Lots of things open up once you hit 21. People keep telling us things open up more when you hit 30 or 40, too, but we're pretty sure it's just medical problems and bills. Oh well. For those of you still young enough to not be so jaded, we're here for you. We know that Denton can be a little difficult to find stuff to do sometimes. Especially when you're met with someone who wants to see shine a flashlight at your driver's license as soon as you walk in a door. Shaun Treat was nice enough to put together this list for the sub-21 Dentonites as an answer to the argument that there was "nothing cheap for underage kids to do" in Denton. Below, you will find his list that of FREE live music for every night of the week in Denton that people younger than 21 can attend. Bookmark it so you have something to reply with when met with the dreaded, "What is there to do tonight?" question.

Caveat: Of course there are tons of reliably awesome music venues like Dans, Rubber Gloves, etc but the focus here is on a weekly FREE, minor-friendly music-oriented sampler of Denton's diversity for starving students.

MONDAYS

Hoochie’s Oyster House, Live local music at 6pm.
The Greenhouse live jazz, 10pm... Must see music!!

TUESDAYS
Sweetwater Grill & Tavern has fantastic Jazz, Blues or Texas Swing, 6:30pm.
Mable Peabody’s Beauty Parlor and Chainsaw Repair, open mic, 9pm.
Hailey’s Club, ’90s dance music, 10pm.

WEDNESDAYS
The Abbey Underground, County Rexford Irish music, 7-9pm.

THURSDAYS
Banter Bistro, Le Not So Hot Klub du Denton and lots of live local folk, 7pm.
The Whitehouse Espresso Bar and Beer Garden, karaoke 7:30pm.

FRIDAYS
La Milpa Mexican Restaurant, Mariachi Quetzal, 7:30-9:30pm... Seriously, check this out!
Lone Star Attitude live music and patio seating, but get there before 5pm.

SATURDAYS
Banter Bistro, free live jazz, 6pm.

SUNDAYS
Dan's Silverleaf patio tunes, 5pm.
The Abbey Underground, Bone Doggie open mic, 7pm sign-up.

And this list isn't even everything. Tell us in the comments some of the minor-friendly free events in town that you know of!

Shaun Treat, is founder of the Denton Haunts historical ghost tour. Treat has written about numerous local places and personalities at his Denton Haunts blog, and is forever indebted to the great work of the fine folks with the Denton County Historical Commission and local keepers of history like Laura Douglas at the Emily Fowler Library for their tireless work in helping preserve Denton’s intriguing past.

March 26, 2018

EVEN MORE DENTON WOMEN OF DISTINCTION

Women’s History Month is the perfect time to revisit some of the amazing Denton ladies who have been town saviors, trailblazers, hellraisers, social activists, and pioneers. Heck, over at TWU is the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame and the archives for the WWII WASP Archives, so you know there are stories a’plenty to tell. Here are a few more of our local favorites, including a 1920’s newspaper publisher, a tiny songstress with a big voice, and a political crusader.

It's Time For Taste of North Texas

Once a year in Denton, many of our local restaurants and bars get together for a good cause and make their food and drinks available for roughly the price of a single restaurant meal. This year’s event will feature around 35 participants, including a great mix of established Denton institutions (hi, Beth Marie’s!) and places that are new to Denton.

February 19, 2018

2018 DENTON MINI MAKER FAIRE

What image pops into your head when someone uses the word “maker”?

The images that tend to appear in the mind—not to mention Google’s image search—involve wires and circuit boards. As important as those skills and the people who enjoy them are, they only represent one type of maker. Many skills can fall under the maker umbrella, whether it’s programming robots to make pancakes or turning a bicycle wheel into a musical instrument. Artists, scientists, crafters, and engineers can all be considered makers. If you can take a set of materials and transform them into something cool, you are welcome in the maker community!

December 1, 2017

DO THE DENTON HOLIDAY LIGHTING FESTIVAL LIKE A PRO

One of our favorite holiday traditions, the Holiday Lighting Festival, is this weekend. The annual free event features music, food, performances, a toy drive, and various other holiday activities. Happening simultaneously to the Holiday Lighting Festival is Wassail Weekend. Dozens of local shops extend their hours and welcome patrons to sample their wassail, a hot cider-like beverage. Wassail Weekend On Friday evening the Downtown Denton square will be shut down to traffic to make way for wassail-guzzling pedestrians to walk around and enjoy all of the festivities. You'll find us circled 'round the tree like the Whos down in Whoville, holding hands and singing with joy. We're not sure who the Grinch is in this situation, though.

If you plan on coming out to sample the wassail and find the joy of the holiday in your cold, black heart, here are our tips and tricks to making sure you get to squeeze as much holiday cheer out of the event as possible.

November 9, 2017

THE MANY FACES OF DENTON'S FINE ARTS THEATER

There’s been a lot of buzz around the recent arrival of the oft-rumored Fine Arts Theater hitting the real estate market, with a hefty pricetag in the ballpark of $1.5 million. Owned by the McBride family since 1983 with high hopes of renovation, there were overtures in 2014 and then renewed interest in 2016 but alas… it has never come to pass. A recent episode of the Politically Denton podcast explored some of the backstory and future possibilities, but I figured it would be a hoot to have a look back at the history of this iconic spot from back in the day.

November 7, 2017

THE BEST THANKSGIVING WE EVER HAD

Ever been to a pop-up dinner? More over, ever heard of a pop-up dinner? The events are normally one-offs in which facilities become restaurants for one night only and feature special food prepared by up and coming chefs. Pop-up dinners are gaining in popularity across the country and you have a chance to check one out in Denton this week! On November 9th at Denton County Brewing Company there will be a pop-up dinner featuring the food of Chef Chad Kelley from Barley and Board that will be paired with beers selected by Seth Morgan of Denton County Brewing Company. Read on to find out more info on this great Denton dining opportunity.

November 1, 2017

DENTON STARTUP WEEKEND 2017

Entrepreneur. It’s kind of a dumb word if you think about it, and to most people (especially students) it carries some buzzwords with it that seem very business-y. When I first heard “entrepreneur," I thought to myself, “That’s for people in the college of business.” It never really struck me as, “I’m an entrepreneur,” even though looking back on my life, I’ve been an entrepreneur since I was a kid. Everything from trading Pokémon cards, making beaded bracelets and necklaces, and burning CDs for friends before we learned we probably shouldn’t were all entrepreneurial endeavors that were abundant in my youth (as they probably were in yours).

That’s the thing, though. Being an entrepreneur isn’t about putting on a suit jacket or making apps. It’s about making a living doing something you love, while making sure other people love it too (that’s what we call customer validation). And this is one of the things I learned going through Startup Weekend.

Click through to read more about the upcoming Startup Weekend taking place in Denton, TX.

October 31, 2017

STOKE UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT

Since opening in August of 2016, Stoke, Denton’s entrepreneur center and co-working space, has provided space for local businesses, entrepreneurs, freelance workers, and remote workers. The center has also hosted a variety of educational, professional networking, and social events. There has been formal and informal mentoring for new entrepreneurs and collaboration between several of the businesses located at Stoke. All of these things have provided great benefit to Denton’s tech and business communities, allowing them to contribute more to the Denton community and economy.

A MINOR IN DENTON

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