"Just because something is free, that doesn't make it any less fun!"

By, Riley Hickman, Vallo Vision News

(Montevallo, Ala.) – I’m a college student living on a tight budget. When I’m looking for something fun to do, how much I’m spending matters. The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that the best price for a fun time is free! So here are five of my favorite things to do when I want to have fun in Montevallo, Alabama for free.

1.Get Involved on Campus

Student Government Association member gives out free Chick-fil-A at W.O.W. Weekend.
Free Chick-fil-A given out at W.O.W. Weekend
Photograph by Riley Hickman

The University of Montevallo has dozens of free, on-campus events for students every week.

One of my favorite free events is the Student Government Association’s W.O.W. Weekends. One weekend a month there are two fun events on Friday and Saturday. In September they did Karaoke and Laser Tag. They even provided Chick-fil-A to the first fifty students that signed up.

The university also has free exercise classes and a swimming pool that is open to the community.

2. Hunt for ghosts on the University of Montevallo campus

With Halloween right around the corner, a ghost hunt is essential when one of the most haunted colleges in Alabama is at your disposal.

Main Hall, King House and Palmer Auditorium are just three of the buildings on campus with long histories full of strange encounters.

If ghost hunting is not something you want to mess with, but you will still want a spooky activity, I recommend exploring the King family cemetery located behind Hill House.

One of the trees carved by Tim Tingle that can be found on Tinglewood Loop. The carving is of two faces, both sticking their tongues out at one another.
Tree Carvings on Tinglewood Loop
Photograph by Riley Hickman

3. Take a stroll around Tinglewood Loop

Tinglewood Loop is a 0.5 mile paved trail located in Orr Park. I like to see how many of the famous carved trees I can count when I walk along the loop.

These carvings date back to the early 1990s when Tim Tingle, a local artist, wanted to make something beautiful out of trees that were damaged by storms. These carvings include lions, dragons, tons of funny faces, and more.

4. Spot wildlife at the Ebenezer Swamp Ecological Preserve

Located about six miles from The University of Montevallo, Ebenezer Swamp is a smorgasbord of plants, birds and other animals. If you love nature, spending the day walking on the boardwalk and spotting wildlife is the perfect free activity for you.

Prothonotary Warblers, Northern Parulas and Common Yellowthroats are common in the spring and summer months, making Ebenezer Swamp popular in the birdwatching community. You may also spot beavers, dragonflies and turkeys.

But be sure to watch your step because water moccasins, copperheads and timber rattlesnakes also call this place home.

5. Walk the Pendleton Hydrant Trail

If you want to get a feel for what the city of Montevallo is all about, explore the Pendleton Hydrant Trail.

I learned about this free 2.6 mile trail recently. It runs through the Main Street District, so you get to explore the city too. It is made up of 29 uniquely painted fire hydrants to represent the things the community loves about Montevallo.

Local artists painted the hydrants in honor of firefighter Dudley Pendleton, who served the Montevallo Fire and Rescue Service for over 50 years, and his dog Pedro.

No matter where your interests lie, Montevallo has something fun for you to do. Just because something is free, that doesn’t make it any less fun!