There are lots of fun, free and cheap things to do in Houston if you are a stereotypical broke college student. Here are the top free or cheap things to do in Houston this spring break.

• For the Irish and Irish-at-heart, check out the Downtown 56th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Saturday, March 14 at noon, 100 Main St. The event is free. www.hsppc.org
• Visit the Asia Society for “Common Practice 21C: Classical, Contemporary, and Cross-Cultural Music” on Sunday, March 15 at 3 p.m. 1370 Southmore Blvd. Tickets are $5 for members and $10 for nonmembers.
• Cowboy or Cowgirl up for Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo’s value Wednesday, March 18. Admission to NRG Park is only $5, while NRG Park and Florida Georgia Line concert admission is $10.
• In Houston’s Museum District, there are ten museums which are always free from the Menil Collection to Houston Center for Photography. Plus, seven more have free general admission times every Thursday including the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Museum of Natural Science and the Health Museum. There will be lots of activities specifically for spring break, including free sketching instruction in the galleries at the MFAH. See the Museum District’s spring break guide for more.
• Get a free cup of Italian ice at any Rita’s Italian Ice locations in Houston on Friday, March 20 from noon till 9 p.m. to celebrate the first official day of Spring. In Katy, 6825 S. Fry Road; Sugar Land, 1226 Museum Square Drive; Clear Lake, 1849 El Dorado Blvd; Northwest Houston, 9587 Jones Rd; The Woodlands-Conroe, 3600 FM 1488; and Galveston, 6026 Seawall Blvd. www.RitasIce.com
• Check out “Dark Matter: Late-Night Improv Comedy with Space Mutt and Trek Wars” on Friday March 20, 10–11 p.m. Station Theater, 1230 Houston Ave. Admission is free.
• At the heart of the Museum District, Miller Outdoor Theatre will host the blues-rock Spencer Davis Group Friday, March 20 at 8 p.m. On Saturday, March 21 at 8 p.m., the Latin youth group Caliente, singer and songwriter Kevin Ceballo and salsa music sensation Tony Succar will take the Miller stage. Performances at Miller are always free. MillerOutdoorTheatre.com
• Go sightseeing at the JP Morgan Chase Tower’s Sky Lobby on the 60th floor. The Sky Lobby is free and open to the public during business hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m, Monday through Friday. 600 Travis St.
• Visit the “Tunnel of Love”, an interactive, site-specific art exhibit. It’s open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.–6 p.m. at One Allen Center, 500 Dallas St., second level. Admission is free.
• Check out Station Theater’s “Improv Comedy: Be Kind To Strangers” on Saturday, March 21 8:30–11 p.m. Admission is $6. 1230 Houston Ave.
• Show your HCC Student ID at the Houston Zoo and pay $14 for adult general admission any day.

Be sure to rest and relax this spring break, but also get out of the house, try something new and have fun no matter how small your budget is.