Your Guide to Things to Do for $20 or Less This Weekend

Saying goodbye to the god-awful days of 2016 and ringing in 2017 on a budget? It's  more doable than you might think. Here are our picks for ways to spend your weekend on the cheap — just in case our guide to New Year's Eve events and no-budget guide to the week don't quite suffice.

"Who's in the House"
As Far as Reality Goes is one of several new mixed-media works by Phoenix-based artist Casebeer featured in Tilt Gallery’s free “Who’s in the House” exhibition. Born in Madrid, Spain, and raised in Flagstaff, Casebeer creates works blending paint, book scraps, found collage elements, and overheard words — reflecting a delightfully skewed take on reality.

Visit Tilt Gallery, 7077 East Main Street in Scottsdale, between 10:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Friday, December 30, and you’ll also see photographic and mixed-media works by Brad Armstrong, Ron Bimrose, Rachel Brace-Stille, Jennifer Schlesinger, and Anna Strickland, as well as several additional artists. Their works come down after December 31.

Look for award-winning pieces by Sandra Klein, Elizabeth Odiorne, and Christine Cassano — whose newest hybridizations of biology with technology include light. Then linger a while in the gallery’s lovely courtyard, because reality can wait. See www.tiltgallery.com. Lynn Trimble

Untidy Secrets: Ode to My Family
From Thanksgiving through the New Year, the holiday season is synonymous with family. Whether your blood brood is Cleaver-like or full of constant fighting, one thing’s for certain: Family makes for a good story.

Hear some of them during Ode to My Family, the 14th installment of the monthly Untidy Secrets Storytelling show at Ash Avenue Books & Comics, 806 South Ash Avenue in Tempe. The 8 p.m. show on Friday, December 30, includes storytelling veterans Jessie Balli, Britt Kemp, Ashley Naftule, and William T. Terrabley, alongside first-time participants Haley Colz and Laura Marie. A pop-up zine swap and shop will be held post-show.

They say friends are the family you choose, so bring your buds or sit with strangers to listen to stories of tributes, tough love, and unexpected interpretations on the theme. This is a free, BYOB (and bring-your-own-chair) event with an all-ages audience, and stories may have adult themes. See more at www.facebook.com/untidysecrets. Janessa Hilliard

2017 Flannel Ball
This year, more than ever, it feels necessary to uphold the relatively young traditions of downtown Phoenix. Based on recent news, Fifth Street, the lively and close-knit community just off of Roosevelt Row, will be going through substantial changes starting in 2017. So, it’s time to honor the past and welcome the future during one of our favorite ways to ring in the New Year downtown: the 2017 Flannel Ball. With the help of Bud’s Glass Joint, Roosevelt Growhouse and GROWop, and Roosevelt Row CDC, Lawn Gnome Publishing will keep the RoRo tradition alive with live music, art, food trucks, champagne toast, a photo booth, and piñata drop, all while dressed in the ultimate 1990s fashion equalizer — flannel. It all begins at 9 p.m. on Saturday, December 31, at 905 North Fifth Street. Tickets are limited, costing $20 in advance or $25 on the day of the event. Get yours and details at www.flannelball.com. Evie Carpenter

Read on for a couple of things to do on New Year's Day.
10th Annual Slow Ride
If you’re looking to tie one on this New Year’s Eve, you’ll likely find yourself planted firmly in bed the next day. Rather than sitting around and wallowing in your own hangover, why not put forward a minimal amount of effort, grab your bike, go outside, and join in on Trailhead Bike Café’s 10th annual “Hair of the Dog” Slow Ride? Organized with the intent to chill, the leisurely group ride is all about taking it slow and stopping from time to time to check out some favorite local eateries. This year’s planned stops include Joyride, Carlos O’Brien’s, and Feeney’s. To join in on the ride, head to Trailhead Bike Café, 6825 North 16th Street, on Sunday, January 1. The ride begins at noon, and participation is free. See www.trailheadbikecafe.com. Heather Hoch

Adventures in Hangovers
Whether you woke up in pajamas or last night’s super-slinky number, don’t bother changing. You could win a prize for “Best Morning Wear” during Kobalt Bar’s party of the year — well, the only party of 2017 at this point.

The annual New Year’s Day Adventures in Hangovers event returns at 8 a.m. on Sunday, January 1, at 3110 North Central Avenue. Celebrate 2017 (and Kobalt’s 10th anniversary) and stave off the inevitable hangover with breakfast beginning at 9 a.m. and a stacked Bloody Mary and mimosa bar designed to keep you hydrated all day. And expect plenty of raunch, laughs, and big hair when TC Taylor hosts the daylight New Year’s Day Drag Show featuring Olivia Gardens, Barbra Seville, Payda Parc, and Afeelya Bunz at 1 p.m.
Can’t imagine crawling out of bed before noon? Don’t. There’s no cover and no shortage of drink specials. Get details at www.kobaltbarphoenix.com or by calling 602-264-5307. Janessa Hilliard