Best cheap arty evening

With free admission and $1 glasses of wine, Cheap Wine and Poetry has to be the city’s best bargain night out. Local writers read essays, short stories, comedy, memoirs, and, yes, poetry while the audience packs the small cafe and snacks on cheese and crackers or hummus and veggies. "We like exposing people to literature without being overly pretentious," says organizer Brian McGuigan. "You’re not going to experience any kind of rigor mortis while you’re sitting there." $; Richard Hugo House, 1634 11th Ave.; cheap wineandpoetry.com or 206/322-7030. Performances happen every other month.