65 free things to do in New York City (NYC) on Thursday, July 20, 2017
All events are free unless otherwise noted.
A sweaty yoga flow that will leave you breathless, refreshed and ready to tackle your day.
New York City, NY; NYC
7:00 am
free, no reservation required
These morning classes provided by the Tai Chi Chuan Center are led by teachers and students who train ...
more >> at CK Chu Tai Chi under the direction of Master Hyland Harris. All ages and levels are welcome. Classes are rain or shine.
7:30 am
free, no reservation required
A beat-bumping, butt-kicking class that will leave you feeling some seriously good vibes. Sneakers recommended.
New York City, NY; NYC
8:00 am
free, no reservation required
This is a 3-hour tour that begins with a walk over the Brooklyn Bridge, an icon of New York City for ...
more >> over 125 years, with spectacular views of Manhattan and Brooklyn. The tour then moves on to a stroll of Brooklyn Heights, America’s and New York City’s first suburb. The tour then explores the neighborhood DUMBO before ending at the Fulton Ferry landing.
The 3-hour walking and subway tour covers the Financial District including Wall Street and the World ...
more >> Trade Center, SoHo, Little Italy and Chinatown. These are neighborhoods that simply can’t be fully appreciated from a bus. There will be one or two opportunities to sample tasty treats.
Although world famous, Harlem may be New York's best kept secret with some of the city's best architecture, ...
more >> food, music and people. Harlem's history is also one of the city's most dramatic, having gone through many ethnic, cultural and socioeconomic changes over the past roughly 400 years, which have resulted in a diverse array of places of worship, theaters, homes and eating establishments.
Explore more advanced features of Microsoft Word 2010. Topics include mail merge, tables, text boxes, ...
more >> headers and footers, footnotes and endnotes.
What makes a powerful performance, and why does it move us so deeply? How do musicians handle stage fright? ...
more >> How can art inspire all of us to be more courageous and creative in our everyday lives? Writer and violist Nora Krohn will explore these questions that get at the core of how artistic vulnerability promotes an enlivening of the human heart.
10:30 am
free, no reservation required
Enjoy a game station that is free and open to the public with giant games, board games, and cornhole ...
more >> sets. Games will be available beginning at 11:00 a.m. Local businesses and organizations will join in on the fun to provide free cultural education and entertainment from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. New this year: Eataly and Shake Shack to host "Summer Scoops" featuring complimentary servings of Eataly's Gelato at our "Summer Scoops Kickoff" and Shake Shack's Frozen Custard at "Mid-Summer Scoops".
11:00 am
free, no reservation required
Learn the fundamentals of computer programming with the popular language Python. This class will cover ...
more >> concepts fundamental to all programming languages and provide an introduction to coding more generally. Note that this is a two-part class, the first session will be from 11am - 1pm, the second from 2pm-4pm, with a one hour lunch break between. You must attend the first session in order to attend the second. You must be comfortable using a computer in order to code, especially typing. They highly recommend being able to type at least 20 words per minute.
Stars: Joan Crawford, Sterling Hayden, Mercedes McCambridge. After helping a wounded gang member, a strong-willed ...
more >> female saloon owner is wrongly suspected of murder and bank robbery by a lynch mob. 110 min.
11:00 am
free, no reservation required
Explore the southwest of Central Park with Central Park Conservancy tour guides, and see it like never ...
more >> before. From a planned military parade ground to the site commemorating a famous activist for peace, one of the most-visited areas of the Park has some secrets to share with even the most seasoned Park-goer. Highlights of this tour include: Maine Monument, the Children’s District, Sheep Meadow, Tavern on the Green, and Strawberry Fields.
11:00 am
free, no reservation required
Poet’s House poet and author CAConrad will be performing his form of spiritual poetry. In addition ...
more >> to readings, performances, and workshops, he will be offering personalized soma(tic) poetry rituals that engage visitors in forms of mysticism, spirituality, and poetry. 12-5pm: Soma(tic) Poetry Rituals 6-8pm: Activist Poetry Rituals
12:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Come down to the park for lunch and let the students from The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music ...
more >> provide the soundtrack.
12:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Editor's Pick
The seminal New Orleans house band of Preservation Hall was formed at the famous French Quarter haunt ...
more >> and is led today by the venue founders’ son, Ben Jaffe. Its original members performed with the likes of Buddy Bolden, Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong, and Bunk Johnson. The ensemble continues its deep reverence for tradition while touring worldwide and building fresh material, including the 2013 release of That's It!, the band's first album of all-original music in its entire 50-year career.
12:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Editor's Pick
The most popular shows on and off Broadway perform their biggest hits. Hosted by 106.7 LiteFM DJs. Today’s ...
more >> show is hosted by Rich Kaminski and includes performances from: Waitress Chicago Cats Spamilton: An American Parody
12:30 pm
free, no reservation required
Learn what it takes to start your own business. This course provides a basic overview of the steps you'll ...
more >> need to take to start a business and how NYC Business Solutions can guide you through each step along the way.
Learn about central banking functions that Federal Reserve System performs and see Bank's vault of international ...
more >> monetary gold on bedrock of Manhattan Island, five stories below street level. Learn why Federal Reserve has "Federal" in its name, while it's a private bank, not Federal at all. Tour times: 1:00pm, 2:00pm. This tour takes place Mondays through Fridays, except bank holidays.
Join a tour of the current exhibitions with Valérie Rousseau, the museum’s curator for self-taught ...
more >> art and art brut. Meet in the museum atrium.
1:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Take a mid-day pause to refresh your mind and re-establish your center in the midst of bustling city ...
more >> life. Meditation is a powerful tool to eliminate stress, to heal the body, mind, and brain, and to enhance your personal well-being and positive relationship with the world.
1:00 pm
$10 suggested donation
Share your passion for gaming the old-fashioned way. If words excite or inspire you, and crossword puzzles ...
more >> keep you going, then Scrabble is your game! Are you a chess or checkers champion? Whether you're a master or just starting out, show off your best moves. If you like wheeling and dealing, Monopoly's the game for you. Join them for some lively board time. All levels of play welcome. Please feel free to bring your own game set, and friends.
1:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Join a tour of The Battery, a 25-acre park at the tip of Manhattan. Learn about the park's rich history, ...
more >> many important landmarks and monuments, the Seaglass Carousel, 134,000 square feet of beautiful perennial gardens designed by renowned Dutch garden designer Piet Oudolf, and so much more. Every Thursday from May 11 to August 31, 2017.
Stars: Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson. Two stage magicians engage in competitive one-upmanship ...
more >> in an attempt to create the ultimate stage illusion. 130 min.
2:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Monthly book discussions to explore titles you've been meaning to read, or reread, and discuss with other ...
more >> lovers of literature. Participants should read each title before the discussion. This month's title is The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers.
2:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Join a three hour journey through some of New York City's most historic areas. Begin in Greenwich Village, ...
more >> one of the cultural centers of America. From there, make your way through the Gansevoort Market and the Meatpacking Historic Districts and then onto the extraordinary High Line. Then relive the bygone days of a thriving cruise ship and industrial waterfront along the Hudson; we'll see where trains ran along "death avenue", where the New York harbor along the Hudson was perhaps the most significant waterfront in the world at one time.
Editor's Pick
A documentarian and a reporter travel to Hong Kong for the first of many meetings with Edward Snowden. ...
more >> 114 min.
2:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Monaghan, J.K. Simmons. The story of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing ...
more >> and the aftermath, which includes the city-wide manhunt to find the terrorists responsible. 133 min.
2:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Stars: Yul Brynner, Maria Schell, Claire Bloom. A father and his three sons come to blows as their changing ...
more >> lives collide in a changing 19th-century Russia. 145 min.
2:00 pm
free, no reservation required
So you want to learn how to speak Spanish? Good choice! Spanish is relatively easy to learn, because ...
more >> once you’ve learned how to pronounce the letters, you can sound out any word. There are no complicated pronunciation rules, as there are in English.
2:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Many people think of the New York City subway as one of the largest, most efficient, if not the cleanest ...
more >> mass transit systems in the world. Few, however, think of it as the largest and longest art gallery on the planet. Well, they don't know what they are missing. This lively walking AND subway riding tour visits over a dozen subway stations to experience a selection of these striking often whimsical works that go largely unnoticed by the general public. Join this climate controlled subway and walking art tour. Along the way you'll learn about and become expert at navigating the (in)famous NYC subway system. There's also the invaluable opportunity to confer about your other sightseeing plans with the acclaimed Bronx born, vastly experienced licensed NYC tour guide, Darryl Reilly. Tour takes place every Thursday.
2:00 pm
Free plus subway...
Mah Jongg Socials, led by Linda Fisher, throughout the summer. Basic instruction included.
New York City, NY; NYC
3:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Explore your inner artist with the Draw Your Park program. Spend the evening drawing alongside teaching ...
more >> artists who will provide their guidance. All materials will be provided.
5:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Editor's Pick
Two artists at the top of their trade will perform their best work to determine who is the ultimate champion. ...
more >> The judge? YOU. Each week experience a different performance – pianists, electric violinists, guitarists, beat boxers, DJs, dancers, artists and more – and decide who the dueling performance champion is. Renown electric violinists Asher Laub and Joe D have performed their high-energy dueling performance for millions across four continents, and in some of the world’s most prestigious venues including Madison Square Garden, and Lincoln Center. Don’t miss this opportunity to see these rock stars in action.
5:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Join New York Health & Racquet Club’s Ebonny Fowler for PlyoJam. This innovative new fitness method ...
more >> seamlessly blends high-energy fun dance moves with the plyometric training of elite athletes. Dance your way through the hottest hits on the radio and burn up to 1,000 calories with moves that tone, shape and transform. Sneakers recommended.
5:30 pm
free, no reservation required
This class explores photo retouching techniques and tools for filling in cracks, removing wrinkles, and ...
more >> fixing blemishes. Topics include Spot Healing Brush, Healing Brush, Clone Stamp, and Frequency Separation. Class Requirements: All classes assume completion of Photoshop for Beginners and Illustrator for Beginners, or a familiarity of the material covered in those classes.
Glide along the water while kayaking with the boathouse at the floating dock. Children under 18 must ...
more >> have an adult guardian present. All levels are welcome and no experience is necessary. Additional Rules for Kayaking: - Singles are for adults, or any kayaker with a parent/guardian present that is at least 14 years old. - Doubles are for one adult and no more than one child under 14 or paddler that needs assistance. - Please show up at least 1 hour before closing, as that is when the line closes and the last boats go out. - Weather permitting. Thursdays 5:30 pm - 6:45 pm and Saturdays 10 am - 3 pm, June 3 - August 26, 2017.
5:30 pm
free, no reservation required
Editor's Pick
A screening of 16mm films from the special collections of the New York Public Library for the Performing ...
more >> Arts! The Films: The Godfather Comes to 6th St (1976; 25 mins.) Presents what happens to a neighborhood on the Lower East Side in New York City when a Hollywood film crew takes over the area to film part of Godfather part 2. Includes interviews with the residents, film director Francis Ford Coppola, and members of the block association. City of Contrasts (1931; 28 mins.) Photographed in New York City during the Depression, this film explores roof-top luxury as well as street-level reality. Includes footage of Chinatown, the Lower East Side, Little Italy and Coney Island. The narration, added later, mitigates the visuals and transforms the film into a "city symphony."
6:00 pm
free, no reservation required
A group show of Artist Friends who help support the gallery and its mission enabling it to offer experimental ...
more >> and non-traditional programming in a variety of disciplines without commercial restraint.
6:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Examining the ways we are intrinsically made of and part of nature, Victoria Boardman presents a meditation ...
more >> on what ecology and natural order can teach us about being more human. Using the shapes, rhythms, patterns, and colors of nature, these new works explore questions of existence, belief, personal philosophy, time, and the layered narrative of consciousness we maintain throughout a lifespan.
6:00 pm
free, no reservation required
An exhibition of the work created by the 2017 graduates of the Rhode Island School of Design Photography ...
more >> Program. These artists have been guided in critiques and thesis committee meetings by a rich and diverse group of faculty and guests.
6:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Be with other beginners to learn the basics of chess with help from a friendly Games Host. Thursdays ...
more >> until August 31, 2017.
6:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Stars: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid. In Casablanca in December 1941, a cynical American ...
more >> expatriate encounters a former lover, with unforeseen complications. 102 min.
6:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Weaving the musical bridges connecting Cuban son, salsa, timba, and funk, the trombone-driven, power ...
more >> salsa octet Ola Fresca, under the direction and creative energy of Jose Conde, has created a swinging, fearless tropical Latin sound directly from Brooklyn, New York. Ola Fresca - 6:30pm Salsa class with Marlene Veras - 6:00pm Artist Interactive at the Space Station: Pop up gallery + live art experience with James Nazarov - All night
6:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Barry Cohen, Senior Career Consultant at Mullin International Career Consultants, discusses: How to present ...
more >> yourself to be the best possible candidate (even if you aren’t); The benefit of having a script to rely on; How to overcome the fear factor; How to answer the seven most difficult interview questions; and more.
6:00 pm
free, no reservation required
After work take an evening stroll along part of Central Park’s West Side. A guide leads you on a casual ...
more >> walk from the southwest corner of Central Park to Tavern on the Green. Learn about the Maine Monument, west side arches, Heckscher Ballfields, Sheep Meadow, and Tavern on the Green on this tour designed for New York summer evenings.
6:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Editor's Pick
The Hudson Warehouse presents this play written by Susane Lee and adapted from the novel by Alexandre ...
more >> Dumas. June 29 – July 23, Thursday through Sunday nights.
6:30 pm
Pay-what-you-can admission policy
Join New York Health & Racquet Club’s Bryan Davis for a special Dance HIIT workout. This class offers ...
more >> a challenging dance party workout that blends high intensity interval training with dance genres ranging from Caribbean to hip hop. Get your hips moving. Sneakers recommended.
6:30 pm
free, no reservation required
Enjoy an introductory lesson in Argentine Tango music and dancing led by Strictly Tango NYC. Takes ...
more >> place Thursdays in June and July.
6:30 pm
free, no reservation required
Access billions of names inside the more than 7,000 available databases of Ancestry Library Edition, ...
more >> including Census and Vital Records, birth, marriage and death notices, the Social Security Death Index, Passenger lists and naturalizations, Military and Holocaust Records, City Directories, New York Emigrant Savings Bank Records, and African American and Native American Records.
6:30 pm
free, no reservation required
This illustrated lecture looks to other countries to rethink America's complicated tax code and features ...
more >> sensible, efficient tax systems from around the world that the United States could emulate.
6:30 pm
free, no reservation required
Link mindful breathing with movement in this full spectrum yoga practice that includes modifications ...
more >> and intensifications depending on experience level. Veteran Nina Semczuk helps you cultivate strength, flexibility, balance, and focus while enjoying yoga outdoors. Bring your own mat. This event repeats every Thursday until September 28, 2017.
6:30 pm
free, no reservation required
This beloved "problem play" offers side-splitting comedy interlaced with gut-wrenching pathos. July ...
more >> 6-22, 2017, Thursdays through Saturdays.
7:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Editor's Pick
Regarded as one of the premier live vocalists performing today, Bettye LaVette brings her emotive soul ...
more >> and blues interpretations. With her first record released at the age of sixteen, LaVette is an enduring icon of many musical styles who shouldn’t be missed.
Pen your own story, poem, or screenplay, at writers workshops guaranteed to improve and perfect.
New York City, NY; NYC
Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart), who owns a nightclub in Casablanca, discovers his old flame Ilsa (Ingrid ...
more >> Bergman) is in town with her husband, Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid). Laszlo is a famed rebel, and with Germans on his tail, Ilsa knows Rick can help them get out of the country. The evening begins with DJ Emch (Subatomic Sound System) and the short film Victor & Isolina, directed by William D. Caballero.
7:30 pm
free, no reservation required
Editor's Pick
With the jazz vibe that dominates their sound, Brooklyn hip-hop duo Quincy Vidal (CE and Le’Asha Julius) ...
more >> are the clear descendants of old-school artists like Digable Planets and A Tribe Called Quest. Their sound can also be described as one that marries the styles of the two coasts (CE is from the Bay Area and Le’Asha comes from D.C.). With a talent for lyrics that blend personal reflection and social commentary, the duo sends listeners on a colorful trek into different stories told through jazzy hip-hop.
7:30 pm
free, no reservation required
Join New York Health & Racquet Club’s Alice Jong and wind down your day with Sunset Yoga. This Vinyasa ...
more >> Yoga class emphasizes linking breath with movement, strength and form. Bring your own mat and towel.
7:30 pm
free, no reservation required
Bodega Cat is a weekly comedy show brought to you by Kevin Seefried (202 Comedy Festival), Andy Ostroff ...
more >> (Jimmy Kimmel Live!), and Dane Hanson (Producer of Laughs on FOX). Live Stand-Up Comedy in New York City.
Bodega Cat is a weekly comedy show brought to you by Kevin Seefried (202 Comedy Festival), Andy Ostroff ...
more >> (Jimmy Kimmel Live!), and Dane Hanson (Laughs on FOX). Featuring: Matteo Lane who recently performed on LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS and Comedy Central’s ADAM DEVINE’S HOUSE PARTY, as well as MTV’s GIRL CODE and MTV2’s GUY CODE.
7:45 pm
free, RSVP required
It's all for one and one for all as D'Artagnan and the Musketeers fight to protect the ones they love ...
more >> from the revolting exploits of Cardinal Richelieu. A story of double crossings, kidnappings, and carefully-guarded secrets, complete with lavish fights and sweeping romance, The Three Musketeers reminds us that through strength, courage and unity, you can always defend what you believe in. Directed by Jenny Bennett, Choreographed by Tiffany Rea-Fisher, Fight Director: Manny Brown. July 7-30, 2017, Tuesdays through Sundays.
8:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Editor's Pick
New York is a skyscraper city and there is no better time to view Manhattan’s icons than after the ...
more >> sun sets and the lights go on. Fueled by competition and a dash of audacity, New York City is still producing one of mankind’s most remarkable skyline. NOTE** THIS TOUR SPENDS MUCH TIME INDOORS OR IN SUBWAYS AND GREAT FOR ALL WEATHER CONDITIONS. Please note they do utilize the subway on this tour so you will need $5 for subway.
The theater will transform into the most enchanted forest in all of theater in Shakespeare’s beloved ...
more >> comedy. When the merry sprite Puck meddles with a magical love potion, young lovers lost in the woods mysteriously find themselves infatuated with the wrong person in this hilarious, fairytale fantasia that proves the course of true love never did run smooth. Lear deBessonet, founder of The Public Theater’s groundbreaking Public Works program and Resident Director, brings her electric theatrical vision to the classic romance about the supernatural nature of love. July 11-15; July 17-22; July 24-29; July 31-August 6; August 8-13.
8:00 pm
Free tickets required
Editor's Pick
Come out and see the stars, planets, and the moon from the park. On Thursday nights in July and August, ...
more >> members of the Amateur Astronomers Association of New York will set up hi-powered telescopes for stargazing sessions that are open to the public. Weather permitting. Thursdays at 8:30 pm, July 6 - August 24, 2017.
8:30 pm
free, no reservation required
When young newspaper sellers are exploited beyond reason by their bosses, they set out to enact change ...
more >> and are met by the ruthlessness of big business in this musical about the Newsboys' Strike of 1899. Rated PG-13. Arrive by 8:00 p.m. to get your spot. Feel free to bring a blanket to sit on; there will be a limited supply of chairs available. Bottled water is OK, but no glass. Reservations are not taken; space is available on a first-come, first-served basis
8:30 pm
free, no reservation required
An extremely talented guitarist/composer, Glenn Alexander's music combines elements of jazz, rock, and ...
more >> fusion. From a guitarist's standpoint, he falls somewhere between Pat Metheny and Allan Holdsworth, while still maintaining a very strong original sound and style.
9:00 pm
free, no reservation required