Free Friday Five

Nothing's cheaper than free.
This weekend we bring you...

1. Coney Island Mermaid Parade, Saturday 6/23, 2PM
on Surf Avenue (Coney Island)
Grab some seashells and a fin, and make your way to Coney Island's annual Mermaid Parade, where drill teams and people dressed as various sea creatures will be marching down the beach to celebrate the beginning of the summer season.
Coney Island is staged to undergo a massive rehaul in the coming months, so this could be your last chance to get down and gritty with the mermaid crowd. Plus, there will be live music and burlesque shows.

2. Drive-In Movies at the Rock, Friday 6/22, 9PM
at Rockefeller Center (30 Rockefeller Plaza, at 49th Street)
Tonight's movie, Netherbeast Incorporated, is the last in the Tribeca Drive-In independent film series at the Rockefeller Center. Seating opens at 6PM, and I'm guessing you're going to have to fight through crowds of tourists to land a spot.

3. Gay Pride Parade, Sunday 6/24, 12PM
begins at 5th Avenue and 52nd Street, ends at Christopher and Greenwich Streets
Rainbows! Free love! Drag Queens! If you didn't get your fill of crazy crowds at the Mermaid Parade on Saturday, then don't miss this year's sure-to-be-interesting Gay Pride Parade. Bring a camera.

4. World's First Ever Cheese Eating Contest, Sunday 6/24, 2PM
at Smith & Vine (268 Smith Street, between Sackett & Degraw) Hot dogs have been done. So have cream pies and chicken wings from Hooter's. So the next logical choice for an eating competition? Cheese. Ok; maybe it's not logical, and it probably won't be pretty, but this could be history in the making...

5. Kayaking on the Hudson, weekends through 9/16, 8AM
at Pier 96 (West 56th Street)
Every Saturday and Sunday morning, long before any normal person should be waking up, the New York City Downtown Boathouse offers free guided kayaking tours on the Hudson River. The trip runs 3 hours, and you'll paddle anywhere from 4-5 miles in either a single (1-person) or double (2-person) kayak. Unfortunately, the kayaks fill up fast, so you'll have to arrive by 7:45 at the latest.