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April 15 is like an anti-holiday when many of us feel as though we give without receiving anything in return. But even after Uncle Sam drains your budget, leaving you with little left over for food, fun and other simple pleasures, there are still a few ways to escape reality without further damaging your wallet. Here's a look at a few options as the tax deadline looms.

Keith Hadley/AJC (ENLARGE)
In addition to reasonably priced grub such as the ahi tuna appetizer, Village Tavern in Alpharetta offers $3.50 draft beer and $5 margaritas.
Razor and Tie (ENLARGE)
Local band Dead Confederate, which picked up some new fans recently in Austin, has a free show coming up at the Star Bar as part of a monthly music series in Little Five Points.
Fernbank Museum of Natural History (ENLARGE)
Permanent exhibitions on dinosaurs plus other treats await at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History.
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FOOD AND DRINK

Thrive: While it exudes an atmosphere of upscale dining and high-class taste, Thrive offers one of the best values around with Sushi Rock Tuesdays. Not only can you get free sushi from 9 to 10 p.m., but the bar offers $4 martinis and Red Bull and vodkas while DJ Dubstyle spins Top 40 and rock beats.

• THE 411: 8 p.m. Tuesdays. 101 Marietta St., downtown Atlanta. 404-389-1000, www.thriveatl.com. See user reviews or write your own.

Trilogy: This east Cobb eatery offers a trilogy of low-priced dining options. Mondays feature bottomless bowls of pasta for $8.95. Tuesdays it's a pound of garlic butter-steamed shrimp with potatoes and corn for $10.95. And Wednesdays offer all-you-can-eat Mama Martin's meatloaf, green beans and mashed potatoes and gravy for $9.95.

• THE 411: 5-11 p.m. Mondays-Tuesdays; 5 p.m.-midnight Wednesdays. 4930 Davidson Road, Marietta. 770-971-4770, www.trilogydining.net. See user reviews or write your own.

Village Tavern: Alpharetta's hot spot offers food and drink specials six nights a week. From $3.50 draft beers to $5 margaritas, each weeknight features a different drink special, while Sunday offers all the daily specials. And whether you want to pair that with a $5.95 burger or the $7.95 ahi tuna appetizer, there's a value for almost any palate.

• THE 411: 4:30-6:30 p.m. Sundays-Fridays. 11555 Rainwater Drive, Alpharetta. 770-777-6490, www.villagetavern.com. See user reviews or write your own.

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

Alcove Contemporary Arts Gallery: From the pop culture paintings, sculptures and other works by Justin Kauffmann, Valery Milovic, Matt Sesow and Kevin Titzer to a performance by synthy goth rock act Feeding Fingers, Alcove's next opening will be a frugal fest for the senses. And the free beer, wine and snacks will make it even better.

• THE 411: Free before 9:30 p.m.; $5 after. 7 p.m.-midnight. April 11 (show runs through May 10). 2852 E. College Ave., Avondale Estates. 404-663-0159, www.alcovearts.com. Review the show.

Big Trouble in Little Five Points: This monthly concert series already has had some of the biggest local and regional talents headline free shows. But this month's lineup features Dead Confederate, who created all sorts of buzz by opening for R.E.M. at SXSW, and the Constellations, a rock group featuring Gnarls Barkley producer Ben Allen.

• THE 411: Free. 9 p.m. April 17. Star Bar, 437 Moreland Ave. N.E., Little Five Points. 404-681-9018, www.starbar.net.

Phat Comedy Wednesdays: Looking for some midweek comic relief? This weekly event features amateur and professional comedians, some of whom have performed on HBO, Comedy Central and elsewhere, putting their comedic talents to the test. You may not laugh all the way to the bank, but at least you'll be laughing without overspending.

• THE 411: $7. 8:30 p.m. Wednesdays (doors open at 7:30 p.m.). Funny Farm Comedy Club, 608 Holcomb Bridge Road, Roswell. 770-817-4242, www.funnyfarmcomedyclub.com.

SoCo Music Experience: Wanna see big rock bands like the Supersuckers, Bang Camaro and Against Me! for free? This 21-and-up show, which also includes performances by Ghostland Observatory and Ryan Shaw, lets you do just that, leaving some spending cash for festival food and adult beverages.

• THE 411: Free. 3 p.m. May 17. Centennial Olympic Park, downtown Atlanta. 404-223-4412, www.southerncomfort.com/scmxatl.

Town Center Value Cinemas/Venture Value Cinemas: While they're about as common as drive-ins these days, $1 theaters still exist in the Atlanta area. And whether you missed the big blockbusters when they first came out or just want to see them on the big screen one more time, it won't cost you more than $1.99 at these two theaters.

• THE 411: 99-cent matinees; $1.99 for evenings. Times and dates vary. 700 Gwinnett Drive, Lawrenceville. 678-985-2222. 3750 Venture Drive (Venture Mall/Plaza Santa Fe), Duluth. 678-957-9545, www.georgiatheatrecompany.com.

Woyzeck Atlanta: Taking place at two art spaces and featuring film installations and live actors who remain within certain confines while spectators roam freely around them, this performance art production is for the frugally edgy. And with a sliding scale admission price (and discounted admission on opening night), even penny pinchers can support this art.

• THE 411: $5 opening night; $10-$25 otherwise. 9 p.m. April 10-11; 9 p.m. and midnight April 12; 6 p.m. April 13. Eyedrum, 290 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive S.E., Atlanta. 404-522-0655, www.eyedrum.org.

• ALSO: $12; $8 for students. 9 p.m. April 17-19. 6 p.m. April 20. The B Complex, 1272 Murphy Ave., downtown Atlanta. 404-434-1823, www.thebcomplex.com, www.woyzeckatlanta.com.

MIND AND BODY

Fernbank Museum of Natural History: With permanent exhibitions on dinosaurs, culture and Georgia history, a trip to Fernbank is always a wealth of knowledge. But next month the museum offers free admission for Community Day, allowing kids and adults to experience all the usual interactive wonders as well as the "Daufuskie Island" special photography exhibit.

• THE 411: Free. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. May 13. 767 Clifton Road N.E., Druid Hills. 404-929-6400, www.fernbank.edu. Review the exhibits.

Free yoga classes: If you find yourself saying you can't afford to join a gym to stay in shape, this free class makes that a weak excuse. And for those whose schedules aren't all that flexible, there are more free sessions at other Fulton County library branches at various times and dates.

• THE 411: Free. 10:30-11:30 a.m. Tuesdays through April 29. Roswell Regional Library, 115 Norcross St., Roswell. 770-640-3075, www.afplweb.com.

High Museum of Art: The High Museum is always a great value for art lovers. But on Fulton County Free Saturdays, Fulton County residents get free admission the first Saturday of each month. And next month's free event will be just in time to see the Georgia O'Keeffe and TRANSactions exhibits before they're gone.

• THE 411: Free for Fulton County residents. Or $18 for adults; $15 for those with student ID and seniors ages 65 and older; $11 for children ages 6-17; free for children 5 and under and for adults with military ID; $2 off for retired military and military dependents. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. May 3. 1280 Peachtree St., Midtown. 404-733-5000, www.high.org. Review the exhibits.