Free Donuts for National Donut Day

If you're a foodie like me, all you've been hearing about recently is the Cronut craze. The new dessert is taking NYC by storm and quite frankly, I'm offended. As a lover of both donuts and croissants, I firmly believe that they should be enjoyed separately and never mixed! Luckily for me, tomorrow June 7th is National Donut Day; a chance for all of us to celebrate donuts in their original form. And what better way to do so than with free donuts! The Krispy Kreme at 2 Penn Plaza (Amtrak Level) will be giving away free donuts all day.  Dunkin Donuts is also offering a free donut with any beverage purchase in honor of the holiday. And Canadian pastry purveyor Tim Hortons is getting into the spirit with this coupon for a free donut with any purchase.

Happy National Donut Day everyone!

Tell a Joke, Get a Free Pretzel!

Chewy, buttery, salty...don't get me started on how much I love soft pretzels. Lucky for me and my fellow pretzel-appreciators, this Friday is National Pretzel Day which means Pretzelmaker is doling out free pretzels (salted and unsalted) all day to anyone who a.) tells a joke or b.) says "National Pretzel Day." The participating New York City locations are...

MANHATTAN: Mrs. Fields/Pretzelmaker 501 5th Avenue Port Authority/Mrs. Fields/Pretzelmaker 625 8th Avenue, S. Wing, 2nd Floor BROOKLYN: Kings Plaza  5100 Flatbush Avenue, Suite 110 Atlantic Terminal  139 Flatbush Ave., #A-2

And, according to Pretzelmaker's  Facebook page, if you Tweet or Instagram a photo of your free snack with the hashtag #nationalpretzelday, you can recieve an additional "special twisted treat". So brush up on your knock-knock jokes and get ready to sink your teeth into a freshly baked pretzel.

Free Movies and Panels at Tribeca Film Festival

A shot from last year's free outdoor moving screening

April 17th through 28th marks the 11th annual Tribeca Film Festival. With screenings of over 200 films as well as a plethora of panels, discussions, and lectures, this years festival is poised to be one of the biggest and best yet. The hand-selected films range in genre from comedy to romance to documentary.  Showcasing work by some of the greatest filmmakers in the world, the festival aims to bring good cinema to the public. Granted, tickets are not cheap. They'll cost you $16 a pop for a weekend or evening screening and $25 for a ticket to one of the ever-popular Tribeca Talks lectures.

But penny-pinchers, have no fear. You can still enjoy the Festival without forking over a fortune. Matinees and late night screening tickets can be purchased at a discounted rate of $8.00. That's cheaper than most theaters in the city and you no matter what film you choose to see, you're guaranteed quality entertainment.

If $8 still seems like too much to you, the Festival will also be sponsoring three free outdoor movie screenings this weekend. Located at Brookfield Place at the World Financial Center Plaza, the screenings begin at dusk with pre-screening festivities starting at 6 PM. This year's lineup consists of:

1. The Birds (Thurs. April 18th)- The classic Hitchcock film about the town of Bodega Bay that is terrorized by a flock of killer birds
2. Beetle Juice (Fri. April 19th)- This Tim Burton film stars Michael Keaton as a comedic ghost who has trouble carrying out his mortal-scaring destiny
3. Lil Bub and Friendz (Sat. April 20th)- A documentary about "the most famous cat in the world." 'Nuff said

For more information on the screenings, check out the Tribeca Film Festival website and click here to see a full list of the free events at this year's festival.

Ben and Jerry's Free Cone Day 2013

Mark your calendars for April 9th! This Tuesday marks the 34th year that Ben and Jerry's will be celebrating Free Cone Day as a token of their appreciation to all their loyal customers. All three Ben and Jerry's locations in Manhattan will be participating in the promotion. It's a great chance to try a new flavor (Liz Lemon Greek Froyo or Candy Bar Pie anyone??) or indulge in one of their tried and true favorites. Maybe a little Cherry Garcia? Be prepared for a line at all locations. Last year I waited a half hour for my cone, and I've heard of much longer waits. But the delicious cone that awaits is well worth it! So put on your stretchy pants and head to one of these three Manhattan Ben and Jerry's locations between 12 and 8 pm:


Macys Herald Square
151 West 34th Street
New York, NY 10001

Ben & Jerry's Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Plaza
New York, NY 10020

Ben and Jerry's 104th and Broadway

2722 Broadway
New York, NY 10025

Daylight Savings Brings Free Doughnuts

              It's hard to believe that it's almost time to set our clocks ahead. Although I'm none to pleased to be losing an hour of sleep on March 10th, I am excited for the longer days, increased sunshine, and warmer weather that daylight savings time signifies. And this year, I'm even more excited because Krispy Kreme is offering a free original glazed doughnut to every guest who stops by one of their shops on Sunday. Only select locations are participating in the offer (full list here) but luckily their 24 hour spot in Penn Station is one of the chosen. And as an added bonus, if you sign up for their Friends of Krispy Kreme program, you'll get a coupon via email valid for a free doughnut of your choice. The coupon is good for ten days after you sign up so that's potentially two free doughnuts in one day.  With new flavors like their Cookies and Creme Doughnut (yep...topped with Oreos!) and old favorites like the Glazed Cruller and Boston Creme, I dare you to not sign up!

Side note- The latest issue of Saveur Magazine is devoted to doughnuts and is filled with lots of fun, interested doughnut facts. Here's one I didn't know: Doughnuts did not always have a hole in them. The practice of cutting out the middle of the pastry began when doughnuts started being mass-produced so that they would cook more evenly in a shorter amount of time. 

Add that to your collection of useless facts!