53 free things to do in New York City (NYC) on Saturday, September 23, 2017
All events are free unless otherwise noted.
A look at New York's underbelly in this exploratory hike. Start with a visit and snack at Industry Cities, ...
more >> followed by a walk from superfund sites, to a wastewater treatment center, from a recycling center to the most radioactive place in the city.
This is a 3-hour tour that begins with a walk over the Brooklyn Bridge, an icon of New York City for ...
more >> over 125 years, with spectacular views of Manhattan and Brooklyn. The tour then moves on to a stroll of Brooklyn Heights, America’s and New York City’s first suburb. The tour then explores the neighborhood DUMBO before ending at the Fulton Ferry landing.
The 3-hour walking and subway tour covers the Financial District including Wall Street and the World ...
more >> Trade Center, SoHo, Little Italy and Chinatown. These are neighborhoods that simply can’t be fully appreciated from a bus. There will be one or two opportunities to sample tasty treats.
Greenwich Village is among Manhattan's most desirable and expensive residential neighborhoods. It's history, ...
more >> however, betrays it's monied status. The Village, with it's quiet, shaded streets, lined with lovely brick and brownstone townhouses, was once the incubating ground of artistic, social and political movements that have helped shape US history. From the Beats to the Folk Movement, from workers rights to gay rights, the Village has often been the center of it all.
Although world famous, Harlem may be New York's best kept secret with some of the city's best architecture, ...
more >> food, music and people. Harlem's history is also one of the city's most dramatic, having gone through many ethnic, cultural and socioeconomic changes over the past roughly 400 years, which have resulted in a diverse array of places of worship, theaters, homes and eating establishments.
You've seen the iconic skyscrapers, attended a Broadway show, visited Lady Liberty and relaxed in Central ...
more >> Park. Looking for a little more of the Big Apple? Maybe it's time to visit some of Manhattan's oldest and most enchanting historic districts. Take a relaxing stroll through SoHo, Little Italy and Chinatown.
10:00 am
free, no reservation required
Paint in watercolor, or use pastels, chalk, and charcoal to capture the magical vistas of the Hudson ...
more >> River and the unique landscape. An artist/educator will help participants of all levels with instruction and critique. Art materials provided. Please note that this program is for adult participants (age 18 and up).
10:00 am
free, no reservation required
Hear the story behind New York City's park in the sky. Weekly guided 75-minute walking tours led by knowledgeable ...
more >> volunteer guides will offer you an insider's perspective on the park's history, design, and landscape. Takes place Saturdays May 2 -October 31 2017.
10:00 am
free, no reservation required
Experience the joy of dance with dancers from the Limón Dance Company. Open to all levels.
New York City, NY; NYC
10:00 am
free, no reservation required
Don't have enough time to take all of the tours? Prefer to experience Manhattan with a smaller group, ...
more >> but a private booking is out of reach? Then consider our All-in-One New York Tour. This tour utilizes your feet and the New York City Subway to transport you from Lower Manhattan, the birthplace of New York, through Wall St and the Financial District, the World Trade Center, Greenwich Village, SoHo, Chinatown, Little Italy, Chelsea Market and the Highline Park.
Free fun for the whole family, including arts, crafts, antiques, plants, entertainment, games, and more.
New York City, NY; NYC
10:00 am
free, no reservation required
Free fun for the whole family, including arts, crafts, antiques, plants, entertainment, games, and more.
New York City, NY; NYC
10:00 am
free, no reservation required
Veteran Donald Calliste leads a class to tone and define your core, lower back, and glutes combined with ...
more >> cardio exercises that will maximize your fat-burning potential. This event repeats every Saturday until September 30, 2017.
10:30 am
free, no reservation required
A range of artists, cultural producers, and scholars will deliver a daylong read of James Baldwin. The ...
more >> venue's recent acquisition of Baldwin’s personal papers includes biographical sketches, correspondence, interviews, awards, travel records, and fan mail. These items, alongside his published writings and novels, provide a storehouse of material that celebrate the brilliance and beauty of Baldwin.
11:00 am
free, registration required
Join Shape Up NYC for Zumba in the park. Dance in the sun and get fit with friends. Colorful outfits ...
more >> are encouraged! This event repeats every Saturday until Sept. 30, 2017.
11:00 am
free, no reservation required
Steeped in artistic, political and progressively social history, Greenwich Village today remains a cultural ...
more >> melting pot. The ‘Village’ has been, and remains a bohemian capital, a center of the modern LGBT movement and one of the birthplaces of the ‘Beat’ and 60’s counter cultures. See for yourself the places where so much history has been made, and the places where today’s locals continue the Village vibe. Led by a licensed guide, the tour lasts about 90 minutes and features unique and interesting information on the various social, architectural and/or historic aspects of the neighborhood.
11:30 am
free, no reservation required
About 5 miles, moderate pace with 3 long stops. Pass a former brewery, some mansions, and on to a mix ...
more >> of trendy new and older spots. Stop for about half an hour at a building converted to artist studios, then wander 2 blocks into Queens to visit an 18th-century Dutch farmhouse ($3 admission). On to see lots of street art, ending at another old brewery near the Montrose Ave L train station. Bring lunch/water. Call to confirm .
Michael Terry explains how to identify the right college or program, with the most cost-effective fit ...
more >> for your family's situation. The discussion includes the actual cost of college; various forms of financial aid, loans and scholarships; and the financial aid application process. Michael Terry is the founder and President of Merit Financial Partners, which provides fee-only planning to a broad clientele. He is a frequent contributor to publications such as Money Magazine and Consumer Reports.
12:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Architecture Books / Yet to be Written / 1982-2017-2052 asks seminal voices to present and discuss the ...
more >> making of architecture and books. The event brings together major figures in the discipline and profession to reflect upon the last thirty five years of architecture and book production, and to evaluate the missing volumes of a history in the writing. Confirmed participants include Diana Agrest, Stan Allen, Amale Andraos, Harry Cobb, Peggy Deamer, Elizabeth Diller, Steven Holl, Sanford Kwinter, Thom Mayne, Daniel Libeskind, Joan Ockman, Spyridon Papapetros, Brett Steele, Nader Tehrani, Bernard Tschumi, Anthony Vidler, Rafael Viñoly, Mark Wigley, and James Wines. Each speaker will present an architecture book published in the last thirty five years that they consider to be fundamental to the understanding of contemporary architecture culture, as well as a "book yet to be written."
1:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Brooklyn Americana Music Festival presents original and traditional country, folk, roots, blues, old ...
more >> time and bluegrass artists. 1:00 PM The Sparrow Sisters Family Sing-A-Long 2:00 PM Jalopy Junior School of Folk Music Students 3:00 PM Truckstop Honeymoon 4:00 PM The 4 O’Clock Flowers 5:00 PM Ana Egge 6:00 The Brother Brothers 7:00 The Defibulators
1:00 pm
free, no reservation required
If you collect, read, or are just interested in classic pulp magazines, you want to know about the Gotham ...
more >> Pulp Collectors Club. They are pulp readers and collectors who meet once a month to talk about their favorite subject: popular fiction magazines from the first half of the 20th century. They discuss what they've been reading along with new developments in the fields of reprints, movies, TV, auctions, conventions, "new pulp" fiction, and more.
1:00 pm
free, no reservation required
A documentary chronicling Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour's preparations for the 2007 fall-fashion ...
more >> issue. 90 min.
1:00 pm
free, no reservation required
1:00 pm
free, no reservation required
1:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Editor's Pick
Brave New World Repertory Theatre presents The Plantation, set in 1870 Virginia after emancipation, but ...
more >> before the onset of Jim Crow. The Plantation re-imagines The Cherry Orchard to tell a post-Civil War story about tectonic shifts in social status of black and white Americans during the period after the war when Southern aristocracy was brought to its knees. Chekhov’s Russian serfs become American freed men and women in this immersive and emotionally charged production.
1:30 pm
free, no reservation required
Open Studios with Designated Movement Company 1:30-2:30pm Open Studios with Yvonne Meier 2:30-3:30pm ...
more >> Open Studios with Rashaun Mitchell and Silas Riener 3:30-4:30pm
1:30 pm
free, no reservation required
Set in an all-night coffee shop on New York's upper Broadway, where the riff-raff, the addicts, prostitutes, ...
more >> bums, the petty thieves, the desperate of the big city come together. At the core of the play are Joe and Darlene, two young people who seem to have the need to transcend the turmoil and ugliness of the life in which they found themselves. A student profuction of Lanford Wilson's play.
Jodi Melnick provides free dance in the park. The final dance artist of three Danspace-curated participants ...
more >> in Josiah McElheny's summer-long Prismatic Park, Melnick and guest artists activate McElheny's installation with movement from September 12-24.
2:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Speaker, trainer, and certified professional coach, Barbara Phillips, will share a practical overview ...
more >> of the key elements of a serious job search and tools for finding your “best fit” job.
2:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Editor's Pick
Al Gore on the lecture circuit, as the former presidential candidate campaigns to raise public awareness ...
more >> of the dangers of global warming and calls for immediate action to curb its destructive effects on the environment.
2:00 pm
free, no reservation required
The 3-hour walking and subway tour covers the Financial District including Wall Street and the World ...
more >> Trade Center, SoHo, Little Italy and Chinatown. These are neighborhoods that simply can’t be fully appreciated from a bus. There will be one or two opportunities to sample tasty treats.
2:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Editor's Pick
Stars: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Bradley Whitford. It's time for a young African American to ...
more >> meet with his white girlfriend's parents for a weekend in their secluded estate in the woods, but before long, the friendly and polite ambience will give way to a nightmare. 104 min.
2:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Arguably the world's most valuable, busiest and most crowded pieces of real estate, Midtown Manhattan ...
more >> is what most visitors think of when they think of New York City. Home to some of the city's most iconic architecture, from Gothic to Post-Modern and from Beaux-Arts to Art Deco (lots of Art Deco). it's not difficult to understand why. But just behind the massive facades, lie facinating histories just waiting to be unveiled.
Stars: Salma Hayek, John Lithgow, Connie Britton. A holistic medicine practitioner attends a wealthy ...
more >> client's dinner party after her car breaks down. 82 min.
2:00 pm
free, no reservation required
You've seen the iconic skyscrapers, attended a Broadway show, visited Lady Liberty and relaxed in Central ...
more >> Park. Looking for a little more of the Big Apple? Maybe it's time to visit some of Manhattan's oldest and most enchanting historic districts. Take a relaxing stroll through SoHo, Little Italy and Chinatown.
Travel from Grand Army Plaza, past the Pond and Gapstow Bridge, and stop at the Dairy on this trip through ...
more >> the southern Park highlights. Route involves moderate inclines and some stairs. 45 minutes.
2:00 pm
free, no reservation required
The tour explores the social and political history of the Union Square neighborhood through discussions ...
more >> of the people, history, architecture, and forces that have shaped this community. You’ll hear how Union Square got its name, see where the legendary Tiffany & Co. once stood, and learn how to read the clock (yes, it’s a clock!) on “The Metronome” sculpture and so much more! This tour takes place every Saturday.
2:00 pm
free, no reservation required
4:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Forty-five minute organ meditations celebrating the diverse repertoire of the pipe organ. The program ...
more >> features the great repertoire of the organ on the 101-rank Pipe Organ built by Herman Schlicker and the 5 stop chamber organ built by Taylor and Boody Organ Builders. Takes place every Saturday from Sept. 9, 2017 to May 27, 2018.
4:00 pm
free, no reservation required
A guided walk searching out site-specific dances choreographed for the park. Wear comfortable shoes.
New York City, NY; NYC
5:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Editor's Pick
A night of swing, live jazz, and open dance! Enjoy sharing stories and dancing all while listening to ...
more >> the music reminiscent of the Big Band Era. Come early for a swing dance lesson and stay for open dance. The swing dance lesson will be provided by The Harlem Swing Dance Society. Live jazz with Harlem Renaissance Orchestra will follow. Participants are encouraged to dress up in their best swing outfits! Schedule of Activities: 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. // Swing Dance Lesson with THSDS 6:00 p.m. - 6:45 p.m. // Live Jazz with HRO and Open Dance 6:45 p.m. - 7:05 p.m. // Intermission - DJ Music 7:05 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. // Live Jazz with HRO and Open Dance
5:00 pm
free, no reservation required
The New Hampshire-born pianist Matthew Odell began his studies at age 10 and has since won acclaim for ...
more >> performances of a wide range of repertoire as a solo recitalist, soloist with orchestra, and chamber musician. In addition to performances at Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and the 92nd Street Y in New York, Odell has appeared at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., in Boston, Chicago, Miami, Paris, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Taipei, Taiwan, and Helsinki, Finland.
6:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Now often touted as the "leader of the free world," Germany is doing tremendously well by a variety of ...
more >> measures. Internally, however, divisions between East and West remain. What used to be "East Germany" (the communist German Democratic Republic) is economically, politically, and culturally at a disadvantage and is mainly understood in terms of negative stereotypes. Ahead of the German federal elections on Sunday, September 24, come to a light-hearted evening showcasing a range of cultural endeavors by East Germans. What were arenas of expression and art in the GDR, and did they carry over into the new united Germany that emerged after the fall of the Berlin Wall? How do divided biographies (growing up East German during the re-unification process) influence artistic expression? How do East Germans see the relationship between art and politics? And how do they shape East German lives 27 years after re-unification? The panel: Petra Epperlein, director of the recent acclaimed film, Karl-Marx-City; Tim Mohr, author of Stirb nicht im Warteraum der Zukunft, a book on East German punk rock; and Cornelia Thomsen, a prominent East German artist now based in New York.
6:00 pm
free, no reservation required
A lone merchant, Anna Fierling, (played here by three actors) tries to achieve the irreconcilable aims ...
more >> of making money and keeping her children alive during the nightmare of the Thirty Years War. Bertolt Brecht's masterpiece of silence and survival seems only to have grown in stature since its premiere in 1941 as we consider the recent ravages of wars still plaguing the planet. This version by David Hare first premiered at The National Theatre in London in 1995. It features new original music composed for this student production by Matthew Dean Marsh.
Editor's Pick
M. Evelina Galang discusses her first non-fiction book that took her 20 years to write as she got to ...
more >> know the Filipina survivors of World II who were forced to be “comfort women.” Giving them a voice they never thought they’d have, Galang’s journey with them is by turns heartbreaking and heartwarming.
7:00 pm
free, no reservation required
New York Ghost tours capture the spiritual side of the Big Apple through stories. famed explorers, native ...
more >> tribes, lost opportunities and political intrigue. With almost every step one takes through the West Village, one encounters the ghosts and spirits of New York City’s past. Every corner has its stories, every building has its haunted spirits.
New York is a skyscraper city and there is no better time to view Manhattan’s icons than after the ...
more >> sun sets and the lights go on. Fueled by competition and a dash of audacity, New York City is still producing one of mankind’s most remarkable skyline. NOTE** THIS TOUR SPENDS MUCH TIME INDOORS OR IN SUBWAYS AND GREAT FOR ALL WEATHER CONDITIONS. Please note they do utilize the subway on this tour so you will need $5 for subway.
Harlem’s deep tradition of civic activism blossoms in the thriving gardens carefully cultivated in ...
more >> its many reclaimed spaces. Help illuminate the park and the Columbia University campus with a community-created lantern procession inspired by these horticultural gems and the resourceful visionaries that tend them.
8:00 pm
free, no reservation required
MFA Social Documentary Film presents its Seventh Annual Thesis Showcase. This screening series is a preview ...
more >> of documentary shorts and features-in-progress by the program's class of 2017.
Ruby Powers returns with her cadre of special guests. The evening will feature live music and comedy, ...
more >> from Broadway to Britney, Brecht to Bette.
New York City is a mecca for graffiti and street art, making it a very attractive playground for artists ...
more >> from around the world. Bushwick, in a working class district on the north side of Brooklyn adjacent to Williamsburg, has been attracting artists for some time now. The neighborhood has a fair collection of art studios and galleries, but it’s Bushwick’s industrial landscape that’s attracting the street artist. If you came looking for 1960′s Greenwich Village, you’ll find something brewing in Bushwick. Tour takes place Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.