42 free things to do in New York City (NYC) on Friday, July 20, 2018
All events are free unless otherwise noted.
Editor's Pick
The singer, part of the girl group Fifth Harmony, has been all over radio with her Number One smash "Havana." ...
more >> Her debut CD Camilla went to the top of Billboard's album chart. Attendees are advised to arrive early.
New York City, NY; NYC
7:00 am
free, no reservation required
The New Jersey-born singer's initial exposure came through the viral success of his song videos uploaded ...
more >> to YouTube. He has now released two Top Ten albums, Nine Track Mind and Voicenotes.
New York City, NY; NYC
7:00 am
free, no reservation required
Known benefits of a regular meditation practice include stress reduction, improved concentration, increased ...
more >> self-awareness and sense of happiness, improved cardiovascular and immune health, and more. This class is designed to introduce brand new beginners to the practice of mediation. Please bring a mat or blanket to sit on.
New York City, NY; NYC
7:00 am
free, no reservation required
Improve balance, strength and focus through gentle exercises. The sights and sounds of the river provide ...
more >> a serene background for the ancient flowing postures. Tai Chi results in strength and focus of body and mind. An ideal choice for participants of all ages. Instructor: Alex Hing
New York City, NY; NYC
8:30 am
free, no reservation required
Editor's Pick
Tours take place at various times during the day, all day long:
SoHo, Little Italy and Chinatown
Brooklyn ...
more >> 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
11:00 am
pay-what-you-wish
Editor's Pick
Career Coach Chip Conlin demonstrates why networking is a “life skill,” and people who consistently ...
more >> connect and re-connect with other people who can be helpful in their job search and careers beat out the competition for the best jobs. Learn the techniques used by some of the most successful job hunters in meeting the right people at the right levels in landing their next great job. Get some proven techniques to help make the most of your networking efforts.
New York City, NY; NYC
12:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Discover architecture and social history of Grand Central neighborhood; learn secrets of Whispering Gallery ...
more >> in Grand Central Terminal; gaze upon hubcaps and roadsters on side of Chrysler Building; discover favorite Midtown Manhattan hangout of Mercury, Hercules, and Minerva; learn why Pershing Square isn’t really square; visit original Lincoln Memorial by Daniel Chester French. Award-winning tour led by urban historians Peter Laskowich and Madeleine Levi. This tour takes place every Friday.
New York City, NY; NYC
12:30 pm
free, no reservation required
Summertime, and the livin’ is easy... so swing on by for toe-tappin’ performances by New York’s ...
more >> finest, playing ragtime, stride, and jazz to your heart’s delight. In addition to playing the piano, Daryl Sherman was voted Best Jazz Vocalist by Hot House Magazine.
New York City, NY; NYC
12:30 pm
free, no reservation required
T'Challa, the King of Wakanda, rises to the throne in the isolated, technologically advanced African ...
more >> nation, but his claim is challenged by a vengeful outsider who was a childhood victim of T'Challa's father's mistake. Director: Ryan Coogler. Starring Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o. 134 min.
New York City, NY; NYC
1:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Insurance salesman Michael is on his daily commute home, which quickly becomes anything but routine. ...
more >> After being contacted by a mysterious stranger, Michael is forced to uncover the identity of a hidden passenger on the train before the last stop. As he works against the clock to solve the puzzle, he realizes a deadly plan is unfolding, and he is unwittingly caught up in a criminal conspiracy that carries life and death stakes for everyone on the train. Director: Jaume Collet-Serra. Starring Liam Neeson, Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson. 105 min.
New York City, NY; NYC
1:00 pm
free, no reservation required
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.
New York City, NY; NYC
This class invites attendees to explore genealogy research through family snapshots and other historic ...
more >> photographs. Attendees will gain insights on how to solve family mysteries and find genealogy clues through close inspection of photographic imagery - from newspaper images to heirloom portraits.
New York City, NY; NYC
1:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Editor's Pick
Jean Butler, Irish dancer and choreographer of Riverdance fame, leads a 10-day residency to initiate ...
more >> the first Irish traditional set dance archive. In the form of a living discussion and performative workshop, the focus of this residency is to collect rich video documentation and oral histories that consider the lineage of master teachers and influencers of Irish dance starting in New York. The event takes place every weekday through July 27th. The event space is very limited. First come first served.
New York City, NY; NYC
1:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Editor's Pick
Enjoy a beautiful day in the park by coming to the annual Peace in the Park, where different communities ...
more >> come together and create expressions of peace through music, and activities that promote togetherness.
New York City, NY; NYC
Editor's Pick
The story of a bride-to-be trying to find her real father told using hit songs by Abba. Director: Phyllida ...
more >> Lloyd. 109 min.
New York City, NY; NYC
2:00 pm
free, no reservation required
A crusading DA persuades a clip joint "party girl" to testify against her mobster boss after her innocent ...
more >> sister is accidentally murdered during one of his unsavory "parties". Directed by Lloyd Bacon. 90 min.
New York City, NY; NYC
2:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Three girls are kidnapped by a man with a diagnosed 23 distinct personalities. They must try to escape ...
more >> before the apparent emergence of a frightful new 24th. Director: M. Night Shyamalan. Stars: James McAvoy, Anya Taylor-Joy, Haley Lu Richardson. 117 min.
New York City, NY; NYC
2:00 pm
free, no reservation required
An overstressed suburbanite and his fellow neighbors are convinced that the new family on the block are ...
more >> part of a murderous Satanic cult. Director: Joe Dante. 102 min.
New York City, NY; NYC
2:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Actualize your ideas and inspirations into one-of-a-kind art pieces. Participants will be able to create ...
more >> and design their own pop-up card. All materials are free and will be provided. Feel free to bring some of your own art materials.
New York City, NY; NYC
2:00 pm
free, reservation required
Three years into her graduate studies at a demanding Boston university, the unnamed narrator of this ...
more >> nimbly wry, concise debut finds her one-time love for chemistry is more hypothesis than reality. She's tormented by her failed research--and reminded of her delays by her peers, her advisor, and most of all by her Chinese parents, who have always expected nothing short of excellence from her throughout her life. But there's another, nonscientific question looming: the marriage proposal from her devoted boyfriend, a fellow scientist, whose path through academia has been relatively free of obstacles, and with whom she can't make a life before finding success on her own. Weike Wang is a graduate of Harvard University, where she earned her undergraduate degree in chemistry and her doctorate in public health.
New York City, NY; NYC
2:00 pm
free, no reservation required
In the best of times, looking for a job is a lonely experience. We stay in our apartments too much of ...
more >> the time, stuck in front of the computer, TV, or refrigerator. This workshop offers the opportunity to exchange information and learn from each other.
New York City, NY; NYC
3:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Editor's Pick
5:30 pm Shawna Caspi -- Fingerstyle singer/songwriter 6:05 pm Julia Mark -- Pianist/singer-songwriter ...
more >> 6:40 pm Marc Smith -- Brooding acoustic Americana
New York City, NY; NYC
5:30 pm
free, no reservation required
Exciting dance companies perform back-to-back. Featuring: Earl Mosely Institute of the Arts Gabrielle ...
more >> Lamb’s Pigeonwing Dance Julia Ehrstrand HopeBoykinDance Fridays, June 22-July 20, 2018.
New York City, NY; NYC
6:00 pm
free, no reservation required
A working-class African-American father tries to raise his family in the 1950s, while coming to terms ...
more >> with the events of his life. 139 min. Music begins at 6:00PM; film begins at 8:00PM or sundown.
New York City, NY; NYC
6:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Editor's Pick
Bob Dylan, Richard Pryor, Edgar Allen Poe, Jane Jacobs, James Baldwin, Jack Kerouac, Dave Attell, Patti ...
more >> Smith, Joan Baez, and Truman Capote are just a few of the thousands of accomplished artists, writers, radicals, and performers who made their way through Greenwich Village. This tour, primarily focusing on the 1950s onward, visits the hangouts that have defined legendary people and the spirit of this iconic neighborhood.
New York City, NY; NYC
Director Karla Hendrick will stage the character as a modern young woman of intelligence and wisdom. ...
more >> Hamlet, clad in skirts, is rendered powerless when her uncle Claudius inserts himself into the line of succession and thrusts her aside. Determined and noble, she is someone who would take control through heart and with strength, but her conscience is a paralyzing force; moreover, she finds herself continuously isolated and betrayed by those closest to her and this impacts her ability to function. The play will be cut to a little over two hours to give the feeling of a world speeding out of control around her. The audience is challenged to consider whether the ascendancy of a female ruler could have wrought a better Denmark. This popular New York summer institution which presents Shakespeare plays with a "poor theater" aesthetic in a working parking lot is now widely imitated around the US and around the world. To the company's knowledge and research, it is the first major New York outdoor stage company to offer a production with a female Hamlet. Unlike the well-known cross-gender castings of the masterpiece, this one is not a woman playing a man: the title character is a feminine Princess of Denmark, played by Jane Bradley. Thursdays through Saturdays, July 12-28, 2018.
New York City, NY; NYC
6:30 pm
free, no reservation required
Editor's Pick
Susane Lee has adapted this play from the classic works of Alexandre Dumas. Directed by Nicholas Martin-Smith ...
more >> Thursdays-Sundays; July 5- 29, 2018.
New York City, NY; NYC
6:30 pm
Pay-what-you-can admission policy
Afro Flow Yoga infuses electrifying dance movements of the African Diaspora, a meditative yoga sequence ...
more >> of gentle yet powerful stretches and the soulful rhythms of live drums.
New York City, NY; NYC
6:30 pm
free, no reservation required
Rhythm and grooves fill the air at this Friday evening program. Follow the lead of professional drummers ...
more >> as they guide you through the pulsating beats of traditional African drumming techniques and methods. Drums provided, dancing welcome!
New York City, NY; NYC
6:30 pm
free, no reservation required
In fair Verona, the long-standing feud between families Montague and Capulet cause tragic results for ...
more >> their respective children, Romeo and Juliet. After meeting at a masked ball, Romeo and Juliet fall in love, only to discover the surname of their beloved. Revenge, love, and a secret marriage force the lovers to take drastic measures. In the end, both families learn the perils of needless violence. This summer will bring to life one of Shakespeare's most well known tragedies in a dynamic adaptationt. They will transform the park into Verona, with six actors playing all the roles in this fast-paced tour de force production. July 17-22
New York City, NY; NYC
Editor's Pick
Start the weekend with musical entertainment on the waterfront! Bring your friends and a blanket to the ...
more >> park and listen to local artists ease you out of the week and into the weekend. Tonight: Jenna Kyle
New York City, NY; NYC
7:00 pm
free, no reservation required
With Harry Terjanian (New York Comedy Festival, NY Underground Festival), storyteller Jillian Thomas ...
more >> (Ten Foot Rat Cabaret) and writer / comedian Emily Winter (co-creator, What A Joke National Comedy Festival).
New York City, NY; NYC
From fashion to entertainment to art and literature, there is something in the air that seems to be taking ...
more >> us back to the ‘80s. Edward McCann and Richard Lowe will join Deborah Batterman in discussing the ‘80s as a cultural turning point whose relevancy seems particularly appropriate to our current cultural and political climate.
New York City, NY; NYC
7:00 pm
free, no reservation required
To conclude their residency with the Racial Imaginary Institute, the Dark Noise Collective (Fatimah Asghar, ...
more >> Franny Choi, Nate Marshall, Aaron Samuels, Danez Smith, and Jamila Wood) present a public reading consisting of poems that have been generated during the residency, and other work.
New York City, NY; NYC
A standup comedy show featuring comics who have appeared on NBC, TruTV, Comedy Central and more.
New York City, NY; NYC
Melding Indian raga with other world music influences and electronica beats, the sitar master Anoushka ...
more >> Shankar comes to the stage with My Brightest Diamond.
New York City, NY; NYC
7:30 pm
free, no reservation required
Professional artists and two rotating ensembles of community members from all five boroughs will perform ...
more >> together on the Delacorte stage in this enchanting comedy about Viola (Nikki M. James), a young heroine who washes up on the shores of Illyria, disguises herself as a man, is sent to court a countess, and falls in love with a Duke. Featuring music and lyrics by critically-acclaimed songwriter Shaina Taub, this very special Twelfth Night is a unique partnership between two Public Theater programs that exemplify The Public’s commitment to radical inclusion. Oskar Eustis, The Public’s Artistic Director, and Kwame Kwei-Armah, incoming Artistic Director of London’s Young Vic, helm this unforgettable musical about love in all its many disguises.
New York City, NY; NYC
8:00 pm
Free tickets required...
After a threat from the tiger Shere Khan forces him to flee the jungle, a man-cub named Mowgli embarks ...
more >> on a journey of self discovery with the help of panther Bagheera and free-spirited bear Baloo. Director: Jon Favreau 106 min. You should arrive before 7:30 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 waters are OK, but no glass. Reservations are not taken, so space is available on a first-come, first-served basis. All are welcome!
New York City, NY; NYC
8:00 pm
free, no reservation required
A showgirl returns to her New York home to visit her alcoholic mother, where she catches the eye of a ...
more >> Broadway producer. Director: David Butler 92 min.
New York City, NY; NYC
8:30 pm
free, no reservation required
The incredibly inspiring and heartwarming story of August Pullman, a boy with facial differences who ...
more >> enters 5th grade, attending a mainstream elementary school for the first time. 113 min. Director: Stephen Chbosky Bring a blanket!
New York City, NY; NYC
8:30 pm
free, no reservation required
Paul de Marseul is the passionate, demanding proprietor of his prestigious family wine estate in Saint-Émilion. ...
more >> But he has no faith in his son Martin, who works at the vineyard. Paul dreams of a harder-working, successful son—a dream that one day seemingly materializes when he meets Philippe, the son of his dying estate manager. Can Paul turn against his own blood and choose Philippe as the rightful heir to his family estate? 102 min. In French with English subtitles.
New York City, NY; NYC
8:30 pm
free, no reservation required
Set in the city of Thebes in a dystopian future, the struggle for power, glory and the claim to the city ...
more >> shatters the bonds of brotherhood, leaving two men lifeless. The new king proclaims one brother a hero and the other a usurper, leaving his limp body lying in the street as an example to those who dare act against the state. The citizens of the city avert their eyes due to fear, turning instead to their new leader who vows to restore order to the war torn city. But when the sister of the slain young brothers protests the edict, she breaks faith with everything she has ever known in order to set things right at any cost. Calling on the cultural landscape of African-American traditions, while adhering to the Greek tragic form; this fresh reimagining of the classic story will captivate, stun and inspire audiences from all backgrounds. The Classical Theatre of Harlem's production is inspired by the Paul Roche adaptation which accomplishes a fidelity to the original while giving CTH the flexibility to showcase ancient ideas that have taken center stage in the current climate: order, law, justice and marginalized voices confronting power and patriarchy.
New York City, NY; NYC
8:30 pm
free, no reservation required