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Free events for Saturday, 05/20/23
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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 20, 2023?

35 free events take place on Saturday, May 20 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 20 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!

35 free things to do in New York City (NYC) on Saturday, May 20, 2023

All events are free unless otherwise noted.

Editor's Picks

free events nyc Dance Parade New York 2023
free events nyc Spring Fling Arts & Music Festival
free events nyc Experimental Films by Andrew Noren and James Herbert
free events nyc LIVESTREAM: New York Philharmonic Performs Mahler with Grammy Winning Conductor
More Editor's Picks for 05/20/23
        

Workshop | Forest Fitness


This regular fitness class incorporates climbing multiple staircases, stretches and strengthening exercises, notable tree identification, and forest bathing. Led by instructor, Nancy Bruning\.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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8:30 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 | Drawing in the Park


Paint in watercolor or use pastels and other drawing materials to capture the magical vistas of the Hudson River and the unique landscape of South Cove. An artist/educator will help participants of all levels with instruction and critique. Materials provided, and artists are encouraged to bring their own favorite media
   New York City, NY; NYC
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10:00 am
Free

Park Walk | Park Tour: From Freight to Flowers


Hear the story behind New York City's park in the sky: an insider's perspective on the park's history, design, and landscape.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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10:00 am
Free

Fair | Street Fair


Free fun for the whole family, including arts, crafts, antiques, plants, entertainment, games, and more.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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10:00 am
Free

Fair | Street Fair


Free fun for the whole family, including arts, crafts, antiques, plants, entertainment, games, and more.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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10:00 am
Free

Workshop | Juggling in the Park


Jugglers use the park throughout the year to provide free classes to the public. Stop by for a quick lesson, stay for the whole time, or just enjoy watching them put their skills to the test. They're a friendly group and open to drop-ins, even if you catch them outside of the regular juggling lessons. All skill levels welcome. Equipment is provided.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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11:00 am
Free

Workshop | Shape Up NYC Dance Fitness


A fun dance fitness class. Colorful outfits are encouraged.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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11:00 am
Free

Festival | Third Saturdays Festival


Spe­cial indoor and out­door activ­i­ties and pub­lic pro­grams open to all. Featuring opening receptions, art workshops, dance workshops, music, and more.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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11:00 am
Free

Parade | Dance Parade New York 2023


New York's beloved and joyous Dance Parade returns to the streets celebrating its 17th year with 10,000 dancers featuring over 100 unique styles of dance, live bands, and DJs. Headlining a ribbon cutting ceremony will be Grand Marshals Ronald K. Brown, Natasha Diggs and Elizbeth Streb.
   New York City, NY; NYC
11:45 am
Free

Discussion | Conversations on Dance


An afternoon of screenings, discussion, shared practice, and context to illuminate "Variations on Themes from Lost and Found: Scenes from a Life" and other works by John Bernd, which premieres the following week. Choreographers/co-directors Miguel Gutierrez and Ishmael Houston-Jones, musician Nick Hallett, and others will reflect on the process of making this work and explore Bernd’s vast archive.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:00 pm
Free

Poetry Reading | Poets Afloat


The fourth annual NYC Poets Afloat group poetry reading returns aboard a tall ship. Poets have been invited to participate in micro-residencies aboard ships in New York Harbor, where they have been inspired to write and create poetry while being surrounded by the city’s bustling waters. Now, these poets will gather on the deck of a ship for a group reading, sharing their creative works with the audience.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:00 pm
Free

Tour | Tour the Tall Ship Capitán Miranda


The 1930 Capitán Miranda, a sail training tall ship of the Uruguayan Navy, arrives in New York. Throughout her visit she will be docked and will offer several opportunities for the public to come aboard and tour the historic three-masted full-rigged vessel and learn more about the relationship between the US and Uruguay.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:00 pm
Free

Festival | World Bee Day


A fam­i­ly-friend­ly day that cel­e­brates the 20,000+ bee species that pol­li­nate 80% of the world’s flow­er­ing plants. Fun, edu­ca­tion­al pro­gram­ming includ­ing “Hon­ey Bee Hive Dives,” arts and crafts, and native bee and habi­tat talks. Earth Mat­ter will host a Seed Bomb Mak­ing Sta­tion and GrowNYC will reveal how to dis­sect a flower using their own blooms grown local­ly on the island. Plus, enjoy face paint­ing and a musi­cal performance. Learn how to build sus­tain­able pol­li­na­tor habi­tats, dis­cov­er the fas­ci­nat­ing world of ground- and cav­i­ty- nest­ing bees, peek inside a colony of tens of thou­sands of hon­ey bees. Enjoy com­pli­men­ta­ry gift bags and good­ies from Zarbee’s on a first come, first serve basis.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:00 pm
Free

Workshop | Contemporary Games Social


Play your favorite contemporary board games every Saturday afternoon. Featured games include but are not limited to Chameleon, Wavelength, Avalon, Parade, Splendor, Century Spice Road, Mountain Goats, No Thanks, Codenames, Werewords, Spyfall, Azul, Letter Jam, Dixit, In Kahootz, and Captain Sonar. A new game will be selected each week.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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1:00 pm
Free

Park Walk | History Tour of The Battery


Tour New York's historic birthplace park with an expert guide. Learn about the park's rich history, many important landmarks and monuments, SeaGlass Carousel, beautiful perennial gardens designed by renowned Dutch garden designer Piet Oudolf, and so much more.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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1:00 pm
Free

Film | A Woman of Affairs (1928) with Greta Garbo


Childhood friends Diana, Neville, and David are caught in a love triangle as adults. Diana and Neville have long been smitten with each other, but her father disapproves of the relationship, resulting in her eventual marriage to David. It's not long after their wedding, however, that tragedy strikes, sending Diana on a downward spiral. When Neville reappears in her life, will he be able to save her from her own misery? Director: Clarence Brown Cast:  Greta Garbo, John Gilbert, Lewis Stone, Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Greta Garbo was a Swedish-American actress. Regarded as one of the greatest screen actresses of all time, she was known for her melancholic, somber persona, her film portrayals of tragic characters, and her subtle and understated performances. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked Garbo fifth on its list of the greatest female stars of classic Hollywood cinema. Garbo launched her career with a secondary role in the 1924 Swedish film The Saga of Gösta Berling. Her performance caught the attention of Louis B. Mayer, chief executive of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), who brought her to Hollywood in 1925. She stirred interest with her first American silent film, Torrent (1926). Garbo's performance in Flesh and the Devil (1927), her third movie, made her an international star. In 1928, Garbo starred in A Woman of Affairs, which catapulted her at MGM to its highest box-office star. Registration required.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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2:00 pm
Free

Film | Academy Award Winner Fiddler on the Roof (1971): musical


Set in early 20th-century Imperial Russia, the film centers on Tevye, a poor Jewish milkman who is faced with the challenge of marrying off his five daughters amidst the growing tension in his shtetl. Director: Norman Jewison Cast: Topol, Norma Crane, Leonard Frey, Molly Picon, Paul Mann
   New York City, NY; NYC
2:00 pm
Free

Festival | Spring Fling Arts & Music Festival


The 3rd annual festival will have an artisans market, live music, and food vendors.
   New York City, NY; NYC
2:00 pm
Free

Jazz | The Legacy of the Bethune Big Band


Charles Lonny West was the director of the Bethune Senior Center located on 157th Street and Amsterdam Avenue in Harlem from 1973 until 2003. He became aware that there were some men who frequently attended the center, having lunch, shooting pool and just hanging out, who were retired jazz musicians, who played with jazz and swing bands in the 20's through the 50's--The Big Band Era. Lonny West got these men together and organized and developed the Bethune Big Band. Over time, the band performed at many senior centers across the New York City area. Lonny appointed his brother, Paul, a jazz bassist well known for his work with Dizzy Gillespie and Lee Morgan, to conduct the Bethune Big Band from 2003 to the present. Lonny passed away on June 3, 2018. Paul West continues to keep the band playing as a tribute to its founder, Charles Lonny West. Come out, bring a friend and experience the music and legacy of the Bethune Big Band
   New York City, NY; NYC
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2:00 pm
Free

Lecture | The Foundations and Future of Biodesign


Biodesign is an expansive field that lies at the convergence of biotechnology, design, and speculation. This method of making draws inspiration from and collaborates with natural processes and biological organisms. Many designers, scientists, and investors see biodesign as an inevitable progression of the skills and techniques we use to create the objects and materials of our everyday lives. From construction materials to genome editing, biodesign is making an appearance everywhere. Additionally, increased interest in biodesign has come at a time when the convergence of science, technology, and near-intractable problems need multidisciplinary solutions. Many designers believe turning to nature will help humanity to solve some of our most pressing issues. This lecture series will explore the history of biodesign and new developments within the field, discussing its potential to be a leading field of the future. This course is perfect for those interested in learning more about biotechnology, biology, design, new developments in robotics, speculative design, and sustainability. Throughout the course, attendees will learn the techniques and science behind some of the most interesting and innovative design solutions and analyze their potential effects on the everyday systems of the future. Session 5, May 20: The Biodesigned Idea In a speculative world where everything has a “bio” prefix, we will try to envision what an artistic counterculture might look like. Some bioartists use living materials to reimagine subversive questions about life and society. Others create living instruments that require human interaction beyond the mechanics of traditional instruments. During this session, we will look at curated Bioart and biomusic projects and explore the methods of the creators. We will also discuss the history of countercultures and try to predict what this might look like in a Biodesigned World. Registration required.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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3:00 pm
Free

Screening | Experimental Films by Andrew Noren and James Herbert


In 1981, Laurence Kardish programmed Of Light and Texture at the Museum of Modern Art, a dual exhibition of Andrew Noren and James Herbert's films. Today, community curator Paul Attard will present a new screening of Cantico by Herbert and Imaginary Light by Noren, serving as a well-overdue survey of two seminal and long-neglected 16mm masters who, by their own choosing, have nearly vanished from the public's consciousness since that exhibition. By 1989, Noren had withdrawn all of his films from the Film-Makers' Cooperative and rarely screened any new work up until his death in 2015. Since 2007, Herbert has focused his attention towards large scale painting. While both dabbled with digital technologies during the 2000s, the two films that will be shown are presented on pristine celluloid: 1994's Imaginary Light and 1982's Cantico. Disregarding the many technical merits both films have going for them--their intense ethereal beauty and rigorous formal qualities aside--there's also a question of rarity here with this screening: there is, quite literally, nowhere else in the world where one can see both of these films in direct conversation with one another. Registration required.
   New York City, NY; NYC
3:30 pm
Free

Musical | The Comedy of Errors: A Musical Adaptation of Shakespeare's Play


Conceived by director Rebecca Martínez and composer Julián Mesri, a member of The Public Theater’s 2022-23 Emerging Writers Group, this new adaptation rigorously embraces music from all over Latin America in this tale of separation and joyous reunion. With songs in English and Spanish, this new musical adaptation brings an energetic vibe to this age-old tale of two sets of twins separated by stormy seas as they overcome a baffling case of mistaken identity—and the mayhem and hilarious confusion that follows.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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4:00 pm
Free

Classical Music | Serene organ meditations in an intimate venue (In Person AND Online)


Enjoy a program of hymns, anthems, and voluntaries for the organ.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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4:00 pm
Free

Concert | Duke Ellington: Sacred Songs


A spring concert featuring Broadway sensation Ta'Nika Gibson singing works of Duke Ellington and premiering a commissioned work by the emerging composer and long-time Canterbury friend Laura Jobin-Acosta. Ellington composed three sacred concerts towards the end of his career, and called them "the most important thing I have ever done." This performance draws from the Second Sacred Concert, which premiered at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York on January 19, 1968. Laura Jobin-Acosta, a rising composer with deep ties to Canterbury, was commissioned to create "Breaking the Barrier," which sets to music sets a number of poems by Harlem Renaissance poet Claude McKay (1889-1948).
   New York City, NY; NYC
5:00 pm
$5.72

Opening Reception | Ron English: Now You See It


Ron English creates hyperrealistic visions of your weirdest pop nightmares – perhaps experienced after a night of fast food, flipping TV channels and ingesting psychedelics. Marilyn Monroe, Mickey Mouse, Barack Obama and Tony the Tiger are some of English’s main muses, all squeaky-clean symbols of the American dream with a hint of something sour beneath the surface. Seamlessly shifting between the modes of fine art, graffiti, advertising and activism, English remains the art world's favorite outsider. His glistening depictions never just praise or condemn, but rather capture the energy swirling around a hot topic and pump it full of possibilities like a shiny, new balloon.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Classical Music | Works for Flute


Claire Chase, flutes; Levy Lorenzo, live sound; Monica Duncan, projection design. Program Marcos Balter (1974-present), Pan RSVP Required
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:30 pm
Free

Concert | The Last Word of Dutch Schultz: Music Based on Burroughs


Guitarist and composer Pat Irwin is joined by violinist Jonathan Zalben and cellist Josh Wise in a presentation of “music from a fiction in the form of a film script” by William S. Burroughs.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:30 pm
Free

Classical Music | Works by J.S. Bach, C.P.E. Bach, and The Beatles for Flute and Piano


Guilherme Andreas, flute; Hyungjin Choi, piano. Program The Beatles, Blackbird J.S. Bach (1685-1750), E Major Violin sonata The Beatles, Yesterday C.P.E. Bach (1714-1788), G minor sonata The Beatles, In My Life
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:30 pm
Free

Classical Music | LIVESTREAM: New York Philharmonic Performs Mahler with Grammy Winning Conductor


This live-streamed performance is presented on the 50-foot Digital Wall at an in-door public place. New York Philharmonic; and Gustavo Dudamel, conductor, perform Mahler. Program Mahler (1860-1911), Symphony No. 9 About the Performers The New York Philharmonic, one of the leading world orchestras, was founded in 1842 by the American conductor Ureli Corelli Hill, with the aid of the Irish composer William Vincent Wallace. The first concert of the Philharmonic Society took place on December 7, 1842 in the Apollo Rooms on lower Broadway before an audience of 600. It is the oldest major symphony orchestra in the United States in continual existence and one of the oldest in the world. The New York Philharmonic announced that Gustavo Dudamel will become the Orchestra's next Music Director, beginning in the 2026-27 season. As the New York Philharmonic's 27th Music Director, Dudamel -- who has been Music and Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since 2009, Music Director of the Opera National de Paris since 2021, and Music Director of the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela since 1999 -- will become part of a legacy that includes Gustav Mahler, Arturo Toscanini, and Leonard Bernstein. One of the few classical musicians to become a bona fide pop culture phenomenon, Dudamel's film credits include Steven Spielberg's new adaptation of Bernstein's West Side Story, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Mozart in the Jungle, Sesame Street, and The Simpsons. He has performed at the Super Bowl halftime show, the Academy Awards, and the Nobel Prize Concert, and has worked with pop stars Coldplay, Billie Eilish, Christina Aguilera, Beyonce, Bruno Mars, and others. Among his many honors, he has received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people. His extensive, multiple Grammy Award-winning discography includes 65 releases. This event is an in-person livestream of the concert.
   New York City, NY; NYC
8:00 pm
Free

Poetry Reading | Now a Body / Now a Voice / a Song: Outdoor Poetry


An evening of outdoor poetry and song with the renowned Puerto Rico-born, Loisaida-raised, Morocco-based poet Victor Hernández Cruz and the subversive Nuyorican Hip Hop, Funk-infused agitators Abrazos Army. We celebrate Cruz’s newest collection, Guayacán (Ishmael Reed Publishing, 2022), named after the large and spectacular tree indigenous to the Americas. Victor’s words will take us on an eco-poetical-political journey through lands, languages, histories, and futures, while the lyrical liberationists of Abrazos Army foment a revolution we can dance to. Artist CJ will provide magical poetry projections, illuminating verses above the tiger lillies and tomato vines.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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8:00 pm
Free

Classical Music | Orchestral Works by Coleridge-Taylor and More


New York Repertory Orchestra; David Leibowitz, Musical Director; Mariko Anraku, harp. Program: Grazyna Bacewicz (1909 - 1969) Partita Reinhold Moritzevich Gliere (1875 - 1956) Concerto for Harp and Orchestra Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875 - 1912) Symphony in A minor
   New York City, NY; NYC
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8:00 pm
Free

Movie in a Park | Creed II (2018): Boxing Sequel with Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone


Under the tutelage of Rocky Balboa, newly crowned heavyweight champion Adonis Creed faces off against Viktor Drago, the son of Ivan Drago. Director: Steven Caple Jr. Stars: Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson 130 min.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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8:15 pm
Free

Classical Music | Works for Flute and Percussion


Claire Chase, flutes; Levy Lorenzo, live sound; Nathan Davis, percussion; Constellation Chor Program Olga Neuwirth (1968-present), Magic Flu-idity Pamela Z (1956-present), Louder Warmer Denser Sarah Hennies (1979-presnt), Reservoir 3 Phyllis Chen, Roots of Interior RSVP Required
   New York City, NY; NYC
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9:00 pm
Free

Workshop | Origami Meetup


OMG NYC (Origami Meetup Group! New York City) is a group for people to come together and share in the beautiful art of Origami - an ancient art of folding various mediums, most commonly paper. The word comes from the combination of the Japanese verb oru (to fold) and the noun kami (paper). Other materials often folded are fabric, wire mesh, sheet metal, tissue, thin plastic, cardboard, and straws. Ages Adult 18+ Registration required.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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11:30 pm
Free
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