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Free events for Tuesday, 05/23/23
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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 23, 2023?

39 free events take place on Tuesday, May 23 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 23 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!

39 free things to do in New York City (NYC) on Tuesday, May 23, 2023

All events are free unless otherwise noted.

Editor's Picks

free events nyc American Symphony Orchestra Musicians with Grammy Nominated Oboist
free events nyc Truth Be Told 16th Annual Documentary Film Festival
free events nyc 16th Century Latin American Music
More Editor's Picks for 05/23/23
        

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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7:30 am
Free

Workshop | Tai Chi in the Park


Learn and practice this traditional system of health and self-defense. Derived from the philosphy of Taoism, Tai Chi was designed to develop the optimum degree of harmony between body and mind, as well as between the individual and the natural order of the universe. Classes are lead by teachers and students who train nearby at CK Chu Tai Chi under the direction of Master Hyland Harris. All ages and levels are welcome.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:30 am
Free

Birdwatching | Spring Birding Tour


Discover the surprising diversity of birds that call Bryant Park home during migratory season with guided tours by NYC Audubon, led by environmental educator and urban naturalist Gabriel Willow. Located in the heart of Midtown, the park is a hotspot for avian visitors and birders alike. Past sightings include warblers, tanagers, vireos, thrushes, and even a Chuck-will’s-widow.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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8:00 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 | Adult Zumba


Exercise in disguise! Join in on the fun featuring easy-to-follow Latin dance choreography while working on your balance, coordination and range of motion. Bring your friends and come prepared for enthusiastic instruction, a little strength training and a lot of fun.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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10:30 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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12:00 pm
Free

Book Club | Life of Pi by Yann Martel


Ilana Levine, Actress and Podcaster, hosts a discussion of the novel.  
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:30 pm
Free

Concert | Piano in the Park


Come on by and tap your toes to The Big Apple's finest ragtime, stride, and jazz pianists around! Featuring special events and performances by distinguished musicians. Today's pianist: Sue Maskalerisi.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:30 pm
Free

Classical Music | Works by Dvorak and More for Piano and Cello


Bernadette Hoke, piano; and Laura Boutrager, cello. Music from Eastern Europe with works from Bartok (1881-1945), Dvorak (1841-1904), Lysenko (1898-1976), and David Popper (1843-1913).
   New York City, NY; NYC
12:30 pm
Free

Film | Life of Pi (2012): adventure-drama


A young man who survives a disaster at sea is hurtled into an epic journey of adventure and discovery. While cast away, he forms an unexpected connection with another survivor: a fearsome Bengal tiger. Director: Ang Lee Cast: Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan,, Rafe Spall, Tabu, Adil Hussain, Gérard Depardieu
   New York City, NY; NYC
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1:00 pm
Free

Lecture | Poetics of Arrival or Return?: Laying the Path toward Industrial Utopia in Peretz Markish's "Der fertsikyeriker man" (online)


By the time his pogrom poema "Di kupe (The Mound)" was first published in Warsaw in 1921, Peretz Markish had already begun work on his self-proclaimed magnum opus Der fertsikyeriker man (The Forty-Year-Old Man), an unrealized contribution to the corpus of Comintern art and literature that appeared in the Soviet Union and throughout the world in the 1920s and 30s. This talk examines the factors that led Markish to pivot so forcefully from his early abstract expressionism to increasingly ideological writing and demonstrates how this shift is revealed through his verse. This rereading of Di kupe presents the poema as a literary monument to destruction as read through the framework established by Svetlana Boym. In this regard, Di kupe serves as a point of departure for Der fertsikyeriker man, which becomes another literary monument that, through its odic genre form and prophetic mode, ritualizes the pursuit of industrial workers' utopia in an abstract yet inconspicuously Soviet landscape. He adopts the prophetic mode to substantiate an ideal of proletarian messianism that drives his poetic persona to seek an escape from the world of profane chaos and violence to an industrialized sublime. As an Eastern European Yiddish poet, Markish was born into a nation without a land but a fixation on the Book and the Temple; his book Der fertsikyeriker man envisions not the restoration of the Temple in Jerusalem, but the construction of the factory as the fulfillment of this different, proletarian messianism. By presenting his vision as prophecy, Markish indicates that the industrial utopian project remains an unrealized work in progress--a common goal to continue building toward.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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1:00 pm
Free

Jazz | The Afro-Latin Jazz Alliance


   New York City, NY; NYC
1:30 pm
Free

Book Discussion | The Last Secret of the Secret Annex: Anne Frank's Friends and Betrayers (online)


Anne Frank and her family were taken into hiding by twenty-three-year-old Bep Voskuijl, at great risk to herself. While Bep plunged into Amsterdam's black market to source food and medicine for the family, her friendship with Anne bloomed through deep conversations and shared youth. At the same time, Bep's sister Nelly was collaborating with the Nazis and may have been the one to betray those hiding in the Annex. In the new book, Bep's son Joop van Wijk-Voskuijl and Jeroen De Bruyn intertwine Bep and Nelly's story with Anne's iconic narrative. They reveal deeply held family secrets and provide a powerful understanding of how historical trauma is inherited from one generation to the next. Moderated by Pamela Nadell, Patrick Clendenen Chair in Women's and Gender History at American University.
   New York City, NY; NYC
2:00 pm
$10 suggested donation...

Film | Death on the Nile (2022): mystery


Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot's vacation aboard a glamorous river steamer turns into a terrifying search for a murderer when a picture-perfect couple's idyllic honeymoon is tragically cut short. Set against an epic landscape of sweeping Egyptian desert vistas and the majestic Giza pyramids, this tale of unbridled passion and incapacitating jealousy features a cosmopolitan group of impeccably dressed travelers, and enough wicked twists and turns to leave audiences guessing until the final, shocking denouement. Director: Kenneth Branagh Cast: Gal Gadot, Michael Rouse, Alaa Safi, Orlando Seale, Charlie Anson, Danny Hughes
   New York City, NY; NYC
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3:00 pm
Free

Workshop | Drop-In Chess


Play the popular strategy game while getting pointers and advice from an expert. Chess improves concentration, problem solving, and strategic planning -- plus it's fun. For ages 5 and up (adults welcome).
   New York City, NY; NYC
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3:30 pm
Free

Concert | Ragtime, Jazz and Blues


With Terry Waldo's Gotham City Band.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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4:30 pm
Free

Film | Promising Young Woman (2020): thriller


Nothing in Cassie's life is what it appears to be -- she's wickedly smart, tantalizingly cunning, and she's living a secret double life by night. Now, an unexpected encounter is about to give Cassie a chance to right the wrongs from the past. Director: Emerald Fennell Cast: Carey Mulligan, Laverne Cox, Bo Burnham
   New York City, NY; NYC
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5:00 pm
Free

Workshop | Board Game Social


A wider selection of board games to the Games Cart at the weekly Board Games Socials, with games like Ticket to Ride, Carcassonne, Catan, King of Tokyo and more. Not sure what to play? Games hosts can help you find the perfect game and match up players.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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5:00 pm
Free

Classical Music | American Symphony Orchestra Musicians with Grammy Nominated Oboist


American Symphony Orchestra musicians on violin, percussion, double bass, clarinet and trumpet; featuring Grammy-nominated Imani Winds' oboist Toyin Spellman-Diaz. Program Javier Diaz (b. 1976), America Unbound: Suns and Moons of a New World (World Premiere) About the Program Experience the world premiere of this new piece by percussionist Javier Diaz, whose studio credits include Steven Spielberg's West Side Story and Lin Manuel Miranda's In The Heights. Commissioned by the American Symphony Orchestra, this chamber music composition incorporates stylistic elements from music across the Americas and takes listeners on a journey through history, spaces, and generations. It evokes the idea of ancestral sounds, and it is inspired by traditional musics from the Western Hemisphere: ancient songs from the Afro-Cuban tradition, Mexico, the African-American tradition, Venezuela, Haiti, and a "merging" between a J.S. Bach chorale and a Venezuelan Merengue. America Unbound is a unique artistic experience that exalts the human condition and underlines the importance of multi-cultural influences in the shaping of the musics of the Americas. This new work is eclectic and multicultural, with a robust compositional design: the American continent unbound through a journey of musical histories and inter-generational melodies, making palpable the universality of sound, word, and song.
   New York City, NY; NYC
5:30 pm
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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5:30 pm
Free

Book Discussion | Fashion Portfolio: Create Curate Innovate


Tamara Albu and Michelle Nahum-Albright celebrate the launch of their indispensable guide to creating a forward-reaching fashion portfolio.  
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Workshop | Moving for Life Workout


Moving for Life is a gentle workout that begins with breathing exercises, then moves into active aerobic dancing that strengthens body awareness.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
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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6:00 pm
Free

Workshop | Play bridge in a stress-free environment


One of the most popular card games of the last century, bridge is still enjoyed by professional and amateur players alike today - and now you can stop by and enjoy it too! Bring your bridge partner, or you will be matched up with someone to play as a pair. There will be instructions and the chance to observe players, making this a perfect event for beginners looking to learn how to play bridge. Registration required.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Book Discussion | Holding the Note by David Remnick (In Person AND Online)


The Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and editor of The New Yorker reflects on a half century of American music. Over the past three decades, David Remnick has profiled some of the greatest creative minds of our time. In his new book, he gathers in one place intimate portraits of some of the most celebrated musicians, songwriters, and performers of the past 50 years, including Buddy Guy, Mavis Staples, Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, and Patti Smith. Mixing interviews, biography, and analysis, Remnick carefully considers their life and work through the lens of time, memory, and place. Remnick speaks about these legendary figures, writing on music, and how the greatest popular songs have a way of embedding themselves in our memories. About the Speaker David Remnick has been the editor of The New Yorker since 1998 and before that was a staff writer for the magazine for six years. He was previously The Washington Post’s correspondent in the Soviet Union. He is the author of several books, including King of the World, a biography of Muhammad Ali, named the top nonfiction book of the year by Time magazine in 1998, and Lenin’s Tomb, winner of the Pulitzer Prize. Registration required.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:30 pm
Free

Book Discussion | In the Camp of Angels of Freedom: What Does It Mean to Be Educated?


Autodidact Arlene Goldbard explores issues of education itself through essays and personal portraits of the key minds who influenced her.  
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:30 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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6:30 pm
Free

Book Discussion | Rebel with a Clause: Tales and Tips from a Roving Grammarian by Ellen Jovin


Ellen Jovin, author of the national bestseller Rebel with a Clause: Tales and Tips from a Roving Grammarian (HarperCollins, 2022), will talk about her travels to all 50 US states with her traveling pop-up grammar advice stand, called the Grammar Table. Come hear Ellen explain why she decided to answer the grammar questions of complete strangers, what grammar topics are most on people's minds, and how--despite the pessimistic prognostications--she knows grammar is not dead.
   New York City, NY; NYC
6:30 pm
Free

Classical Music | Work for Flute and Electronics


Claire Chase, flutes; Levy Lorenzo, electronics design; Senem Pirler, live electronics; Nicholas Houfek, lighting and production design. Program Liza Lim (1966-present), Sex Magic RSVP Required
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:30 pm
Free

Classical Music | 16th Century Latin American Music


The indigenous musicians of South America quickly adopted and mastered the new instruments and forms brought by Catholic colonists in the 16th century; they became proficient performers and composers in the European polyphonic style. Over the following two centuries, this musical cross-pollination produced a body of work unsurpassed in its magnificence. The today's performer, Piffaro, the Renaissance Band, plays highly polished recreations of the rustic music of the peasantry and the elegant sounds of the official wind bands of the late Medieval and Renaissance. Its ever-expanding instrumentarium includes shawms, dulcians, sackbuts, recorders, krumhorns, bagpipes, lutes, guitars, harps, and a variety of percussion--all careful reconstructions of instruments from the period. With guest singers Nell Snaidas and Esteli Gomez, sopranos; Jay Carter, countertenor; and Andrew Padgett, bass-baritone.
   New York City, NY; NYC
7:00 pm
Free

Video | Beaut: Her Blood Ran Cold (The Silent Lizards) (online thru Jul 9)


An online video premiere. Concept, script, lizard sightings and drawings by Marti Wilkerson to accompany the photographs in her exhibition and originally performed live by Beaut on October 9, 2022. Vocals and Lyrics: Marti Wilkerson Guitar: Paul Twinkle Technical Director and Video Editor: Itziar Barrio Cameras: Isaiah Davis, John Brattin, Itziar Barrio Lighting Design: Marti Wilkerson DMX Programming: Kai Sundermann WILDBLUR Master Audio Recording: Adam Wolcott Smith Production Manager: Marbles Producer: Lia Gangitano After Dark Director: Itziar Barrio After Dark Technical Associate: Caroline Mills
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
Free

Opening Reception | Celja Stojka: What Should I Be Afraid of?


Comprising ninety paintings and drawings culled from collections in Europe and the United States, the installation celebrates the extraordinary art and life of Romni artist, writer, activist, and educator Ceija Stojka, survivor of Auschwitz, Ravensbrück, and Bergen-Belsen concentration camps.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
Free

Book Discussion | Rewriting Illness: A View of My Own


By turns somber and funny but above all provocative, Elizabeth Benedict’s book is a most unconventional memoir. With wisdom, self-effacing wit, and the story-telling skills of a seasoned novelist, she brings to life her cancer diagnosis and committed hypochondria.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
$5

Reading | Storytelling Show


Award-winning storyteller Leslie Goshko (TruTV, NPR, Huffington Post) invites some of New York’s top writers and storytellers to share true, bizarre tales about their lives. There’s a challenging trivia game and a free wine giveaway where one lucky audience member will walk away with their very own bottle of Sideshow Sauce! Tonight’s stellar lineup includes stories from: CALVIN CATO (Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Vice Media, Netflix, Disney Plus) BRAD LAWRENCE (Moth Grandslam Champion, Hotsy Totsy Burlesque) RORY SCHOLL (Amazon Stories, Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Topview Comedy Tours)
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
Free

Screening | Truth Be Told 16th Annual Documentary Film Festival


The sixteenth annual festival of original short films made by students in the class of 2023. Each work is the result of a year of intensive study in documentary cinema - production, history, theory, and aesthetics. Rite of Passage by Talha Jalal Screendance by Ruby Dietz Let's Not Talk About Politics by Ekaterina Zapletina Through the Glass Eye by Lola Granger-Jourdan
   New York City, NY; NYC
7:00 pm
Free

Book Discussion | When Broadway Was Black: The Triumphant Story of the All-Black Musical that Changed the World


A conversation with Caseen Gaines to discuss his new book When Broadway Was Black. If Hamilton, Rent, or West Side Story captured your heart, you'll love this in-depth look into the rise of the 1921 Broadway hit, Shuffle Along, the first all-Black musical to succeed on Broadway. No one was sure if America was ready for a show featuring nuanced, thoughtful portrayals of Black characters―and the potential fallout was terrifying. But from the first jazzy, syncopated beats of composers Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake, New York audiences fell head over heels.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:30 pm
Free

Classical Music | Vocal and Instrumental music by American Composers


Hannah Spierman, soprano; Lisa Hansen and Barbara Siesel, flute; Kynga Augustin, violin; Jessica Thompson, viola; and Max Lifchitz, piano, perform works by Allen Brings, Stefania De Kenessey, Debra Kaye, Max Lifchitz and Betty Wishart.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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8:00 pm
Free

Workshop | Stargazing in the City


Head to the park for a walk and a chance to take a closer look at the stars. Peer through high-powered telescopes provided by the knowledgeable members of the Amateur Astronomers Association to see rare celestial sights. No experience is necessary and telescopes will be provided. Starts at dusk.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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8:15 pm
Free

Classical Music | Work for Flute and Electronics


Claire Chase, flutes; Levy Lorenzo, electronics design; Senem Pirler, live electronics; Nicholas Houfek, lighting and production design. Program Liza Lim (1966-present), Sex Magic RSVP Required
   New York City, NY; NYC
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9:00 pm
Free
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