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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 Saturday, October 17, 2026
All events are free unless otherwise noted.
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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10:00 am
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Workshop | Drawing in Nature
Paint in watercolor or use pastels and other drawing materials to capture the magical vistas of the Hudson River and the unique landscape of the park. An artist/educator will help participants of all levels with instruction and critique. Materials provided or bring your own.
Manhattan, New York, NY
Join the Club!
10:00 am
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Festival | Explore Behind-the-Scenes Spaces of New York City
Discover the spaces of New York City that you've never had access to before--across all five boroughs! This weekend-long festival unlocks over300 destinations across the city for special tours and activities. Enjoy visits to major new projects, explore neighborhoods in a new way, and discover why the city looks and works the way it does. Take a look at new buildings transforming the skyline, step inside infrastructure facilities keeping the city running, explore parks offering respite, discover state-of-the-art performance spaces, visit manufacturing workshops, browse private collections, and much more. Many museums, monuments, arts spaces, historical societies, architectural projects, and more are open for visitors. Many festival experiences are Drop-In--no tickets needed. Some require tickets for space or security reasons. Ticketing opens on October 3 at 12 pm.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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10:00 am
free for drop-in...
free for drop-in...
Parade | Honoring Local Indigenous Culture (Ceremony + Celebration)
Enjoy the Annual Parade held by Tribes from the Americas. This celebration spreads unity, pride, cultural identity, sand self-esteem for local Indegenous peoples. Schedule:
10 am: Opening Ceremony
12:00 pm: Parade Starts--March to 17th Street & Broadway
2:00 pm: End of Closing Ceremony
Manhattan, New York, NY
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10:00 am
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Workshop | Accessible, Grounding, & Restorative Yoga in the Park
Participants flow together and celebrate community through mindful movement with Yoga Sangraha. This is not a new style of yoga, but a gathering of timeless practices — accessible, grounding, and deeply restorative. Led with science and tradition at the heart, this class will guide you through a sequence of postures designed to balance, stabilize, and calm the body and mind. The word Sangraha means “a collection,” and this practice brings together postures and breathwork that activate the parasympathetic nervous system, helping you leave feeling focused, connected, and at ease. No prior experience needed — come as you are! Bring a bottled water. Organizers will provide the yoga mats. Weather permitting.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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10:30 am
free, registration required
free, registration required
Festival | Hudson Estuary Celebration: Get Up Close to Local Marine Life (Live Music, Games, Fishing, & More)
Experienced anglers lead a catch-and-release fishing and learn about life in the Hudson River. Get up close to marine life in the Oyster Research Station, make music, and join fun fishy-themed games, while learning all about our harbor from visiting environmental education and conservation groups
Manhattan, New York, NY
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10:30 am
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Tour | Explore a Unique Pocket of NYC: A Look at History, Design, & Environment
A historical walking tour of the area's highlights. Look into the past of this unique area of NYC and learn about its exciting transformation and future. In this walking tour led by official guides, you'll examine how historic preservation, innovative design, and environmental stewardship make the area what it is today.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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10:45 am
free, RSVP required
free, RSVP required
Festival | Harvest Festival on the Water: Live Music, Games, & More
A day of autumnal fun for the whole family. This family-friendly celebration offers live music, arts and crafts, storytelling, lawn games, face-painting, educational activities and more.
Brooklyn, New York, NY
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11:00 am
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Festival | Indigenous Peoples' Week Celebration: Panels, Open Mic, Workshops, & More
Celebrate the intersection of climate and racial justice. Panels, prizes, exhibitions, and workshops. Lineup includes:
Food as Healing Workshop by Love Intersections
Cookout: Barbeque is an Amerindian Word (Open Mic + Potluck)
Manhattan, New York, NY
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11:00 am
free, donations welcome,...
free, donations welcome,...
Museums | Jewish History: Centuries of Art
As one of the largest collections of art in Jewish culture globally, the venue features an extensive array of historical Jewish artifacts as well as modern and contemporary art.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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11:00 am
free, reservation required
free, 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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11:00 am
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Workshop | Origami 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 iopen 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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11:30 am
free, registration required
free, registration required
Tour | Outdoor Public Art Walkthrough: In-Depth Look at New Works
With 120 acres of open space, this area is dot-ted with site-spe-cif-ic art. These works are meant to prompt con-tem-pla-tion and encour-age vis-i-tors to engage with our var-ied land-scapes and histories. This guided tour is meant to give you an in-depth look at the space's pub-lic art-works, with the 2026 sea-son's new works focused on the theme of movement. Please note: these tours are held entire-ly out-doors. Please dress with the weath-er in mind.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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11:45 am
free, donations welcome,...
free, donations welcome,...
Festival | Autumnal Festival: Halloween & Fall Activities for All Ages (+ Costume Parade)
Enjoy music, dancing, arts & crafts. The day includes an interactive performance for children called The Garden, presented by Flying Leap Productions, along with a lively lineup of hands-on art activities inspired by the creativity of Halloween on the Lower East Side. Come dressed to impress for the costume parade! The Garden showtimes:
1:30pm
2:45pm
The Garden is an outdoor performance created for children between the ages of 3 and 5 and their caregivers. Through movement and play shared in multiple languages, audiences are invited on a journey through nature’s life cycle using all five senses. This event is free and open to the public.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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12:00 pm
free, RSVP required
free, RSVP required
Tour | Explore a Unique Pocket of NYC: A Look at History, Design, & Environment
A historical walking tour of the area's highlights. Look into the past of this unique area of NYC and learn about its exciting transformation and future. In this walking tour led by official guides, you'll examine how historic preservation, innovative design, and environmental stewardship make the area what it is today.
Manhattan, New York, NY
Join the Club!
12:45 pm
free, RSVP required
free, RSVP required
Workshop | Artmaking on the Plaza with a Professional Artist
Led by a local teaching artist, this drop-in class invites participants to explore creativity through hands-on artmaking. Past mediums have included plein-air drawing, printmaking, cyanotypes, and more. All materials are provided.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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1:00 pm
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Festival | Cheering on the New York Harbor for Climate Week (Marching Bands, Cheerleaders, Art-Making, Talks, & More)
Hundreds of New Yorkers gather for Homecoming: For the Harbor to cheer for the New York Harbor! Together with artists, musicians, and partner organizations, attendees wrap up Climate Week NYC 2026 with the full spirit of a Pep Rally--marching bands, cheerleaders, and art-making workshops, plus climate scientists and environmental advocates! This event invites everyone to combine climate action with pom-poms--proof that hope is overflowing and the water that connects our cities, our communities, deserves a cheering section!
Manhattan, New York, NY
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1:00 pm
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Workshop | Group Quilting Session: Bring Your Own Quilting Project
Margaret Wood (Dine/Seminole) and fellow Quilt Along participants host a screen-free afternoon of community and connection. Bring your quilt, at whatever stage it may be in, or any other sewing project. Hand-sewing only, no machines. Note: Visitors are not allowed to bring scissors, sewing machines, irons, rotary cutters, and other sharp tools into the museum.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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1:00 pm
free, registration required
free, registration required
Film | Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995): Supernatural Horror Comedy Directed by Mel Brooks
When a lawyer shows up at the vampire’s doorstep, he falls prey to his charms and joins him in his search for fresh blood. Enter Professor Van Helsing, who may be the only one able to vanquish the Count. Director: Mel Brooks Cast: Leslie Nielsen, Peter MacNicol, Steven Weber, Amy Yasbeck Mel Brooks is an American actor, comedian, filmmaker, songwriter, and playwright. With a career spanning over seven decades, he is known as a writer and director of a variety of successful broad farces and parodies. A recipient of numerous accolades, he is one of 18 entertainers to win the EGOT, which includes an Emmy Award, a Grammy Award, an Academy Award, and a Tony Award.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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2:00 pm
free, registration required
free, registration required
Play | The Crucible: Arthur Miller's Historical Drama
A Salem resident attempts to frame her ex-lover’s wife for being a witch in the middle of the 1692 witchcraft trials. Playwright: Arthur Miller Director: Harry George Brook Cast: Teddy Fischer, Maya Mays, Lena Moore, Jamisen Dowdy, Elena Falkow, Greg Hofmann, Jalexis James
Manhattan, New York, NY
Join the Club!
2:00 pm
free, tickets required
free, tickets required
Jazz | Afternoon Jam Sesh (Play Music or Just Listen)
This jam session is open to all musicians. Come and play or just listen to some jazzy tunes.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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2:00 pm
free, 1 drink...
free, 1 drink...
Dancing | BeBop Poru Movement-Themed All-Day Party
A dance par-ty fea-tur-ing glob-al sounds, a cel-e-bra-tion of a sum-mer brim-ming with art. BeBop Poru is the musi-cal syn-the-sis of Black Amer-i-can dance music fused along-side rhythms from Africa, The Caribbean, and South Amer-i-ca. Joined by DJ L3Ni of Soul in the Horn, this all-day par-ty cel-e-brates dias-poric sounds and brings com-mu-ni-ties togeth-er against Gov-er-nors Island's pic-turesque back-drop of the New York skyline.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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2:00 pm
free, RSVP required
free, RSVP required
Tour | Explore Collection Featuring Goya, Velazquez, El Greco, and More
Explore a museum's history, special collections, and landmarked spaces. It contains objects of artistic, historic, and literary interest for the advancement of the study of the Spanish and Portuguese languages, literature, and history around the world. Led by educators, the tours last 45-60 minutes and provide an engaging introduction to the artworks and archives on view.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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2:00 pm
free, RSVP required...
free, RSVP required...
Classical Music | Music on the Water: Chamber Works by William Grant Still & More
Harlem Chamber Players (Ashley Horne, violin, Claire Chan, violin, William Frampton, viola, and Wayne Smith, cello). Program: Jessie Montgomery (1981-) Source Code Akua Dixon (1948-) We The People Shelley Washington (1991-) Middleground William Grant Still (1895-1978) Danzas de Panama Wynton Marsalis (1861-) Creole Contradanzas and Rampart St. Row Rag from At the Octoroon Balls
Brooklyn, New York, NY
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2:00 pm
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Park Walk | Island Birdwatching: Discover Local Avians
Whether you’re an expert birder or a beginner, this tours is designed to help you discover what makes this island an excellent place for birding. Did you know that nearly 240 bird species have been spotted here?
Manhattan, New York, NY
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2:15 pm
free, registration required
free, registration required
Play | Original, Short Plays by Emerging Writers
Six plays, five writers, four directors, and an afternoon of theatre! Featuring new works by Corey Rogers, Chad Restum, Carey Campbell, Catherine Monnett, and Christopher D. White, produced by Creative Women New York.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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3:00 pm
free, donations welcome,...
free, donations welcome,...
Classical Music | Serene Organ Meditations in Intimate Venue (In Person AND Online!)
Enjoy a program of hymns, anthems, and voluntaries for the organ.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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4:00 pm
Free, donations are...
Free, donations are...
Opera | LOL: Solo Opera about Isolation, Otherness, & the Internet
After launching in Denmark in May 2023 to rave reviews, LOL: Laughing Out Lonely premieres in the U.S. Acclaimed countertenor Morten Grove Frandsen embodies multiple characters in this thrilling solo opera about isolation, otherness, and the internet. LOL utilizes lyrics based on young people's social media posts to create a compelling, relevant, and thought-provoking portrait of community. The work was developed by composing team Matilde Böcher and Asger Kudahl, who prove that our online worlds are as universal as they are hyper-specific. Experience this unique perspective on opera and media. There are two ways to access this event: 1. General Admission, first-come first-served. Just show up! 2. Fast Track opening the Monday before the event at noon.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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5:00 pm
free, fast-track available
free, fast-track available
Dancing | An Evening of Community Folk Dance
Contra is a community-oriented mash-up of swing and square dancing performed in lines. Brooklyn Contra teaches a style of community folk dance featuring great live music, dancing, and joy. Each dance starts with a lesson from the caller and a breakdown of the simple moves.
Manhattan, New York, NY
Join the Club!
5:00 pm
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Opera | LOL: Solo Opera about Isolation, Otherness, & the Internet
After launching in Denmark in May 2023 to rave reviews, LOL: Laughing Out Lonely premieres in the U.S. Acclaimed countertenor Morten Grove Frandsen embodies multiple characters in this thrilling solo opera about isolation, otherness, and the internet. LOL utilizes lyrics based on young people's social media posts to create a compelling, relevant, and thought-provoking portrait of community. The work was developed by composing team Matilde Böcher and Asger Kudahl, who prove that our online worlds are as universal as they are hyper-specific. Experience this unique perspective on opera and media. There are two ways to access this event: 1. General Admission, first-come first-served. Just show up! 2. Fast Track opening the Monday before the event at noon.
Manhattan, New York, NY
Join the Club!
7:30 pm
free, fast-track available
free, fast-track available
Play | The Crucible: Arthur Miller's Historical Drama
A Salem resident attempts to frame her ex-lover's wife for being a witch in the middle of the 1692 witchcraft trials. Playwright: Arthur Miller Director: Harry George Brook Cast: Teddy Fischer, Maya Mays, Lena Moore, Jamisen Dowdy, Elena Falkow, Greg Hofmann, Jalexis James
Manhattan, New York, NY
Join the Club!
7:30 pm
free, tickets required
free, tickets required
7:30 pm
Regular: $30
Member: $0
Regular: $30
Member: $0
Join the Club!
Screening | Korean Film Festival: Award-Winning Short Films
Ahorts from the 2026 Mise-en-scene Short Film Festival across Drama, Melodrama, Comedy, Horror, and Action/Thriller. My Aunt (2026), Wrong Aim (2026), Mixedup Shaman (2026), Noise Cancellation (2025), and After Submersion (2026). Intro and Q&A with WI EUNG-KYOUNG, SON GWANG-MIN, KIM KEUNHO, CHOI JIHYE, PARK JEONG-SU and JANG YOUNG-YEOP. English subtitles available.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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7:30 pm
free, RSVP required
free, RSVP required
Dance Performance | Multi-Choreographer Autumn Dance Concert
Enjoy a the October Concert performed by NYU's Second Avenue Dance Company. This performance features choreography by Company Choreographers Nyah Arne, Aidan Gresock, London Ludwig, Sophia Nielson, Shloka Porwal, and Olivya Sessing; Guest Choreographers Kayla Farrish and Yasmeen Godder.
Manhattan, New York, NY
Join the Club!
7:30 pm
free, RSVP required
free, RSVP required
Join the Club!
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Classical Music | "Virtuoso" Pianist Performs Works by Liszt & More
Regular Price: $50CFT Member Price: $0.00
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