Try before you buy

Ironically, the elimination of the reviled ticket rush may have inadvertently undermined people’s impetus to sign up. The lottery was extended from its original Jan. 21 deadline to allow more entries, and on the eve of enrollment ending only 2,105 people had entered requests for 6,092 available tickets. Of course, entries aren’t evenly distributed; more than 600 people applied for only 10 slots available in a pottery class, for instance. But many of the ticketed events may still have open seats, and those that don’t will offer a standby line for any tickets that aren’t claimed 30 minutes before the show. In other words, if you missed out on the lottery, it isn’t too late. Call the individual organization in question, and follow @artsfestUA on Twitter for late-breaking updates. Better yet, just attend any of the month’s many unticketed events. (All events are listed at ArtsFestFL.com.)

So grab a schedule and start circling. If you’re clever, you can cobble together an entire Valentine’s month full of artistic encounters without spending a cent.

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