Frugal Family: Local Events Offer Low-Cost Family Fun This Weekend

After a week of scattered thundershowers, the weather prediction for this first official weekend of fall is supposed to be cool, sunny and dry. It’s the perfect weather to get out and enjoy the variety of free to low-cost activities that are going in the Roswell area.

Rivers Alive

If your family enjoys performing community service together, you should sign up for the 21st annual Rivers Alive event, happening Saturday at the Riverside Park on Riverside Road from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Hosted by Keep Roswell Beautiful, this annual event is one of several happening across Georgia, bringing volunteers together to clear trash and debris local rivers and waterways. If your family enjoys spending time at the Riverside Park, this is one way you can give back, by helping to clean the park and Hooch along that area. All volunteers will be recognized by local officials at the end of the event and given a free cook-out lunch in appreciation for their help in keeping the Roswell area of the Chattahoochee clean.

Visit the website here for more info and to download your registration form, or show up a little early Saturday morning to register on-site.

Great Duck Race

After pitching in at Rivers Alive, your family should definitely head down to Big Creek on Oxboro Road to enjoy the Great Duck Race. Also hosted by Keep Roswell Beautiful, the Great Duck Race is a fun charity event that raises money to support existing and new Keep Roswell Beautiful initiatives for natural conservation, preservation, and beautification throughout Roswell. Rent a duck for each of your family members for only $3 a piece and cheer your duck on as it floats down Big Creek during the big release. The owner of the winning duck will receive a prize of $100 and the second place winner received $50. The race begins at 12:45pm, so get there early to rent a duck or click here to pay for your lucky duck online via Paypal.

Smithsonian Day

Saturday is the Smithsonian’s annual Free Museum Day, a day when Smithsonian affiliated museums around the country offer free entrance to Smithsonian magazine members or anyone who downloads the free ticket pass from the Smithsonian.com website. Your free pass entitles you and one guest to no charge entrance to a variety of museums around metro Atlanta including , , and the in historic Roswell. If you’re willing to drive a little farther, you can also get free entrance into the Atlanta High Museum to enjoy the new Picasso to Warhol special exhibit. Click here to read all the details and print your ticket.