Photo By Craig Swarts

Our number one recommendation for sniffing out affordable arts events is to have a taste for affordable arts events—you can’t beat the prices of fringe, pop-up, and do-it-yourself events in town. But just like you occasionally want to ditch Tasty Burger for a Craigie’s on Main marrow-infused beef patty, sometimes you want to put on a tie and top hat and head to the ballet. The time when that’s most feasible is during the Mayor’s Holiday, a six-week-long half-price ticketing initiative held by ArtsBoston in partnership with Mayor Marty Walsh and the City of Boston. Now in its 11th year, the program boasts more participating shows, over 130, than in any previous iteration with new ticket offers added daily.

While we’re not recommending you see three different productions of “The Nutcracker” this winter, if you wanted to, you might be able to swing it: Tickets to Boston Ballet’s, José Mateo Ballet Theatre’s, and Tony Williams Dance Center’s renditions of the Christmas classic are all available. (Sorry, no “Slutcracker” deals here, but those tickets are $27, in case you were wondering.) Additionally, the program doesn’t discriminate against productions that aren’t season-themed, as the name may suggest. Some alternative Holiday highlights include the Actors’ Shakespeare Project’s “Phèdre,” ArtsEmerson’s “The Trip to Bountiful” starring Vanessa Williams (pictured), and Huntington Theater Company’s “Awake and Sing!” (reviewed here).

To cash in on the Mayor’s cheer, visit mayorsholiday.com.

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