5 Things to Do for $5 or Less in Metro Phoenix This Weekend

Time keeps marching on, Phoenix. And here in the Valley, that just means new things to do, ranging from art shows and flea markets to drag queen-led lip sync battles. The best part? It's all doable on a budget. Here are five things to do this weekend that won't cost you more than $5. For more options, see New Times' curated calendar.

"Walking and Thinking and Walking"
There’s always plenty of foot traffic in Roosevelt Row during First Friday art walks, but not everyone knows to venture off the beaten path. If you’ve never explored the ASU Art Museum’s Project Space at Combine Studios, 821 North Third Street, then make it a must-see between 6 and 9 p.m. on Friday, March 3.

It’s opening night for “Museum of Walking: Walking and Thinking and Walking,” a free exhibition curated by Bruce Ferguson, which premièred at Denmark’s Louisiana Art Museum in 1996. Expect walls filled with mimeographed works by artists and scholars from Marina Abramovic to Rebecca Solnit.

But expect something else, too: a new appreciation for the ways art and walking heighten human capacity for listening and observation. Visit ASU Art Museum's website. Lynn Trimble

Lip Sync Battle
Lip-syncing is the opposite of karaoke, kind of. That theory won’t change your life even a little. But Kobalt Bar’s Lip Sync Battle just might. The mouthy pursuit is a work of art when done well. Adding the adrenaline of competition steps it up. Performers have already challenged one another, and the matchups promise a full evening of fever-pitched action.

Kobalt’s event puts the fun in fundraiser and benefits Phoenix Unified Gay Bowling Alliance, which is not something you get a chance to benefit just any old day. So circle and highlight and glitter Friday, March 3, on the calendar, because the good times roll starting at 8 p.m. at 3110 North Central Avenue. A minimum $5 donation is suggested. Call 602-264-5307 or visit Facebook. Julie Peterson

"Fathomings"
If you think chewing gum can’t cut it as an art object, you’ve probably never encountered Chicago artist Hannah Barco. Recently, she gathered a dozen or so people inside a gallery space at ASU Art Museum, where they chewed gum together and then stuck it on her artwork.

It’s part of the Museum’s “Hannah Barco: Fathomings” exhibition, anchored by an elevated sidewalk Barco built inside the space. The piece references her experience of walking along the streets of Chicago and prompts reflection on the ways walking informs our identity and sense of place.

Explore Barco’s installation from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 4, at ASU Art Museum, 51 East 10th Street in Tempe. It continues through Saturday, April 15. It’s free. And hey, it’s fun. Barco’s exhibition is part of a larger initiative called Project Walk, created by the Museum of Walking based at ASU. Visit the Museum of Walking website. Lynn Trimble

Phoenix Flea
Phoenix Flea, arguably the most Instagram-able outdoor market around, returns to Heritage Square Park from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 4.

A $5 cash admission gets you in the gate at 113 North Sixth Street, with access to more than 100 Southwest vendors, offering everything from handcrafted goods to clothing and accessories to fine art and vintage housewares and designs. After all, spring cleaning means more room for handcrafted goods from the likes of Jar of Buttons, State Forty Eight, Practical Art, and Citizen Home Decor, among others. If opening up your wallet helps you work up an appetite, head over to more than a dozen on-site food trucks, including A Bake Shop and Mustache Pretzels. Need a stiff drink to forget how much you spent? Nearby watering holes Bar Bianco and the Rose and Crown will also be open.

Swipe and double-tap through Phoenix Flea's Instagram for previews and grab tickets at Phoenix Flea's website. Janessa Hilliard

"Abstraction in the Singular: Part I"
If you’re ready to exercise your brain, get to Bentley Gallery, 215 East Grant Street. That’s where Grant Vetter has curated an exhibition called “Abstraction in the Singular: Part I.” It’s a survey of works by Arizona and West Coast artists that hints at the intriguing variations within contemporary abstract art. Never fear if you’re an art novice. You don’t need an art degree to appreciate these works.

Several featured artists are well-known on the local gallery scene, including Bill Dambrova, Rachel Goodwin, Mark Pomilio, and Travis Rice, to name a few. Whatever your stereotypes about abstract art, their work likely will challenge them.

See the free exhibition through Saturday, April 15. Hours on Saturday, March 4, are 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Visit Bentley Gallery's website. Lynn Trimble