ITP weekend edition: local show flyers, cheap thrills

From my Herald blog: Thursday to Sunday nightlife, in flyers. (Weird that I hype everyone else's shit but can't post my own parties, huh?)

From today's newspaper, my Cheap Thrills column, featuring Allston outdoors, River fest in Cambridge and a dope Sunday night show:

ALLSTON PICNIC CITY
Community day at Ringer Park in Allston
Off Allston Street, behind the Jackson Mann Community Center. Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., all-ages. FREE.
It’s almost summer, which means one thing for the good people of Allston - the college students are gone! And when you peel back the layer of loud, sloppily transient college inhabitants, Allston reveals itself as a multicultural and vibrant arts community. Saturday at Ringer Park, the 12-acre lot is used the way Frederick Law Olmsted envisioned it - live music from local bands the Big Big Bucks and Thousands, several artisan works on display, pets getting out of their apartment confines and a free market to either get rid of or acquire stuff. It’s all about showcasing local creativity, and most importantly, having a fun, carefree day among neighbors.
Info: parentsandcommunitybuildgroup.org

RIVER DANCE
30th annual Cambridge River Festival
Along a mile-long stretch of Memorial Drive between JFK Street and Western Avenue. Saturday from noon to 6 p.m., all-ages. FREE.
One of the first signs of summer is the sudden weekend closing of Memorial Drive and the subsequent traffic jams that back up into Boston and Cambridge. Well, commuter strife is worth it when pedestrians get to stroll the pavement along the Charles and take in the best view of the Boston skyline. This year’s River Festival brings in hundred of musicians - everything from jazz and folk to Latin and world music - as well as public art installations, several performance stages and more than 100 specialty food purveyors and craftspeople. It’s enough to make you River-dance.
Info: 617-349-4380, cambridgeartscouncil.org

SUNDAY NIGHT FEVER
Illius Rock presents Televandals, You Can Be a Wesley and Roguewaves
Middlesex Lounge, 315 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. Sunday at 8 p.m., 21-plus, FREE with R.S.V.P. at illiusrock.com.
Being broke is not a worthy excuse for staying home anymore, even on Sunday nights when the vision of bill collectors hovers over your bed like that sexy apparition in Aerosmith’s “Angel” music video. Illius Rock, a local music networking Web site, is bringing the party on the free when you register to be guest-listed at illiusrock.com. Allston electro-punks Televandals are shooting a music video, youthful indie kids You Can Be a Wesley are previewing songs from their new album, and the dance-mad DJ team of Roguewaves will keep the floor nice and sweaty. Throw in a photobooth for vanity and some drink specials for insanity, and Monday morning never seemed so far away.
Info: 617-868-6739, illiusrock.com, middlesexlounge.com