free things to do in New York City
Free events for Thursday, 05/27/21
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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 May 27, 2021?

36 free events take place on Thursday, May 27 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 May 27 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 May . 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!

36 free things to do in New York City (NYC) on Thursday, May 27, 2021

All events are free unless otherwise noted.
        

Film | The Truman Show (1998): Jim Carrey in Sychological Comedy-Drama (virtual, streaming for 24 hours)


He's the star of the show--but he doesn't know. Jim Carrey wowed critics and audiences alike as unwitting Truman Burbank in this marvel of a movie from director Peter Weir (Witness, Dead Poets Society) about a man whose life is a nonstop TV show. Truman doesn't realize that his quaint hometown is a giant studio set run by a visionary producer/director/creator (Ed Harris), that folks living and working there are Hollywood actors, that even his incessantly bubbly wife is a contract player. Gradually, Truman gets wise. And what he does about his discovery will have you laughing, crying and cheering like few film stories ever have.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:00 am
Free

Workshop | (IN-PERSON, outdoors) Tai Chi in a Park


Learn and master this Chinese martial art for health and self-defense. All ages and levels are welcome. Classes are rain or shine. Please maintain six feet of social distance and wear a mask.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:30 am
Free

Dance Lesson | (IN-PERSON, outdoors) Dance Class, Open Rehearsal and Conversation by Kinesis Project


Kinesis Project is hosting class from 10 am-12 pm and then offering a window into the creation process + conversation 12:30 pm -3:30 pm. Come for class (for ages 18+), stay to witness rehearsal; be a part of the conversation hosted by the choreographer.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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10:00 am
Pay-as-you-may, tickets required

Workshop | Tee Time on the Plaza


Putt putt your way through this 7-hole mini golf course. Grab a friend and make a day of it! May 10-27, 2021
   New York City, NY; NYC
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11:30 am
Free

Workshop | Hatha Yoga (virtual)


Take an afternoon break and join Lisa for a rejuvenating Hatha Yoga class. This class puts an emphasis on posture and breathing and is an excellent way to relax the body and strengthen the mind.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:00 pm
Free

Concert | (IN-PERSON, outdoors) Piano Music in a Park


Piano concert series, showcasing ragtime, stride, and jazz pianists. Please wear a mask and practice social distancing.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:30 pm
Free

Dance Lesson | Mambo with Ballet Hispanico (Zoom)


Join Ballet Hispanico for a fun and interactive salsa workshop. Led by Rodney Hamilton, a Ballet Hispanico Teaching Artist. All levels and abilities are welcome.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:30 pm
Free

Performance | chekhovOS: an experimental game: Film, Theater and Video Game Technology (Zoom)


The latest workshop from our Zero Gravity Virtual Theater Lab fuses film, theater, and video game technology to experiment in a new medium where viewers interact with the performers. Inspired by Anton Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard and drawing from recordings of Chekhov's letters and dreams, this interactive online theater experience accesses the operating system behind both Chekhov's computer and the world in which his characters live, searching for happiness. This is a work-in-progress created during the pandemic, a way for artists to work through the themes of the play, the encroaching virus, and a moment of change in the world around us. Followed by live talkback with members of the cast and creative team.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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1:00 pm
Free

Classical Music | Baroque Music and Dance: Scottish Tunes, Baroque Guitar and More (virtual)


BALAM Dance Theatre, founded in 1979 by choreographer, dance educator, and movement researcher Islene Pinder, is a chamber-sized ensemble offering a vision of contemporary dance that fuses diverse dance styles and historical periods from around the world. Performers Lisa Terry, viola de gamba; Ryan Close, theorbo and Baroque guitar; Carlos Fittante, choreographer, dancer, and castanets Program Excerpts from the Leycester Lyra Viol manuscript (1670) for solo viol, featuring Four Corantos Scottish tunes by Francesco Barsanti (1742), played by viola da gamba and theorbo Giovanni Kaspberger Toccata Arpegiatta for theorbo, 1604 Prelude in d minor and Fandango by Maestro Matias for Baroque guitar, 1786
   New York City, NY; NYC
1:15 pm
Free

Other | (IN-PERSON, outdoors) The Art of Bubble-Making: Family Fun


Watch the art of bubble-making! We've all blown soap bubbles before but have you ever seen someone create a bubble big enough to stand inside? Or one long enough to jump over? Open your eyes to the magical world of bubbles at this family-friendly event. Please wear masks and practice social distancing.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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2:00 pm
Free

Concert | Austrian Guitarist-Songwriter Who's Worked With Lauryn Hill, Nas, and Common (virtual)


Austrian guitarist/composer Matthias Löscher has made a name for himself as collaborator with many hip hop luminaries including Nas and Common, and is the lead guitarist for Lauryn Hill. In the first half of the program, Löscher celebrates his new "Songs of Life" album release. Using both his skills in composition and guitar, Matthias tells stories that are part of our everyday existence as humans. Part two of the program features Löscher's group The Ruff Pack, combining the improvisational nature and compositional complexity of Jazz with the rustic groove and frenetic energy of Hip-Hop, with guest rapper Akua Naru.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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2:00 pm
Free

Talk | Stories Survive: Henry and Bernard Schanzer (virtual)


Twin brothers Henry and Bernard Schanzer were born in Belgium in 1935. When the Nazis invaded Belgium in 1940, the Schanzer family escaped to Saint-Etienne in the south of France, which shortly fell under Vichy rule. After living openly as Jews in Saint-Etienne for almost two years, the seven-year-old brothers went into hiding in 1942 on a farm in Saint-Pal-de-Mons. With the assistance of several righteous Catholics--including a local dressmaker and a Count and Countess who were part of the French resistance--the brothers, their sister, and their mother survived until the end of the war. Their father, who wasn't able to hide with his family in the countryside, was sent to Auschwitz. After emigrating to the United States in 1946, Henry Schanzer became an attorney and Bernard Schanzer became a doctor.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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2:00 pm
Free

Workshop | (IN-PERSON, outdoors) Mah Jongg Social


Participants are welcome to borrow equipment, or bring their own Mah Jongg sets. Participants are required to wear masks during the entire social, and maintain social distance as much as possible. A limited number of walk-up spots may be available, and will be first-come, first-serve.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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3:00 pm
Free

Jazz | (IN-PERSON, outdoors) Jazz Band: Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and More


David Ostwald's Louis Armstrong Eternity Band is inspired by the noble jazz pioneers Louis Armstrong, Bix Beiderbecke, Duke Ellington, Jelly Roll Morton and more. The band breathes life and passion into America's own great art form.
   New York City, NY; NYC
4:00 pm
Free

Gallery Talk | Artist Talk: Circle of Intimates (Zoom)


Born in 1955 in Houston, Texas, Terrell James has exhibited extensively in the United States, South America and Asia. Her work is part of the permanent collections at the Dallas Museum of Art; the Menil Collection; the Museum of Fine Arts Boston; the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; the Portland Art Museum, Oregon, and the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, among others. James lives and works in Houston.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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4:00 pm
Free

Concert | (IN-PERSON) Bach, Bartok, Broadway, The Beatles and More on Strings!


String trio performs musical selections from Bach, Bartok, Broadway to the Beatles!
   New York City, NY; NYC
5:00 pm
Free

Birdwatching | (IN-PERSON) Birding Tour in Midtown


Discover the surprising diversity of birds at this park. It is a hot spot for avian visitors and birders alike. Past sightings include warblers, tanagers, vireos, thrushes, and even a Chuck-will's-widow! Masks are required.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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5:00 pm
Free

Gallery Talk | Beyond Metaphor: Women and War -- A Virtual Exhibition Tour


Curator Katarzyna Falęcka hosts a virtual walkthrough and tour. Beyond Metaphor: Women and War showcases the work of five contemporary artists who explore women’s experiences during the Algerian War of Independence. The war, fought between 1954 and 1962, ended the long French colonial rule in Algeria. As anti-colonial movements multiplied across Africa following the Second World War, women became key figures within struggles for independence.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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5:00 pm
Free

Workshop | (IN-PERSON, outdoors) Crossfit Workout


End your Thursday with a little sweat. The class is open to all levels. Masks are required.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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5:30 pm
Free

Opening Reception | (IN-PERSON, indoors) Unveiling: A Queens College MFA Exhibition


Featuring: Christy Bencosme, Ris Aguiló-Cuadra, Brianna Harlan, Connor Henderson, Shenan Howard, Adam Nadel, Minano, A Pollicino, Isiah Powell-Taylor, Julia Sinelnikova The artists of the Queens College MFA program look to art as a vehicle for social progress. They address issues ranging from gender identity to material historiography to ecology and issues of racial equity, but all show particular care for the place of the body as a mirror of society.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Workshop | (IN-PERSON, outdoors) Amp'd Workout


Hit the grass and push your body to new limits in this class that combines bodyweight strength and cardio, challenging both your energy systems and motor control. This class is open to all levels. Thursdays, May 6-October 28, 2021 Registration opens every Tuesday at 10:00am for classes the following week.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Workshop | (In-PERSON, outdoors) Capoeira Class: Afro-Brazillian Martial Arts Dance


Learn capoeira, an Afro-Brazillian art form which combines dance and martial arts, with instruction by Ilê de Palmares. Explore movement though music, dance, martial arts and Afro-Brazillian culture. Masks are required.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Discussion | Food, Flavor, and Running an Ethical Business in a Global Economy (virtual)


Entrepreneurs Sana Javeri Kadri and Jing Gao have a conversation about food, flavor, and running an ethical business in a global economy. Javeri Kadri founded Diaspora Co. Spices to reimagine the spice trade in South Asia and bring new heirloom spices to home kitchens in the US; Gao founded Fly By Jing in homage to the hole-in-the-wall eateries of her Chengdu hometown. Both of them are making waves by finding new ways to tell stories through food. Hear them talk about starting their businesses and how they turned their visions into reality -- and why it's so important to celebrate and reinvest in the cultures that inspired them.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Talk | Housing for All: A History of Social Housing in NYC (virtual)


As we approach New York City’s primary elections on June 22, housing, as always, is a key issue on the ballot. Look back at the history of social housing in New York – not just the city’s vast NYCHA public housing system, but also other forms of government and philanthropic intervention that have tried to tame the beast of unsafe, unsanitary, and unaffordable housing over the past 100+ years. This program will look at examples of model housing designed by social reformers, landmark cooperatives built by labor unions and community groups, the rise of public housing beginning in the 1930s, and public subsidies for private developments. This wide-ranging examination will take you from the Home and Tower Buildings to the First Houses, from Stuy-Town to the housing lottery.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
$5

Jazz | Sax and Electric Guitar (virtual, live stream)


Composers Concordance's series 'Process Sessions': a live recording of a short album in front of a small audience/panel of musicians/artists (who are invited and asked to comment on the recording itself) and an online live-stream audience.  Session #1: Jay Rodriguez - sax & Gene Pritsker - electric guitar
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Concert | Eight Strings and a Whistle: A Flute, Viola and Cello Trio (virtual)


Eight Strings & a Whistle’s concerts are normally short and casual. Before the Pandemic, these concerts would take place in casual venues, such as rehearsal studios in New York City, where the ensemble would present a few pieces that the trio is developing and get audience feedback. For 2021, Eight Strings & a Whistle have expanded their audience by taking this series online. For this live stage concert, the trio presents a PopUP+! – a longer program, where in addition to new works, they will play two works from their upcoming release.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:30 pm
Free

Film | Detour (1945): Noir on the Road (virtual)


Chance events trap hitchhiking nightclub pianist Al Roberts in a tightening net of death, deception and blackmail. Director: Edgar G. Ulmer Stars: Tom Neal, Ann Savage, Claudia Drake Shot in 6 days for little money, for a small studio and without big name stars, Detour is a true B-movie. But, director Edgar Ulmer uses stylistic shot choices and narrative devices to make fresh one of the best plot devices in noir: a man doomed by the forces of fate. Is Neal's pianist really just along for the ride on this journey from one calamity to another, or is he an active participant in his own downfall? Year 1945 Language English Country
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
Free

Discussion | Recalibrating for a Better New York (virtual)


How do we recalibrate reality to create a better, brighter future for New York? Scott Rechler, chair of the Regional Plan Association and CEO of RXR Realty, hosts a conversation series with leading thinkers and decision-makers to tackle this crucial question.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
Free

Concert | BMP Next Gen Concert: Exciting New Voices (virtual)


This concert is the culmination of the second three-year cycle of BMP’s Next Generation initiative to discover the most exciting new opera-theatre and music-theatre compositional voices. The first-round finalists in this cycle are Gabriel Fynsk, Elizabeth Gartman, Eli Greenhoe, Gabrielle Herbst, Jens Ibsen, Laura Jobin-Acosta, Maya Miro Johnson, Niloufar Nourbakhsh, Filmed at National Sawdust and featuring BMP: Next Gen's 10 Finalists: Gabriel Fynsk, Elizabeth Gartman, Eli Greenhoe, Gabrielle Herbst, Jens Ibsen, Laura Jobin-Acosta, Maya Miro Johnson, Niloufar Nourbakhsh, Timothy Peterson, and Huan Sun.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:30 pm
Free

Jazz | Duke Ellington Music by New Orleans’ Pianist (virtual)


New Orleans’ Sullivan Fortner is one of the most promising young voices on piano. He has been a favorite on Jazz at Lincoln Center’s various stages. Tonight’s single-set solo performance will celebrate the music and legacy of Duke Ellington.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:30 pm
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Opera | Met Opera: Shostakovich's The Nose (virtual, streaming for 23 hours)


Acclaimed artist William Kentridge directed and designed this visually dazzling Met premiere production of Shostakovich's satirical opera, adapted from the classic short story by Nikolai Gogol. Baritone Paulo Szot leads the cast as Kovalyov, the hapless bureaucrat whose nose has mysteriously gone missing. Alexander Lewis and Andrey Popov co-star, and Pavel Smelkov conducts. From October 26, 2013.
   New York City, NY; NYC
7:30 pm
Free

Staged Reading | (IN-PERSON, outdoors) Tartuffe: Molière in the Park


A bible-thumping shark makes a deal with a gullible mark. Mix in money and power, fleshly sins by the hour, and call it Molière in the Park! If ever a play, written back in the day, knew exactly with what we’d be dealing. It’s 17th century fare, but the story is truly… revealing. Molière in the Park presents a staged reading of two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Richard Wilbur’s translation of Molière’s Tartuffe, directed by Molière in the Park’s Founding Artistic Director Lucie Tiberghien. May 26-30, 2021
   New York City, NY; NYC
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8:00 pm
Free

Jazz | Midnight Shelter Album Launch: Jazz in Performance (virtual)


US vocalist Sachal Vasandani and French / New York-based pianist Romain Collin released a beautifully intimate, raw, and emotive album recorded in 2020. It contains up close and personal re-workings of classics by outstanding songwriters Bob Dylan, Nick Drake, Lennon/McCartney, and others, alongside spellbinding memorable originals.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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8:00 pm
Pay-what-you-can

Dance Performance | The Tongue of the Flame: Work-in-Process Presentation (Zoom)


The Tongue of the Flame is a raw and dynamic dance theater work-in-process created and performed by internationally acclaimed dance artists and choreographers Blakeley White-McGuire and Daniel Fetecua Soto. Working in the genres of contact improvisation and contemporary modern dance forms they explore control, submission and caretaking as a physical practice. Experimenting with liminality in the realms of love, sexuality and compassion, the artists interrogate the human potential for transformation inside the labyrinth of individual choice. The performance will showcase this work-in-process as it develops towards the life cycle of an original piece of dance theater featuring the commissioning of a new musical composition by Pablo Mayor and sculpture from visual artist Olivia Kim.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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8:00 pm
Donation of any...

Open Mike | Thurday Night Online Open Mic (Zoom)


Caridad de la Luz (aka La Bruja) hosts this weekly online open mic. All art forms are welcome. Sign up for a five-minute slot by claiming one of the 35 available performer's tickets. The open mic is non-competitive, and there's no cover charge.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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9:00 pm
Free

Dance Lesson | (IN-PERSON, outdoors) #DanceEverywhere: Open Class


Kinesis Project dance theatre announces #DanceEverywhere on Thursday, May 27 at 11th Street between Second & Third Avenues. #DanceEverywhere is an open company class on the street for ages 18+ followed by a peek into their large-scale creation process with observed rehearsal from 12:30-3:00pm. The choreographer will host a short conversation after rehearsal at 3pm. Come for class, stay to witness rehearsal; be a part of the conversation.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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10:00 pm
$5
Complimentary Tickets

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

Classical Music | Choral Work by Haydn and More at a Landmark Venue

Regular Price: $59
CFT Member Price: $0.00

Performance | A New Play: Tragedy, Resiliance, Humor and Hope

Regular Price: $72
CFT Member Price: $0.00
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