So Gypsy Fest was canceled, due to not having a “vending license” or some such legal whatever the organizers didn’t get. But if the fest piqued your interest, you get a consolation prize: free camping! Camping in Floyd Bennett Field is usually $30 a night, but, since organizers did pay for that permit, you can top the Frugal Traveler and sleep out under the stars for free. Just be prepared to share the space with a few dozen bummed festival-goers. Read the rest of this entry »
Last day! Register for free Prospect Park camping
All summer, the city’s parks department hosts free family camping nights in different parks throughout the city, but if you want to be sleeping under the stars in Prospect Park, today is your last chance to register! You have to enter the lottery to win one of the 30 spots available for 8/19, which is the last day the camping is offered in Brooklyn (Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island still have dates available). The program, put on by the Urban Park Rangers, starts with a cookout and includes other activities such as stargazing and night hikes. Everything is included so that means you and the kids just need to get there (and maybe bring your DJ Roomba). [via DP Blog]
Gypsy Fest off; free camping instead
So Gypsy Fest was canceled, due to not having a “vending license” or some such legal whatever the organizers didn’t get. But if the fest piqued your interest, you get a consolation prize: free camping! Camping in Floyd Bennett Field is usually $30 a night, but, since organizers did pay for that permit, you can top the Frugal Traveler and sleep out under the stars for free. Just be prepared to share the space with a few dozen bummed festival-goers. Read the rest of this entry »
Summer hikes that aren’t a hike away

You'll feel like you conquered this
If you’re not already renting some Catskill cozinesss or staycating around town, why not take a hike? With little hassle, you can do Brooklyn’s parks one better and get some true country air. Here are a few bona fide hikes right in Brooklyn’s backyard. Read the rest of this entry »
Vacation homes for $500 a week
My challenge was this: to figure out how to get a group of four out of town for a week, with a $500 budget for lodging. It was a tall order, even for this frugal traveler. Most choices at that price were slim, and they tended to look like they were furnished for our budget—several decades ago. But a bit of sleuthing uncovered rustic cabins in magnificent park settings and appealing homes advertised at higher rates but available to the skilled negotiator for less. There wasn’t a Sun Valley chalet or a Bora Bora bungalow in the bunch, but I did find some nice getaways for little more than the cost of a staycation. Read the rest of this entry »






