com to find other Halloween-themed events like the Pumpkin Patch in Stockbridge and Uncle Shuck’s Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch in Dawsonville.

Shopping…the old-fashioned way

Most guys don’t get excited about shopping. Many, though hardly all, women do. If walking through another mall full of over-priced clothes and busy teenagers doesn’t get you excited, maybe shopping the old-fashioned way — as in, looking for antiques — will. Among the most popular antiques shopping excursions occurs every third weekend at the Lakewood 400 Antiques Market in Cumming. You’ll have fun hunting for good finds in antiques, collectibles and home decor — jewelry, coins, furniture, memorabilia and much more. It’s shopping, yes, but not the kind that makes you feel like you’re about to go down an unwelcome road of over-spending.

First Down!

It’s football season, the Falcons are hot (even after the loss to the Patriots, don’t you feel optimistic?), and you want to watch all the games you can. Then you have Georgia, which this year has found ways to make games interesting, as has Georgia Tech. So, if you can’t get to a game, wouldn’t it be fun to watch them all at your local sports bar? Of course it would. You’ll pay for wings and burgers and a few beers, but don’t go overboard and cross the $40 limit. Use this AtlantaHalfOff.com certificate, good for $40 worth of food for only $20, at The Tavern @JR Crickets. I also found a coupon good for a $16.95 combo platter for two and a pitcher of Busch at Winston C’s Sports Bar and Grill in Kennesaw.  That deal is good only on Saturdays.  If this isn’t convenient, any sports bar will do as long as they have plenty of televisions, ample service and good food.

A Week of Independent Films

The Out on Film Festival begins Friday and runs through Oct. 8. There’s good news: all the films are at one place, Landmark’s Midtown Art Cinema, and individual films, though a bit pricey, are $10 each. Ordinarily, we’d walk away from any $10 movie but because this is more of a movie-event, featuring many local filmmakers’ works on gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender themes, we make an exception. Plus, you can take a free stroll in Piedmont Park before heading over to the theater.

Have a great, cheap date idea? Email rcash@ajc.com or share you suggestions below.

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