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free things to do in New York City
Join the Club!
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!
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!
34 free things to do in New York City (NYC) on Tuesday, October 6, 2026
All events are free unless otherwise noted.Editor's Picks
Birdwatching | Morning Birding in the Park with NYC Audubon
Discover the surprising diversity of birds that call New York home during migratory season with guided tours by NYC Audubon, led by environmental educator and urban naturalist Gabriel Willow. This park is a hotspot for avian visitors and birders alike. Past sightings include warblers, tanagers, vireos, thrushes, and even a Chuck-will’s-widow!
Manhattan, New York, NY
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8:00 am
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Workshop | Dance Workout on the Plaza
Lively movement and emotional catharsis combine for a workout led by Viva Soudan. No experience necessary!
Manhattan, New York, NY
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9:30 am
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Screening | International Events on the Big (30-foot!) Screen Outdoors: Tennis, Soccer, & Hockey
Today's Schedule:
10:00am - 2:30pm Tennis
2:30pm - 4:30pm Soccer- UEFA Nations League Soccer
4:30pm - 7:00pm Soccer- COCCACAF Nations League
7:00pm - 8:00pm Tennis
8:00pm - 10:30pm Hockey- NY Rangers vs Islanders
*Scheduled programming subject to change. Seating is open to the public on a first-come, first-serve basis. Wells Fargo customers receive priority seating.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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10:00 am
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Workshop | Learn To Play the Classic Card Game Canasta
Learn the rules and practice Canasta with games expert Susan Richards.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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10:00 am
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Workshop | Zumba Workout for All
Enthusiastic instruction and easy-to-follow Latin dance choreography working on balance, coordination, and range of motion.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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10:30 am
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Workshop | Learn to Juggle in the Park
This juggling class is ideal for a quick lesson, an extended practice session, or just enjoy watching jugglers 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.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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12:00 pm
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Classical Music | Organ Works by J.S. Bach in a Beautiful Church (In Person AND Online!)
Take a momentary respite from a busy day to enjoy a selection of organ works by Johann Sebastian Bach in an intimate venue.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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12:20 pm
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Film | Ghostbusters (1984): Supernatural Comedy with Bill Murray & Sigourney Weaver
After losing their university jobs, three parapsychologists start a ghost-catching business in New York City and uncover a supernatural threat that could destroy the world. Director: Ivan Reitman Cast: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis Bill Murray is an actor and comedian, known for his deadpan delivery in roles ranging from studio comedies to independent dramas. He has received several accolades, including a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, and two Primetime Emmy Awards, as well as a nomination for an Academy Award. Murray was awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2016. Sigourney Weaver is an American actress who has received various accolades, including a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Grammy Award, in addition to nominations for three Academy Awards, four Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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1:00 pm
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Film | The Hunger Games (2012): Dystopian Film with Jennifer Lawrence
After her younger sister is chosen to take part, 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen volunteers to compete in her place in a cruel televised tournament in which 24 teenagers from a postapocalyptic society fight to the death for the entertainment of the masses in a competition known as the "Hunger Games," which are broadcast across the nation as entertainment, and to reinforce the government's total power. Director: Gary Ross Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks Jennifer Lawrence is an American actress. She is known for starring in both action film franchises and independent dramas, and her films have grossed over $6 billion worldwide. The world's highest-paid actress in 2015 and 2016, she appeared in Time's 100 most influential people in the world list in 2013 and the Forbes Celebrity 100 list from 2013 to 2016.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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1:00 pm
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Museums | Art from All Over The World in the Most Amazing Museum
Explore the premier collections of modern and contemporary art in one of the world's most iconic architectural landmarks. Tickets for Pay-What-You-Wish hours are available online only and released at 10 am the morning of the event.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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4:00 pm
$1 min pay-what-you-wish,...
$1 min pay-what-you-wish,...
City Walk | Explore the History of NYC's Chinatown: Housing, Labor, & Public Health
Learn about the history of Lower Manhattan with a walking tour from a distinct historical point of view. Centering stories of housing displacement, labor conditions, and public health in Chinatown.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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4:30 pm
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Film | Petulia (1968): Classic Romantic Drama
An unhappily married socialite finds solace in the company of a recently divorced doctor. Director: Richard Lester Cast: Julie Christie, George C. Scott, Richard Chamberlain, Arthur Hill, Shirley Knight, Joseph Cotten
Manhattan, New York, NY
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5:00 pm
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Park Walk | Discover the History & Design of One of New York's Most Unique Parks
Hear the story behind New York City's park in the sky: an insider's perspective on the park's history, design, and landscape. Note: Spots are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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5:00 pm
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Workshop | Zumba Rhythms Workout in the Park
Welcome to Zumba with DeeKee in the park! Participants dance, sweat, and have a great time with friends and fellow Zumba enthusiasts. No experience is required, just come with a positive attitude and be ready to move your body to the rhythm of the music. Weather permitting. Please arrive 10 minutes before class begins.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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5:30 pm
free, registration required
free, registration required
Opening Reception | Chamber Play: Artworks in Conversation with Jackson Pollock & Samuel Beckett
An exhibition bringing together three radically different artists whose practices are rooted in deeply personal reflections on the human condition. At the center of the exhibition is Austrian artist Erwin Wurm, whose nearly five-decade-long practice challenges conventional definitions of sculpture through paradox, contradiction, physical action, and the transformation of familiar objects, gestures, and situations. His work explores the fragile relationship between individuals and their surroundings. The exhibition brings Wurm’s work into dialogue with Jackson Pollock and Samuel Beckett, revealing shared engagements with the limitations of their respective mediums. Through sculptures, films, photographs, works on paper, archival material, and screenings, Chamber Play examines art as a space for confronting the complexities of human existence.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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6:00 pm
free, RSVP required
free, RSVP required
Opening Reception | The Early Bird Catches the Worm: Multi-Media, Multi-Artist Exhibition
An exhibition of painting, sculpture, installation, and more by BFA Fine Arts students, curated by department Chair Suzanne Anker. The Early Bird Catches the Worm is a well-known English proverb meaning that people who act first, arrive early, or respond quickly gain an advantage over others. Fittingly, this exhibition presents a sampling of work ready to be shown just two weeks into the fall semester, as students are beginning to settle in. Working across a variety of media and styles, including painting, sculpture, installation, textiles, and printed matter, as well as stylistic processes such as airbrush painting, readymade newspaper, and woven yarn, students explore wide-ranging themes like war, propaganda, and domesticity in their search for their personal idioms .
Manhattan, New York, NY
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6:00 pm
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Book Discussion | Art Dealer Shares Her New Book, Trading Beauty: Art Market Histories from the Altar to the Gallery (+ Signing)
A conversation between Valentina Castellani and Tobias Meyer, to celebrate Castellani's new book. An illustrated survey that traces the evolution of the Western art market from the medieval era to the present day, Trading Beauty analyzes how the social, cultural, religious, and economic circumstances of different periods have defined models of art production, validation, and valuation. Castellani peppers her lively account with anecdotes and profiles that highlight key moments and personalities, providing a captivating insight into the mechanisms that have shaped the art market as we now know it. After the talk, Castellani will sign copies of the book, which will be available for purchase.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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6:00 pm
free, registration required
free, registration required
Lecture | DIscussion on Newfound Artwork by Franz Kafka
A lecture by Andreas Kilcher (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich). The lecture will be followed by a conversation between Andreas Kilcher and Paul North (Maurice Natanson Professor of German and Professor of Philosophy at Yale University). The year 2019 brought a sensational discovery: hundreds of drawings by Franz Kafka that had been kept under lock and key for decades were made accessible. Although Kafka is renowned for his written work, his drawings are evidence of what his literary executor, Max Brod, termed his 'double talent'. Irresistible and full of fascinating figures, shifting from the realistic to the fantastic, the grotesque, the uncanny, and the carnivalesque, they illuminate a previously unknown side of the quintessential modernist author. Four new and fascinating stories can be told in relation to Kafka's drawings: the story of their transmission, the story of Kafka's engagement with the visual arts, the story of Kafka as a draftsman, and the story of his drawing practice in the context of his writing, which implies a complex aesthetic question: How are these drawings to be understood in their own right, yet at the same time as connected to his writing?
Manhattan, New York, NY
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6:00 pm
free, RSVP required
free, RSVP required
Book Discussion | Historical Novelist Shares Her Latest Title, What Happens at Nightfall
Lauren Willig launches her new book. About the Book: In the sprawling Gothic expanse of Brooklyn’s Green-Wood Cemetery, some secrets refuse to stay buried. Recently laid off and searching for purpose, Jess reluctantly joins her best friend on a supposedly fun nighttime cemetery tour. Separated from her group by accident, she discovers a bunch of terrified boys and a strange, ancient key. Both lead to Green-Wood’s surprisingly handsome resident arborist, Adam Chervinsky. Recently widowed, Adam has more to protect than the leafy residents of Green-Wood. His children, still dealing with the loss of their mother, are acting strangely. A haunting is afoot, and Jess seems to know more than she’s letting on. Sparks fly between Jess and Adam—and the unquiet spirits of Green-Wood rise from their century-long slumber.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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6:00 pm
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Workshop | Origami Group Meet-Up
This event is 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.This group meets to teach each other new models and share paper, books, and tips. This meeting is free and open to all level of folders from beginner to advanced. There will be free paper available to share. You may choose to bring your own paper and books and just show up and fold! If you have models you would like to learn, or teach, let the organizers know, and they will try our best to accommodate.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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6:00 pm
free, registration required
free, registration required
Party | Play Bridge in a Stress-Free Environment
The card game of Bridge requires four people to play: two teams of two people. Join the group with your bridge partner, or you will be matched with someone to play as a pair. If you would like to learn how to play bridge, organizers can offer some instruction, and you can observe others.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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6:00 pm
free, registration required
free, registration required
Talk | Roxane Gay & Feminist Press Lead a Conversation on Feminist Thought & Activism
A bold conversation about how feminism prepared us for this political moment, even when the world refused to listen. Feminist Press and Roxane Gay lead a powerful conversation exploring how feminist thought and activism have equipped us to navigate today’s urgent political landscape. An inspiring evening with some of the country's leading feminist thinkers, writers, and activists. Books by the authors will be available for purchase and signing after the program!
Manhattan, New York, NY
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6:00 pm
free, registration required
free, registration required
Book Discussion | Spooky Season Celebration Launching Best New Horror Book List (+ Free Books) (In Person AND Online!)
A celebration of all things horror. Authors Deena Helm, Saratoga Schaefer, and Kailee Pedersen discuss the year's buzziest horror books with moderator Becky Spratford, librarian and horror expert. Following the talk, Pedersen--an award-winning novelist and opera singer--takes the stage for an unforgettable haunted opera performance, accompanied by Brian Wong. Attendees will receive a free book by one of the featured authors--available while supplies last! Following the event, there will be an author Meet and Greet with book signing and sales by local bookstore.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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6:00 pm
free, registration required
free, registration required
Book Discussion | The Village Chronicles: Four Centuries of Bohemian New York -- Conversation with the Author
John Strausbaugh, author of The Village: 400 Years of Beats and Bohemians, Radicals and Rogues, a History of Greenwich Village, will share some of the fascinating stories from the book and celebrate 250 years of this Revolutionary Village. Across four centuries and especially over the last 250 years, Greenwich Village has been a magnet for misfits and a refuge for outsiders. Blacks, Italians and Irish, artists, anarchists and communists, gays and lesbians, intellectuals, eccentrics, visionaries and life's adventurers were all drawn here. In the 20th century a Who's Who of global culture came to "the Left Bank of America," from Kahlil Gibran to John and Yoko, Marcel Duchamp to Jimi Hendrix. They came because this tiny speck of real estate, a neighborhood they could stroll through in twenty minutes, was the one place in America where they were not only allowed but actively encouraged to live and express themselves freely.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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6:00 pm
free, registration required
free, registration required
Park Walk | Walk along the East River: Learn about History, Architecture, & Ecology
Experienced park docents lead a walking tour to explore the history of the Brooklyn waterfront, the area's sustainable design and ecology, and how the park came to life!
Brooklyn, New York, NY
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6:00 pm
free, registration required
free, registration required
Workshop | Stargazing in the Park
Immerse yourself in the wonders of the night sky. The friendly team from the Amateur Astronomers Association will be there with high-powered telescopes, ready to reveal the secrets of the cosmos.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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6:15 pm
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Film | Bamako (2006): Malian Docudrama - The Weight of History
Set in the Malian capital, Bamako employs a fictional trial to stage a public prosecution of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, and ultimately Western capitalism itself, facing charges they have forcibly kept a decolonized Africa impoverished and oppressed. Meanwhile, everyday life unfolds around the proceedings. Through this imagined courtroom, the film interrogates the legacies of colonialism, global inequality, and economic dependency, transforming the trial into a forum for historical reckoning and debate. Director: Abderrahmane Sissako Cast: Aissa Maiga, Tiecoura Traore, Helene Diarra, Habib Dembele In French and Bambara with English subtitles. Please review the venue's access requirements.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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6:30 pm
free, registration required
free, registration required
Screening | Maintenance Artist (2025): Art Documentary (+ Filmmaker Discussion)
This film dives deep into the extraordinary life and work of the artist-in-residence at NYC's Sanitation Department since 1977. A pioneering ecofeminist and social practice artist, Ukeles made the invisible labor of cleaning, caretaking and motherhood the focus of her artistic practice. Through a blend of rare archival footage and interviews the film explores how a single artist transformed "maintenance" and care -- the often-dismissed work of women and working-class people -- into one of the most profound artistic and political statements of the 20th century. Director: Toby Perl Freilich The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with Cooper Union Professor Diana Agrest, former New York City Cultural Affairs Commissioner, Tom Finkelpearl, and the filmmaker, Toby Perl Freilich.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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6:30 pm
free, registration required
free, registration required
7:00 pm
Regular: $60
Member: $0
Regular: $60
Member: $0
Join the Club!
Poetry Reading | Award-Winning Poet Shares Her Hybrid Memoir
Poet Eleni Sikelianos reads her new book, Memory Rehearsal. About the book: A genre-busting encounter between a poet and her ancestral past, documenting a startling intersection of queer history, ancient theater, Utopian visions, and modern poetry.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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7:00 pm
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Book Discussion | CNN & NPR Featured Author Shares Her New "Deeply Moving" Book
A reading and conversation with Asale Angel-Ajani to celebrate the release of Fugitive Archives: My Family and the American Myth of Belonging. About the book: An incisive, lyrical exploration of one family’s history that radically overturns American myths about race, violence, and belonging.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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7:00 pm
free, RSVP required
free, RSVP required
7:00 pm
Regular: $40
Member: $0
Regular: $40
Member: $0
Join the Club!
Reading | Storytelling Party & Open Mic
Eric Vetter brings New York’s best established and emerging authors and storytellers to this bookstore for this storytelling party. This event is curated and co-hosted by author/storyteller Michele Carlo, the author of FISH OUT OF AGUA: My life on neither side of the (subway) tracks. The show will also include a “Magic Hat Open-Mic” where audience members can sign up for a chance at four minutes of stage time to share their own stories.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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7:00 pm
free, donations welcome,...
free, donations welcome,...
Screening | The Hard Five (2025): Architecture Documentary (+Filmmaker Discussion)
The Harvard 5 tells the little-known story of five visionary Harvard architects--Philip Johnson, John Johansen, Landis Gores, Eliot Noyes, and Marcel Breuer--who ignited a modern design revolution in the wake of WWII. Their avant-garde ideals and Bauhaus-inspired designs challenged local traditions and ultimately redefined American Modernism for the 20th century. Through exclusive interviews and never-before-seen archival footage, this film weaves together their personal and professional journeys. Director: Devon Chivvis Award-winning filmmaker Devon Chivvis, and architectural historian Hilary Lewis, the former Chief Curator and Creative Director of the Glass House, host a first-time film offering. A discussion follows the screening of the film.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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7:30 pm
free, registration required
free, registration required
Join the Club!
Complimentary Tickets
to shows, concerts ... (CFT Deals!)
Classical Music | "Virtuoso" Pianist Performs Works by Liszt & More
Regular Price: $50CFT Member Price: $0.00
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