free things to do in New York City
Free events for Thursday, 01/22/26
<

January 2026

>
Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa
    123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031
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 January 22, 2026?

21 free events take place on Thursday, January 22 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 January 22 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 January . 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.
Join the Club!
Go!
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!

21 free things to do in New York City (NYC) on Thursday, January 22, 2026

All events are free unless otherwise noted.
        

Workshop | Central Park Running Session (All Levels Welcome)


If you prefer not to run alone or are looking to improve your running performance, you can run with a club! Open to runners of all levels. Weekly changed routes through the park. Coaches, training, running company and inspiration!
   New York City, NY; NYC
Join the Club!
Go!
6:30 am
Free
Workshops, January 22, 2026, 01/22/2026, Central Park Running&nbsp;Session (All Levels Welcome)

Workshop | Learn How To Play Mah-Jongg


Mah-Jongg is a four-person tile game of skill, strategy, and luck! Learn the rules and mechanics of American Mah-Jongg. Attend a two hour group lesson with instructor Susan Richards. Sets and a few cards provided, but you are encouraged to bring your own cards.
   New York City, NY; NYC
Join the Club!
Go!
10:00 am
Free
Workshops, January 22, 2026, 01/22/2026, Learn How To Play Mah-Jongg

Film | The Last Picture Show (1971): Coming-of-Age Drama Film with Jeff Bridges


In 1951, a group of high schoolers come of age in a bleak, isolated, atrophied North Texas town that is slowly dying, both culturally and economically. Director: Peter Bogdanovich Cast: Timothy Bottoms, Jeff Bridges, Ellen Burstyn, Ben Johnson, Cloris Leachman, Cybill Shepherd Jeff Bridges is an American actor. He is known for his leading man roles in film and television. In a career spanning over seven decades he has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and a Screen Actors Guild Award in addition to nominations for three BAFTA Awards.
   New York City, NY; NYC
Join the Club!
Go!
11:00 am
Free
Films, January 22, 2026, 01/22/2026, The Last Picture Show (1971):&nbsp;Coming-of-Age Drama Film with Jeff Bridges

Birdwatching | Winter Birding in Central Park


This event will take place outdoors in Central Park, meeting at the library. It will be led by expert birder Alan Drogin and learn what birds stick it out through the winter months. Whether you're a seasoned birder or a curious beginner, this program will introduce you to the basics of bird identification, including how to recognize birds by shape, behavior, and sound. Learn about winter birds in Central Park and explore the natural wonders hidden in the heart of the city!
   New York City, NY; NYC
Join the Club!
Go!
11:00 am
Free
Birdwatchings, January 22, 2026, 01/22/2026, Winter Birding in Central Park

Classical Music | Afternoon Bach


Take a momentary respite from a busy day to enjoy a selection of organ works by Johann Sebastian Bach in an intimate venue.
   New York City, NY; NYC
Join the Club!
Go!
12:20 pm
Free
Concerts, January 22, 2026, 01/22/2026, Afternoon Bach

Film | The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1958): War Drama with Ingrid Bergman


An account of British evangelical Christian Gladys Aylward's missionary work in pre-WWII China. Director: Mark Robson Cast: Ingrid Bergman, Curt Jürgens, Robert Donat Ingrid Bergman was a Swedish actress who starred in a variety of European and American films, television movies, and plays. With a career spanning five decades, she is often regarded as one of the most influential screen figures in cinematic history. In 1999, the American Film Institute recognised Bergman as the fourth greatest female screen legend of Classic Hollywood Cinema. She won numerous accolades, including three Academy Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, and four Golden Globe Awards.
   New York City, NY; NYC
Join the Club!
Go!
1:00 pm
Free
Films, January 22, 2026, 01/22/2026, The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1958): War Drama with Ingrid Bergman

Classical Music | Works by Hildegard von Bingen for Voice & Harmonium (+ Visual Art) (In Person AND Online!)


The Pandora Consort (Kendra Comstock, Angie Tyler, and Gina Marie Falk, voices and harmonium) explores the mystical visions of Hildegard von Bingen through her illuminations and music. Taking inspiration from her life, the ensemble weaves them together in a concert program focused on four of her most famous visions that influenced her spiritual philosophy. Working with visual artist Cate Duckwall to bring these visions to life, this concert features music from Hildegard’s vast oeuvre accompanied by artistic animations of key illuminations, creating a multimedia experience.
   New York City, NY; NYC
Join the Club!
Go!
1:15 pm
Free
Concerts, January 22, 2026, 01/22/2026, Works by Hildegard von Bingen for Voice & Harmonium (+ Visual Art) (In Person AND Online!)

Film | Weapons (2025): Mystery Horror Film


When all but one child from the same classroom mysteriously vanish on the same night at exactly the same time, a community is left questioning who or what is behind their disappearance. Director: Zach Cregger Cast: Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Cary Christopher, Toby Huss
   New York City, NY; NYC
Join the Club!
Go!
2:00 pm
Free
Films, January 22, 2026, 01/22/2026, Weapons (2025): Mystery Horror Film

Museums | Conversations with Curators: Modern Art


Join museum curator Stephen Pinson for an insider look at select modern artworks, with insights and untold stories. Note: Space is limited; first-come, first-served.
   New York City, NY; NYC
Join the Club!
Go!
3:00 pm
Free
Museumss, January 22, 2026, 01/22/2026, Conversations with Curators: Modern Art

Workshop | Get Photography Feedback from National Geographic Photographer and Sony Artisan


Photographer Ira Block will provide an overview of everything he has shared in previous photography workshops, and tips to incorporate these learnings into your daily photography practice. Email the organizers one of your favorite images for Ira to look at and provide feedback.
   New York City, NY; NYC
Join the Club!
Go!
3:00 pm
Free
Workshops, January 22, 2026, 01/22/2026, Get Photography Feedback from&nbsp;National Geographic Photographer and Sony Artisan

Opening Reception | Next Up: Twisted Vines: Multi-Artist Show on Peace 


Next Up: Twisted Vines presents 25 artists working across drawing, installation, painting, printmaking, and sculpture, ranging from exuberant pop culture paintings to carefully etched prints, sharply rendered pencil drawings, and mother-of-pearl inlays. Although these approximately 80 artworks cover vast ground conceptually and visually, they primarily focus on establishing peace with oneself, nature, and society. Through lived experiences and cultural traditions, these multinational artists draw on their communities' histories as a rich source of inspiration, and their own perspectives of the ongoing lineages.
   New York City, NY; NYC
Join the Club!
Go!
5:00 pm
Free
Opening Receptions, January 22, 2026, 01/22/2026, Next Up: Twisted Vines: Multi-Artist Show on Peace&nbsp;

Museums | Thursday Evening Exploring the Photography Museum


This museum is the world’s leading institution dedicated to photography and visual culture. It was founded in 1974 to champion “concerned photography”—socially and politically minded images that can educate and change the world. Through its exhibitions, education programs, community outreach, and public programs, the museum offers an open forum for dialogue about the power of the image.
   New York City, NY; NYC
Join the Club!
Go!
5:00 pm
$5, tickets required
Museumss, January 22, 2026, 01/22/2026, Thursday Evening Exploring the Photography Museum

Book Discussion | Art Photographer Shares His New Book, All a Blur: Photographs from the Infinity Series (+ Signing)


Hear a conversation with fine art photographer Bill Armstrong to celebrate his new book, All a Blur: Photographs from the Infinity Series, a stunning meditation on the granular elements of personal history, spirituality, philosophy, and the medium of photography itself. He will be in conversation, followed by a signing.
   New York City, NY; NYC
Join the Club!
Go!
5:30 pm
Free
Book Discussions, January 22, 2026, 01/22/2026, Art Photographer Shares His New Book,&nbsp;All a Blur: Photographs from the Infinity Series&nbsp;(+ Signing)

Film | The Silence / Tystnaden (1963): Swedish Drama Film from Ingmar Bergman


Two sisters, the younger a sensuous woman with a young son, the elder more intellectually oriented and seriously ill, and their tense relationship as they travel toward home through a fictional Central European country on the brink of war. Director: Ingmar Bergman Cast: Ingrid Thulin, Gunnel Lindblom, Birger Malmsten, Håkan Jahnberg, Jörgen Lindström Ingmar Bergman was a Swedish film and theatre director and screenwriter, considered one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers of all time. His films have been described as "profoundly personal meditations into the myriad struggles facing the psyche and the soul". Bergman directed over 60 films and documentaries, most of which he also wrote.
   New York City, NY; NYC
Join the Club!
Go!
6:00 pm
Free
Films, January 22, 2026, 01/22/2026, The Silence / Tystnaden (1963): Swedish Drama Film from Ingmar Bergman

Opening Reception | Multi-Artist Black & White Exhibition


Experience this historic annual black and white exhibition. This show is multi-artist exhibition of black and white or monochromatic sepia drawings, graphics, photographs, paintings, and sculpture. Peering through a lens of black and white, these artists present finely-tuned styles and techniques in a variety of media.
   New York City, NY; NYC
Join the Club!
Go!
6:00 pm
Free
Opening Receptions, January 22, 2026, 01/22/2026, Multi-Artist Black & White Exhibition

Film | Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat (2024): Documentary about the Cold War & Jazz Activism


United Nations, 1960: the Global South ignites a political earthquake, jazz musicians Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach crash the Security Council, Nikita Khrushchev bangs his shoe, and the U.S. State Department swings into action, sending jazz ambassador Louis Armstrong to Congo to deflect attention from the CIA-backed coup. Director Johan Grimonprez captures the moment when African politics and American jazz collided in this magnificent essay film, a riveting historical rollercoaster that illuminates the political machinations behind the 1961 assassination of Congo's leader Patrice Lumumba. Richly illustrated by eyewitness accounts, official government memos, testimonies from mercenaries and CIA operatives, speeches from Lumumba himself, and a veritable canon of jazz icons, Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat interrogates colonial history to tell an urgent and timely story of precedent that resonates more than ever in today's geopolitical climate. Director: Johan Grimonprez
   New York City, NY; NYC
Join the Club!
Go!
6:30 pm
Free
Films, January 22, 2026, 01/22/2026, Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat (2024): Documentary about the Cold War & Jazz Activism

Book Discussion | Journalist Discusses Her New Book, Looted: Rescuing Italy’s Stolen Treasures


Italian American journalist Frances Vieta is in conversation with Roundtable member Linda Selman as she offers a rare glimpse into the complexities of the art world’s dark underbelly. Vieta will discuss her new book, Looted: Rescuing Italy’s Stolen Treasures.  You will learn of the shadowy network of tomb robbers and the corrupt smugglers and dealers exploiting Italy’s ancient archaeological sites and New York City’s prestigious art galleries and museums. In 1973, the $1 million purchase of the Euphronios Krater by New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art persuaded Vieta, a young journalist fresh from college, to join forces with Rodolfo Siviero, Italy’s renowned art recovery expert, and the Carabinieri Art Squad. Their decades-long mission to identify and rescue priceless artifacts involved history, drama, danger, and legal battles. Vieta will sign copies of the book after the presentation.
   New York City, NY; NYC
Join the Club!
Go!
6:30 pm
Free
Book Discussions, January 22, 2026, 01/22/2026, Journalist Discusses Her New Book,&nbsp;Looted: Rescuing Italy&rsquo;s Stolen Treasures

Concert | Art Songs, Arias, & Showtunes by Schubert, Puccini, Brahms, Sondheim, & More (In Person AND Online!)


Enjoy a recital performed by the Manhattan School of Music's vocal arts faculty, featuring: Mary Dunleavy, soprano, Amy Justman, soprano, Christòpheren Nomura, baritone, Dimitri Pittas, tenor, Sidney Outlaw, baritone, and Tim McDevitt, baritone. The performers will sing works by Schubert, Puccini, Verdi, Gounod, Viardot, Brahms, Duparc, Strouse, Sondheim, Loesser, and Kuo.
   New York City, NY; NYC
Join the Club!
Go!
7:30 pm
Free
Concerts, January 22, 2026, 01/22/2026, Art Songs, Arias, & Showtunes&nbsp;by Schubert, Puccini, Brahms, Sondheim, & More (In Person AND Online!)

Concert | Contemporary Folk Music with No-No Boy


Dr. Julian Saporiti, aka No-No Boy, constructs his songs' empathic lyrics from interviews drawn from his academic research, including with his own Vietnamese American family. Echoing the storytelling traditions of legendary artists Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger, Saporiti’s music carves out space within the contemporary folk genre to engage the experiences of Asian Americans from across the historic landscape. Dr. Saporiti will play songs from his varied catalogue, including tracks from his latest 2023 album, Empire Electric. There are two ways to access this free event: 1. General Admission, first-come first-served. Just show up! 2. Fast Track opening the Tuesday before the event at noon.
   New York City, NY; NYC
Join the Club!
Go!
7:30 pm
Free
Concerts, January 22, 2026, 01/22/2026, Contemporary Folk Music with No-No Boy

Poetry Reading | Evening of Local Poetry


Enjoy an evening of poetry with local poet and playwright Galinsky, with "Five Minute Features" from a dozen poets of all styles.
   New York City, NY; NYC
Join the Club!
Go!
8:00 pm
Free
Poetry Readings, January 22, 2026, 01/22/2026, Evening of Local Poetry

Comedy Club | Standup Show


Catch some of the best comedians at this free weekly stand-up show, featuring a lineup of rising stars and seasoned favorites. Past performers include Sheng Wang, Mark Normand, Dan Soder, Annie Lederman, and more.
   New York City, NY; NYC
Join the Club!
Go!
8:00 pm
Free
Comedy Clubs, January 22, 2026, 01/22/2026, Standup Show
Join the Club!
Go!
Complimentary Tickets

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

Play | Broadway Actor in a Play About a Towering Figure in Media

Regular Price: $59
CFT Member Price: $0.00

Concert | Award-Winning Singer-Songrwiter at Legendary Jazz Club

Regular Price: $25
CFT Member Price: $0.00