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Free events for Wednesday, 12/21/22
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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 December 21, 2022?

35 free events take place on Wednesday, December 21 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 December 21 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 December . 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,
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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!

35 free things to do in New York City (NYC) on Wednesday, December 21, 2022

All events are free unless otherwise noted.

Editor's Picks

free events nyc Resonant Path: An Immersive Soundwalk
free events nyc Two Pianists Perform Tchaikowsky's Nutcracker Suite on One Piano
free events nyc Holiday Harmonies: Hasidic Spirituals and Rollicking Klezmer
free events nyc Area: A Unique Listening Experience
free events nyc Ukulele Caroling
free events nyc Mobile Hallelujah: Singing Handel at Seven Midtown Locations
More Editor's Picks for 12/21/22
        

Festival | Luminaries: A Mesmerizing Display of Colorful Lanterns


Conceived by the LAB at Rockwell Group, Luminaries' glowing canopy consists of 640 twinkling custom lanterns that change in color and intensity. View a special light show at the top of every hour from 8am to 10pm, set to holiday songs.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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8:00 am
Free

Tour | 13 Tours, All City Neighborhoods, Any Time Of The Day, Choose One Tour Or Many


These free tours take place at various times during the day, all day long. You can make reservations for as many tours as your schedule allows. SoHo, Little Italy and Chinatown Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn Heights + DUMBO 3 Hour Lower Manhattan Harlem Chelsea and the High Line 6 Hour Downtown Combined Greenwich Village Central Park Lower Manhattan Midtown Manhattan Grand Central Terminal Graffiti and Street Art Tours World Trade Center
   New York City, NY; NYC
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10:00 am
Free

Workshop | Origami Meetup


Join a group of fellow folders and share in the ancient art of Origami - the art of folding various mediums, most commonly paper, though other materials often folded are fabric, wire mesh, sheet metal, tissue, thin plastic, cardboard, and straws. Learn new Origami models and share paper, books, and tips, including where to find the best Origami paper in the city.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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11:30 am
Free

Concert | Get Together and Make Music to Celebrate the Solstice


A special solstice program that celebrates the astronomical meaning of the day. If you have an instrument that you can play while mobile, join members of Tilted Axes: Music for Mobile Electric Guitars for a joyous ringing of tones, chords and rhythm that can include acoustic guitars, accordions, glockenspiels, saxophones, dumbeks, melodicas, violins, you name it. Just as the sun "stands still" on every solstice, the musical "parade" will mark the occasion by the ringing of a bell and a special performative minute to the surprise of all onlookers.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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11:55 am
Free

City Walk | Resonant Path: An Immersive Soundwalk


In this immersive soundwalk, members of the NYC-based percussion ensemble Talujon, described by The New York Times as possessing an "edgy, unflagging energy," play a newly commissioned work for gongs spaced along the pathways of the park. Audiences will experience the natural crescendo and decrescendo of each gong along the path, as the wave-like sounds fade away behind them and begin to swell ahead until they reach the last gong.
   New York City, NY; NYC
12:00 pm
Free

Tour | Tour of New York City Hall


One of the oldest continuously used City Halls in the nation that still houses its original governmental functions, New York's City Hall is considered one of the finest architectural achievements of its period. Constructed from 1803 to 1812, the building was an early expression of the City's cosmopolitanism. City Hall is a designated New York City landmark, and its rotunda is a designated interior landmark as well.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:00 pm
Free

Classical Music | Two Pianists Perform Tchaikowsky's Nutcracker Suite on One Piano


Christopher Bradshaw and Nelson Ojeda Valdes, four-hand piano. Christopher Bradshaw and Maria Jose Parker have been captivating audiences with four hand and duo piano performances since they formed their team in 1992. They have a wide repertoire ranging from Mozart to Gershwin, including masterpieces of the great classical composers as well as new music which they have premiered at home and abroad. In 1998, they won the second prize at the International Piano Competition Ciudad de San Sebastian, Spain. They have appeared with the Pallisades Chamber Players in New York's Steinway Hall, and performed Brahms Liebeslieder Waltzes with the Choral Arts Society of Philadelphia. COVID-19 Notice: Vaccination and mask are required to attend.
   New York City, NY; NYC
12:00 pm
Free

Concert | Holiday Harmonies: Hasidic Spirituals and Rollicking Klezmer


Celebrate the holiday season with a lunchtime concert featuring Pete Rushefsky and Jake Shulman-Ment. Pete Rushefsky (tsimbl - cimbalom/hammered dulcimer) and Jake Shulman-Ment (violin) are two of the leading contemporary musicians breathing new life into old-world klezmer, the celebratory music of East European Jews. This lunchtime performance for Hanukkah will be filled with soulful Hasidic spirituals and rollicking dance melodies.
   New York City, NY; NYC
12:30 pm
Free

Jazz | Standards from the American Songbook


Jazz guitarist Bill Wurtzel and guests play standards from the American Songbook. Bill Wurtzel began playing guitar at age 9, and was a radio and TV country music performer by age 12. He attended art school and had a career as an award-winning advertising creative director. He continued to play professionally and switched to music full time in 1989. Bill has played worldwide with many jazz legends, including the Count Basie Countsmen, Wild Bill Davis, Bill Doggett, Jimmy McGriff, the Harlem Blues & Jazz Band, singers Gloria Lynne and Terri Thornton, as well as Paul Simon. Bill is a director of the Jazz Foundation of America.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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1:00 pm
Free

Film | Remember the Titans (2000) with Denzel Washington


The true story of a newly appointed African-American coach and his high school team on their first season as a racially integrated unit. Dir: Boaz Yakin. With Will Patton, Donald Faison, and Nicole Ari Parker. 114 Min. Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. (born December 28, 1954) is an American actor and filmmaker. Known for his performances on the screen and stage, he has been described as an actor who reconfigured "the concept of classic movie stardom". He is also known for his frequent collaborations with directors Spike Lee, Antoine Fuqua, and Tony Scott. Throughout his career spanning over four decades, Washington has received numerous accolades, including a Tony Award, two Academy Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards. In 2016, he received the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2020, The New York Times named him the greatest actor of the 21st century. In 2022, Washington received the Presidential Medal of Freedom bestowed upon him by President Joe Biden.
   New York City, NY; NYC
2:00 pm
Free

Concert | Harmonica Holiday Jam


Harmonica virtuoso Jiayi He, who was featured on America’s Got Talent, will lead a crash course in how to play the harmonica and then led participants in a jam session to showcase their new skills with performances of holiday classics such as “Jingle Bell,” “Deck the Halls,” “Here Comes Santa Claus,” “Silent Night,” “When the Saints Go Marching In,” “Ode to Joy,” “Edelweiss” and “Amazing Grace.” Players of all skill levels are welcome and this is a perfect program for beginners and kids.    
   New York City, NY; NYC
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3:00 pm
Free

Performance | WinteRamble: Giant Frost Giants and a Mini-Lantern Workshop


Celebrate the winter solstice at the WinteRamble – a performance and illuminated procession led by the Giant Frost Puppets from Processional Arts Workshop from 5:00-6:00pm, which will be preceded by a mini-paper lantern workshop between 3:00-5:00pm. Sign up to carry an icicle lantern during the procession, make mini paper lanterns at the mini workshop, or simply join the procession. Those who sign up will receive precise location details. The festivities also include “Kalimbascope” by J.C. King, a participation powered, community exercise in creative music making, involving custom electro-acoustic thumb pianos processed through a mobile sound system that output a dynamic, bubbly and colorful atmosphere of music. The instruments are tuned to themselves and you cannot play a wrong note, so beginner and youth participation is highly encouraged.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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3:00 pm
Free

Discussion | Music on the Brain: Do You Hear What I Hear?


Music is a powerful social activity. As listeners and performers, we engage with the music and our brain waves begin to synchronize. Music has also been shown to activate networks of the brain that give rise to emotion, memory, and the control of movement. Jazz pianist/composer Helen Sung and Zuckerman Institute neuroscientist Dr. Michael Shadlen explore how our shared and private sensibilities shape the way we listen, respond to, and create jazz music. Help curate a musical journey as they celebrate the ways music touches us both individually and as a community.
   New York City, NY; NYC
4:00 pm
Free

Parade | Partake in a Percussive Parade


Join the fun as dancers, fiddlers and pickers (guitars, banjos and mandolins) parade down Flatbush Avenue playing old-time tunes while flatfooting, a form of percussive dancing from Appalachia. This season's event will also highlight other forms of percussive dancing from cultures around the world.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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4:00 pm
Free

Performance | Area: A Unique Listening Experience


At this event, you get to experience and see the nexus between culture, music, innovation and business unfold. What does that mean? You will be able to try out the innovative Austrian tech product NOUS Sonic. NOUS Sonic is a very precise indoor-locating headphone system, originally developed for museum purposes, that can be used for a unique augmented listening experience. You can witness the theater transform into a music studio in which you can individually experience an interactive sound installation by the well-known Austrian electronic musician Christian Fennesz with the NOUS Sonic headphones. PLease note: The sounds are pre-installed, this is not a live performance by the artist. But you get to be your own artist by creating your very own sound mixes, simply by walking through and looking around the theater.
   New York City, NY; NYC
4:30 pm
Free

Concert | Solstice.Soundfullness: Outdoor Deep Listening


.soundfullness transforms outdoor spaces into places of deep listening. Nicole Brancato and Douglas Paulson celebrate the remarkable machinations of the piano by joyfully subverting its reputation as a ubiquitous musical instrument that's seen alternately as precious or as furniture. They play the piano - and play with the piano - to rediscover sound and the mechanics that make sound. And they invite the public to share in these experiments and play themselves: to get under the hood and tinker; to stuff a bolt in the strings and tickle the ivories.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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5:00 pm
Free

Concert | Winter Luminaria with Tilted Axes: Music for Mobile Electric Guitars


The event will take place in a garden set aglow with enchanting lights on Winter Solstice. Tilted Axes: Music for Mobile Electric Guitars was created in 2011 for the inaugural Make Music Winter festival by composer/performer Patrick Grant. Tilted Axes cuts musical pathways through the urban landscape, turning neighborhoods into their own sonic narratives. Since its inception, Grant has produced a number of Tilted Axes processions in various cities upon three continents. The group will perform works by Grant and ensemble members plus music by Glass, Monteverdi, and Hendrix. Choreography is by Christopher Caines.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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5:00 pm
Free

Concert | Works by Glass, Monteverdi, and Hendrix for Guitar


Composer Patrick Grant and Tilted Axes: Music for Mobile Electric Guitars present an evening of innovative musical performance featuring a performance of works by Grant and ensemble members, plus Philip Glass, Claudio Monteverdi, and Jimi Hendrix. Tilted Axes was created in 2011 for the inaugural Make Music Winter festival by Detroit-born, NYC-based composer/performer Patrick Grant. Tilted Axes cuts musical pathways through the urban landscape, turning neighborhoods into their own sonic narratives. Since its inception, Grant has produced a number of Tilted Axes processions in various cities upon three continents.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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5:00 pm
Free

Concert | Bell by Bell: Help Ring in the Season


Literally ring in the winter season! Bell by Bell is a fun tradition designed to transform first time participants and non-musicians into music makers, and it is a perfect program for kids and families. They we will distribute to revelers color-coded bells that play different notes and give an introductory crash course in hand bell playing basics. Then, a team of conductors will wave matching color-coded flags, prompting you and your fellow participants to collectively contribute to commissioned hand bell compositions that intensify as the group gets the swing of things and learns to play together. This season features the world premiere of two new hand bell scores: one by drummer and drone musician Brian Chase of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs; and one by drummer Glenn Kotche of Wilco.
   New York City, NY; NYC
6:00 pm
Free

Classical Music | Mobile Hallelujah: Singing Handel at Seven Midtown Locations


Producer Melissa Gerstein and conductor Douglas Anderson team up again to lead "Mobile Hallelujah," bringing the oldest continuously performed piece of classical music to the streets of NYC. Participating singers will gather at seven popular midtown locations to sing the famously uplifting "Hallelujah Chorus" from George Fredric Handel's Messiah, using their smartphones to keep in sync and in tune and surprising passersby with seemingly spontaneous outbursts of the most famous choral piece in history. See link for more details.
   New York City, NY; NYC
6:00 pm
Free

Parade | Pilgrimage Sings Medieval Melodies


Led by conductor James John, artistic director of the Cerddorion Vocal Ensemble, headlamp-clad singers will walk a route along the park making stops at landmarks to sing medieval melodies once sung on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. Singers of all skill levels are invited, from beginners to early music specialists; everyone is welcome, so don’t be shy. Dress warmly, in layers, and bring only what you can carry with you. Headlamps and music scores will be provided.    
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Concert | Play-Along to Holiday Ukelele Song


In a celebratory program led by local singer/songwriter and ukelele whiz Gwendolyn Fritz, players of all skill levels are welcomed to participate in this group play-along. Song slections will include classic holiday and repertoire tunes for the ukulele.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Parade | Puerto Rican Holida Parade


Partake in this procession, or parranda - the Puerto Rican tradition of caroling. Based in the music of plena and other holiday songs from the island, this festive parade will be led by members of the Bronx music and cultural community, including Jorge Vazquez, Matthew Gonzalez and Bobby Sanabria. Each stop along the parranda will be a different casita, the little houses that evoke the houses of the countryside in Puerto Rico, ending at the casita renowned for its musical legacy: Rincon Criollo Centro Cultural, aka "La Casita de Chema."
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Concert | Ring in the Holidays with a Handbell Concert


Spread Christmas cheer with a handbell-ringing event perfect for all ages. Color-coded bells will be distributed to revelers that play different notes and everyone will be given a crash course in handbell basics. Then, a team of conductors will wave matching color-coded flags, prompting the participants to collectively contribute to soundscapes that intensify as the group learns to play together. This season features the world premiere of new compositions by drummer and drone musicians Brian Chase, of the Grammy-nominated band Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Glenn Kotche of Wilco, named one of the "Greatest Drummers of All Time" by Rolling Stone.
   New York City, NY; NYC
6:00 pm
Free

Concert | Sing Medieval Melodies


Led by conductor James John, artistic director of the Cerddorion Vocal Ensemble, headlamp-clad singers will walk a route along Riverside Park making stops at the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument and other landmarks to sing medieval melodies once sung on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. Singers of all skill levels are invited to join, from beginners to early music specialists. Headlamps and music scores will be provided.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Classical Music | Spread Holiday Cheer Caroling Handel's Classic


Producer Melissa Gerstein and conductor Douglas Anderson team up once again to lead this mobile Hallelujah, bringing the classical piece to the streets of NYC. Participating singers will gather at seven popular midtown locations to sing the famously uplifting Hallelujah Chorus from George Fredric Handel's Messiah, using their smartphones to keep in sync and in tune and surprising passersby with seemingly spontaneous outbursts of the most famous choral piece in history. Any singer who knows their part to the chorus is welcomed and encouraged to participate simply by showing up.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Concert | Ukulele Caroling


A celebratory program led by local singer/songwriter and ukelele whiz Gwendolyn Fritz, players of all skill levels are welcomed to participate in this group play-along. Song slections will include classic holiday and repertoire tunes for the ukulele.
   New York City, NY; NYC
6:00 pm
Free

Festival | Winter Solstice Celebration


A celebration of the winter solstice and the return of light as the days begin to grow longer. Enjoy free hot beverages and music. Bring your own bells and ring in the new year.
   New York City, NY; NYC
6:00 pm
Free

Musical | A Series of Musical Movie Scenes Featuring Broadway Actors


Directed by Q Lim and Daniel Edwards, this special event will take audiences on a journey through some of the best musical scenes from Aladdin, Frozen, The Phantom of the Opera, The Greatest Showman, and more. Q Lim is a Korean actor and a certified vocal coach who made her principal debut on Broadway at Lincoln Center in The King and I. Q was also in the original cast of The King and I on Broadway Tour. Daniel J Edwards is a Broadway singer and actor who has starred in the Anything Goes Revival on Broadway, The King and I National Tour, Road Show at NYCC Encores, Disney's Mulan, and more All royal guests from magical kingdoms and fairylands are welcome - royal attire or related costumes are recommended, but not required.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:30 pm
Free

Dance Performance | Participate in Cultural Dances


Accompanied by live musicians, several dance troupes will showcase the cultural diversity of Queens by teaching basic dance moves and percussive rhythms, transforming spectators into performers. Handheld percussion instruments will be distributed to attendees while supplies last. Perfect for kids and families!
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:30 pm
Free

Festival | Uptown Get Down


An outdoor celebration of sound and light. Fogo Azul, NYC’s all-women Brazilian samba-reggae drum line, and Harlem’s own Marching Cobras drum and dance line, will march the sidewalks before getting down on the plaza. Dance along and take in NightSeeing's new Uptown Flash light installation. Free hot cocoa will be served, so bring the whole family.      
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:30 pm
Free

Talk | Artist Talk: Revisited Histories (online)


This virtual artist talk with Traci Talasco will delve into her new exhibition, Revisited Histories. Traci Talasco’s site-specific installations address the retelling of history with its mistakes, inaccuracies, or details purposely left out. Viewing the space through a de-colonialist lens, her use of pink erasers and bars of ivory soap recontextualize the familiar in poetic ways. Talasco has spent almost two years working on this project, and she will be discussing the concepts in the work, her research, and her process.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
Free

City Walk | Holiday Lights Tour


It's time to celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah and the New Year as Midtown Manhattan lights up like no other place in the world. Mechanical window displays, synchronized light and sound shows, not to mention Santa Claus and toy soldiers surely await you in this winter wonderland. Lighting and window displays we visit on the tour: (tentative until displays are up): Rockefeller Center St. Patrick's Cathedral Saks Fifth Ave Macy's Herald Square Bergdorf Goodman Tiffany and Co. and much more Rain, snow or shine. Dress appropriate for the weather (jackets, scarves, hats, gloves and layers).
   New York City, NY; NYC
7:00 pm
Free

Dance Performance | Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's 2022 Opening Night Gala (online thru Jan. 2)


This riveting one-night-only performance features The Ailey School students in a rousing, colorful excerpt of Mauro Bigonzetti's "Festa Barocca" that embodies the joyfulness of the season; Artistic Director Robert Battle's hauntingly beautiful duet "Unfold" performed to soprano Brandie Sutton's live rendition of Gustave Charpentier's aria "Depuis le jour" (Louise, Act III); and Alvin Ailey's uplifting "Revelations." This event was recorded at New York City Center on November 30, 2022.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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8:00 pm
Free

Concert | Topsy Turvy New York Holiday Music (online)


In the new holiday special “Topsy Turvy New York,” nearly 600 award-winning Young People’s Chorus of New York City choristers take audiences on a heartfelt holiday journey guided by holiday classics from around the world. The music-filled program was filmed at various locations across the city.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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8:00 pm
Free
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