free things to do in New York City
Free events for Monday, 02/02/26
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Free Events, Free Things to Do in New York City!  Read More

Are you looking for free things to do in New York City (NYC) on February 2, 2026?

18 free events take place on Monday, February 2 in New York City. Don't miss the opportunities that only New York provides! Exciting, high quality, unique and off the beaten path free events and free things to do take place in New York today, tonight, tomorrow and each day of the year, any time of the day: whether it's a weekday or a weekend, day or night, morning or evening or afternoon, December or July, April or November! These events will take your breath away!

New York City (NYC) never ceases to amaze you with quantity and quality of its free culture and free entertainment. Check out February 2 and see for yourself. Summer or Winter, Spring or Fall! Just click on any day of the calendar above and you'll find most inspiring and entertaining free events to go to and free things to do on each day of February . Don't miss the opportunities that only New York provides!

Some events take place all year long: same day of the week, same time there are there for you to take advantage of. One of the oldest free weekly events in Manhattan is Dixieland Jazz with the Gotham Jazzmen, which happen at noon every Tuesday. Another example of an event that you can attend all year round on weekdays is Federal Reserve Bank Tour, which takes place every week day at 1 pm (but advanced reservations are required). You can take at least 13 free tours every day of the year, except the New Year Day, July 4th, and the Christmas Day. If you are classical music afficionado, you can spend whole day in New York going from one free classical concert to another. If you love theater, then New York gives you an option to attend plays and musicals free of charge, or at deep discount. You just need to have information about it. And we are here to make that information available to you.
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The quality and quantity of
free events,
free things to do
that happen in New York City
every day of the year
is truly amazing.

So don't miss the opportunities
that only New York provides:
stop wondering what to do;
start taking advantage of
free events to go to,
free things to do in NYC
today!

18 free things to do in New York City (NYC) on Monday, February 2, 2026

All events are free unless otherwise noted.
        

Workshop | Start the Day with Morning Meditation


Start your day by balancing your mind, body, and spirit during instructor guided meditation. This renowned practice lowers blood pressure, reduces stress, and strengthens the immune system.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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9:45 am
Free
Workshops, February 02, 2026, 02/02/2026, Start the Day with Morning Meditation

Museums | Exploring Art, History, and Global Cultures in a Landmark Museum


Spend time exploring a world-renowned collection spanning centuries of art, design, and cultural history. From ancient artifacts to iconic masterpieces, these galleries invite slow looking, discovery, and reflection across works that connect global traditions, artistic innovation, and human stories.
   New York City, NY; NYC
10:00 am
pay-what-you-wish for NY...
Museumss, February 02, 2026, 02/02/2026, Exploring Art, History, and Global Cultures in a Landmark Museum

Master Class | Learn the Ins & Outs of Great Viola & Violin Performance


Manhattan School of Music Professor Patinka Kopec, imparts skills and techniques for violin and viola mastery.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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10:00 am
Free
Concerts, February 02, 2026, 02/02/2026, Learn the Ins & Outs of Great Viola & Violin Performance

Party | Fiber/Textile Arts Meetup


Are you a knitter? Do you like to crochet? Maybe you like a different type of fiber art? Whichever it is, bring your supplies and lose yourself in the meditative world of creating art with fiber. Invite your friends, or make new connections there. This is a meet-up, not a class.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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1:00 pm
Free
Partys, February 02, 2026, 02/02/2026, Fiber/Textile Arts Meetup

Screening | We Were Here – The Untold History of Black Africans in Renaissance Europe (2025): Documentary + Filmmaker Q&A


We Were Here , exhibited at the Central Pavilion of the 60ᵗʰ International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale and presented as an Official Submission to the 98th Academy Awards 2026 – Best Documentary Feature, also submitted to the 56th NAACP Image Awards 2026, sheds light on the overlooked presence of African and Black individuals in Renaissance Europe, highlighting their depiction in masterpieces by some of the era’s most celebrated artists. How did they come to Europe? Why were they portrayed? Were they truly all servants or enslaved? If the Black faces depicted in these Renaissance masterpieces could speak, what would they tell us? Director: Fred Kudjo Kuwornu
   New York City, NY; NYC
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4:00 pm
Free
Screenings, February 02, 2026, 02/02/2026, We Were Here &ndash; The Untold History of Black Africans in Renaissance Europe (2025): Documentary&nbsp;+ Filmmaker Q&A

Museums | Historical and Modern Design Spanning Centuries


The museum is dedicated to showcasing the history, influence, and importance of design in everyday life. Housed in a historic mansion, the museum features a diverse collection of design objects, including decorative arts, architecture, graphic design, textiles, and industrial design.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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5:00 pm
pay-what-you-wish from 5pm...
Museumss, February 02, 2026, 02/02/2026, Historical and Modern Design Spanning Centuries

Festival | Evening Light and Sound Experience


Until February 17th, explore a unique light-and-sound installation after dark. Enjoy the vibrant city energy, with entertainment and special offers from local businesses, turning your visit into a full evening out.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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5:15 pm
Free
Festivals, February 02, 2026, 02/02/2026, Evening Light and Sound Experience

Museums | Explore Memorial Museum and Reconnect with History


Reconnect with the feeling of community and cohesion that blanketed our city and nation in the wake of 9/11. This is a monument to human dignity, courage, and sacrifice, this museum honors the nearly 3,000 people killed in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and February 26, 1993, recognizes the courage of those who survived, and salutes those who risked their lives to help others.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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5:30 pm
Free
Museumss, February 02, 2026, 02/02/2026, Explore Memorial Museum and Reconnect with History

Screening | Common Denominator: Docuseries Pilot on Mental Health + Discussion with Experts


Before he passed away, Tony Award-winning actor Gavin Creel filmed a pilot episode of Common Denominator, a regular documentary series dedicated to exploring the mental health challenges many of us face. Experience a screening of this pilot episode! Throughout the episode, Creel shares his journey of navigating life's challenges, from coming out and experiencing love and loss, to the deep connections he found in friendship and family. His story illustrates the impact of music and art, not just as forms of expression, but as tools for connection and healing. Following the screening, organizers will host a discussion with a panel of performing arts professionals. They will share their personal experiences and insights on mental health within the performing arts community, sparking a much-needed conversation about well-being in a demanding industry.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free
Screenings, February 02, 2026, 02/02/2026, Common Denominator: Docuseries Pilot on Mental Health + Discussion with Experts

Film | Thirst for Love (Ai no kawaki) (1967): Japanese Romantic Drama Film


A tense psychological drama about a young woman who is widowed after marrying into a wealthy family, and becomes sexually involved with her father-in-law, while harboring a destructive obsession with the family gardener. Director: Koreyoshi Kurahara Cast: Ruriko Asaoka, Tetsuo Ishidate In Japanese with English subtitles.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free
Films, February 02, 2026, 02/02/2026, Thirst for Love (Ai no kawaki) (1967):&nbsp;Japanese Romantic Drama Film

Discussion | Activists & Experts Discuss Immigration Detention & Mass Incarceration


This event will bring together faculty, students, and advocates in both immigration detention and justice-impacted communities, from Arizona, California, Florida, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, and Texas. They will share first-hand stories of crackdowns on immigrant communities in each of their communities, and their connection to experiences of incarceration. They will also reflect on the narratives that have divided the movements against immigration detention and mass incarceration, and envision what stories, scholarship, and pedagogies can help bring them together The systems of immigration detention and mass incarceration are intertwined: immigrants and citizens accused of crimes are often detained in the same buildings, controlled by the same personnel, managed by the same corporations. Expansions of prisons have fueled the expansion of immigration detention, and vice versa. Yet they are often understood — and contested — separately. 
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free
Discussions, February 02, 2026, 02/02/2026, Activists & Experts Discuss Immigration Detention & Mass Incarceration

Workshop | Learn & Practice Chess with an Expert


Learn to play chess or develop your strategies with chess expert Tamar Chanadiri from the Marshall Chess Club. Participants are encouraged to attend all sessions, as each one builds on the previous. Bring a friend or join on your own--all levels and ages are welcome! Chess sets are provided but you're welcome to bring your own. From 6-7 PM Tamar will provide instruction for beginner-level players. From 7-8 PM there will be open play for all levels.
   New York City, NY; NYC
6:00 pm
Free
Workshops, February 02, 2026, 02/02/2026, Learn & Practice Chess with an Expert

Book Discussion | Literary Scholar Discusses Her New Book, Forgotten Friendships: Yugoslavia and the Anticolonial Francophone World


In her book Forgotten Friendships: Yugoslavia and the Anticolonial Francophone World, Serbian literary scholar Alexandra Perišić examines transnational friendships and alliances between intellectuals from Yugoslavia and the Francophone African and Caribbean world during the mid-twentieth century. Forgotten Friendships emphasizes the ways in which writers, intellectuals, and activists envisioned alternative futures rooted in collaboration across peripheries. Personal bonds of friendship were not mere footnotes to the anti-colonial struggle, but vital political tools for rethinking global solidarity.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free
Book Discussions, February 02, 2026, 02/02/2026, Literary Scholar Discusses Her New Book,&nbsp;Forgotten Friendships: Yugoslavia and the Anticolonial Francophone World

Opening Reception | Photography Exhibition Explroing Brazilian Life (+ Artist Talk & Gallery Walk)


Enjoy the opening of an exhibition curated by Peter Lucas that brings two striking visual archives into conversation for the first time. In 2003, at a Rio de Janeiro flea market, Lucas discovered a collection of images by the late amateur photographer Orizon Carneiro Muniz. Taken in the early 1960s, Muniz’s work captured the vibrant life of Rio’s beaches and the people who frequented them. Inspired by this encounter, Lucas also captured 5,000 photographs, only on Sundays, using a 6 x 7 camera on the rocks of Arpoador, the same part of the Ipanema beach that Muniz documented 50 years earlier. This reception features remarks from Peter Lucas, a curated gallery walk, and refreshments.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free
Opening Receptions, February 02, 2026, 02/02/2026, Photography Exhibition Explroing Brazilian Life (+ Artist Talk & Gallery Walk)

Book Discussion | Chef Shares Her New Cookbook, Gursha: Timeless Recipes for Modern Kitchens


Chef and uptown restaurateur Beejhy Barhany sits down to discuss her new cookbook Gursha: Timeless Recipes for Modern Kitchens, from Ethiopia, Israel, Harlem, and Beyond with food writer and editor Gabriella Gershenson.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:30 pm
Free
Book Discussions, February 02, 2026, 02/02/2026, Chef Shares Her New Cookbook,&nbsp;Gursha: Timeless Recipes for Modern Kitchens

Talk | Musican Discusses His Music Education Initiatives in Peru


Hear Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Flórez discuss his organization, Sinfonía por el Perú, which has been providing music education to children and young people for over a decade. 15 years ago, Flórez founded Sinfonía por el Perú, which has transformed the lives of more than 35,000 children and young people growing up in contexts of high risk and vulnerability. Through free music education, they gain access to a safe space that promotes emotional well-being, the development of personal and social skills, and the construction of positive and sustainable life projects. Above all, they learn to believe in themselves and to dream of a better future.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
Free
Talks, February 02, 2026, 02/02/2026, Musican Discusses His Music Education Initiatives in Peru

Workshop | Retro Music Dance Fitness


Come dance to classic pop tunes: Top 40, Disco, Electronic and more! This class is 45 minutes of peppy beats to enhance your cardio conditioning. A low-impact and fun workout; it is open to any fitness level. Let's dance away blue Monday! Instructor: Patricia Collins
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
Free
Workshops, February 02, 2026, 02/02/2026, Retro Music Dance Fitness

Concert | Musical Tribute to Poet Cornelius Eady


Independent study presentation celebrating the poetry of Cornelius Eady. Eady wrote poetry often focused on race and society, performing it alongside live music.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:30 pm
Free
Concerts, February 02, 2026, 02/02/2026, Musical Tribute to Poet Cornelius Eady
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Complimentary Tickets

to shows, concerts ... (CFT Deals!)

Performance | Multi-Award Winners Give Insights into Careers of Iconic Artists

Regular Price: $80
CFT Member Price: $0.00

Play | "Crowd-Pleasing" Shakespeare Comedy

Regular Price: $40
CFT Member Price: $0.00

Classical Music | "Profoundly Moving" Journey through Song with Grammy-Winning Musicians

Regular Price: $50
CFT Member Price: $0.00