52 free things to do in New York City (NYC) on Saturday, June 18, 2011
All events are free unless otherwise noted.
Forested, rolling hills on varied terrain. Moderate pace with several climbs, 9 miles. A potpourri of ...
more >> sites and vistas inclusive of an initial climb, carriage and wood roads, a steeper climb or descent on a section of the Appalachian trail and if time allows a stop at the West Point overlook at Arden Point. Bring lunch and water.
Moderate to brisk walks led by the NY Walkers Club for people 18 years and older of all abilities. This ...
more >> low-impact fitness program is perfect for those who want to get in shape, build muscle tone and strength, and increase cardiovascular health while enjoying the Park’s beautiful landscapes.
9:30 am
free, no reservation required
Headed by Naomi Goldberg Haas. The workshop is open to adults of all ages and abilities.
New York City, NY; NYC
Discover 150 years of Army history on Governors Island. Featuring family friendly programs, historic ...
more >> weapons demonstrations and music.
10:00 am
free, no reservation required
Sketch and paint the Hudson River and neighboring parks with an artist/educator. Materials provided.
New York City, NY; NYC
10:00 am
free, no reservation required
5-6 mile easy hike. Walk on the G.W. Bridge then visit Fort Lee Museum and trails with scenic views. ...
more >> Continue down the flowery path to Weehawken along the shore. Bring lunch/water OR buy at the Mitsuwa Market (Cafeteria). NO SMOKING ON HIKE.
Editor's Pick
Join 20-minute instructional paddles, and explore the Hudson River first hand. Please wear a bathing ...
more >> suit or shorts and a t-shirt, and know how to swim. Weather permitting. No registration required. Kayaks and life vests provided.
10:00 am
free, no reservation required
10:00 am
free, no reservation required
Meet with traditional pottery artist Josephine M. Seymour, currently featured in the documentary GRAB ...
more >> by Billy Luther. Starts at 10am and 1pm.
10:00 am
free, no reservation required
Discover the sheepfold that became a world famous restaurant, a parade ground that became the Sheep Meadow, ...
more >> the Children's
District, The Mall including its statues.
10:00 am
free, no reservation required
An expert leads informal discussions in the room and answers questions. Two sessions: 10am-1pm and 1:30pm ...
more >> -3pm.
10:00 am
free, no reservation required
Learn the secrets of the green thumb! Whether you’re an established window-box farmer or a curious ...
more >> neophyte, you can come ask questions of—and get in-depth answers from—one of BPCPC’s master horticulturists. Led by horticulturists, participants learn some of the green techniques that keep the Parks’ gardens lush and verdant. Stop by to learn about the New York City tradition of window gardening, and also brush up on the skills you need to care for your houseplants and keep your orchids healthy.
10:00 am
free, no reservation required
Moderately paced, 5-mile walk along Shore Road from the Verrazano Bridge to Owl's Head Park. Then follow ...
more >> the "Greenbelt" to the 8th Avenue "Chinatown" to stop for lunch. After lunch visit the "Park" in Sunset Park and end with a brief tour of Green-Wood Cemetery. Heavy rain cancels. Leader: Bob Lazzaro Email rlazzaro4@aol.com
Join a birder/naturalist to learn about the birds that nest and rest in the parks. Along with familiar ...
more >> birds, like the American Robin, Catbird, Mockingbird, and a variety of Sparrows, birders will seek out migrating Warblers, Finches, Brant Geese, and perhaps the more uncommon Hummingbird, Hawk, and Heron. Binoculars and field guides available. Novice and experienced birders welcome! Binoculars and field guides for adults and children are available on loan. Novice and experienced birders welcome!
11:00 am
free, no reservation required
Explore the Cathedral's newly cleaned and restored Nave. Learn about the art, architecture and history ...
more >> of this great sacred space from 1892 to the present.
Experience the Park's only formal garden with the Garden staff. See exuberant perennial and annual beds, ...
more >> and delight in an abundance of color and fragrance while learning about the Garden's history and design.
11:00 am
free, no reservation required
Get out on the water for kayaking and community rowing. Children under 18 must have an adult guardian ...
more >> present.
11:00 am
free, no reservation required
NBA Nation is basketball country. Whether you're eight years old or eighty and you love the game, NBA ...
more >> Nation presented by T-Mobile wants you! NBA Nation, the league's largest mobile basketball playground is rolling from coast-to-coast this summer, stopping in NYC. Come out and meet NBA Nation Ambassador and NBA legend Darryl Dawkins, show off your basketball skills, slam dunk, win prizes and more.
11:00 am
free, no reservation required
Free Classes in the Park. Experience the joy of movement and dance. Classes are led by former and current ...
more >> members of the internationally renowned modern dance company, Limon Dance.
11:00 am
free, no reservation required
Test your skills at state-of-the-art tables. Paddles and balls are provided free of charge.
New York City, NY; NYC
11:00 am
free, no reservation required
11:00 am
free, no reservation required
11:00 am
free, no reservation required
11:00 am
free, no reservation required
Editor's Pick
Four hundred master artisans from every region of the United States selected on the basis of quality ...
more >> of workmanship and uniqueness of design, will be at their displays, in addition to continuous entertainment and 19 craft demonstrations including more than 35,000 one-of-a-kind uniquely designed original creations with a total estimated value exceeding $40 million will be on display.
12:00 pm
free, no reservation required
A day of outdoor badminton team challenge featuring top creative organizations in NYC, as well as courts ...
more >> for public play, plus free Bowery Lane Bicycles test rides. Who will put the bad in badminton? Bring your blankets and check out RECESS 2011. Special guest deejay.
12:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Holding the Park's northern highlands was key in the American Revolution and the War of 1812 because ...
more >> armies could see their enemies approach as they sailed down the East River. History buffs will love this tour.
12:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Editor's Pick
Artz, Rootz & Rhythm is intended to showcase the multi-disciplinary talent and art forms of its member ...
more >> artists and organizations, and to build awareness of Harlem's cultural vitality.
1:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Explore the Cathedral's newly cleaned and restored Nave. Learn about the art, architecture and history ...
more >> of this great sacred space from 1892 to the present.
1:00 pm
free, no reservation required
1:00 pm
free, no reservation required
A completely original creation of Coney Island, the Mermaid Parade is the nation's largest art parade ...
more >> and one of New York City's greatest summer events. The Mermaid Parade pays homage to Coney Island's forgotten Mardi Gras which lasted from 1903 to 1954, and draws from a host of other sources resulting in a wonderful and wacky event that is unique to Coney Island.
2:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Editor's Pick
Join the Barrio Zon for an afternoon of music and dance, led by music journalist and historian Aurora ...
more >> Flores, with musical direction provided by David Fernandez. In celebration of El Barrio, they will presents their own brand of Afro-Boricua music: foot-stomping, funk-based salsa, plena, merengue, bomba, and bugala.
2:00 pm
Pay-what-you-wish admission policy
With Adam Sandler, Jon Stewart and Rob Schneider.
A lazy law school grad adopts a kid to impress his ...
more >> girlfriend, but everything doesn't go as planned and he becomes the unlikely foster father.
93 min.
Got knitting skills? If you are a pro or are just starting out join our Knitting Circle. They'll provide ...
more >> some materials but everyone is required to bring their own yarn.
2:00 pm
free, no reservation required
A performance featuring Irish step dance. Niall O'Leary and his dancers will enthrall you with some traditional ...
more >> and contemporary Irish dances, as well as some stories and and you will also get a chance to learn a few steps! Learn about why people dance with their arms by their side in Ireland, and see for yourself how Irish dance has evolved from the country kitchen to the Broadway stage! Suitable for all ages.
2:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Editor's Pick
Known for transforming narrative into something richer, stranger, and ineluctably feminine, OBIE Award-winning ...
more >> PearlDamour (Katie Pearl and Lisa D’Amour) join forces with New Orleans-based visual artist Shawn Hall for a hybrid project: part visual art installation, part theater performance that unfolds over an extended eight-hour interval. Beginning with an empty stage, PearlDamour, Hall, and a team of performer-workers transforms the theater from floor to ceiling, constructing and then dismantling an elaborate evolving environment evocative of an old growth forest at one moment and a spectacular deep-sea landscape the next.
Audience members are invited to enter the mutating installation throughout the process to get a closer look, or they can choose to take a self-guided tour that leads them through the installation and out on to the High Line. Furthermore, new short texts by Lisa D’Amour weave through each hour of the build. An extensive “source guide” tracks the lineage of every material used to build the forest: where it came from in the earth, where it will go once the artists are finished using it. Inspired by Hurricane Katrina and further informed by the BP oil spill, How to Build a Forest invites contemplation about our relationship with the natural world: how we live in it, rely on it, use it, and use it up.
2:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Join a contemporary art historian for tours of sculptures by Louise Bourgeois, Tony Cragg and Jim Dine.
New York City, NY; NYC
2:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Adventure! Daring! Romance! Pirates Dar and Matey brave the North Pole to rescue their friend, Professor ...
more >> Genius, from the torturous clutches of Old St. Nick, that bastard. Allying with an Eskimo Princess they fight their way through polar bears, the evil sidekick Tiny Tim, and finally, Santa Claus! A throw back to the Golden Age of Drama, where Pirates were Men, Bears were Women, and the Baddies were BAD. Prepare for some Yule Tide YEARGH!
2:00 pm
free, no reservation required
The uilleann pipes is the national bagpipe of Ireland. Hear the wonderful sounds of the uilleann pipes.
New York City, NY; NYC
2:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Editor's Pick
Billy Luther gives audiences an intimate look inside one of his own Native American tribes, where cameras ...
more >> have never been allowed before. Each year residents of the Laguna Pueblo in New Mexico honor individual family members by throwing food and gifts from the rooftops of their homes to the community that gathers below. Luther’s film follows three families as they prepare for this ancient tradition, which has taken many modern twists.
60 min. Discussion with the filmmaker follows.
Walk and learn about the intricate design of the Park's web of pastoral landscapes and formal romantic ...
more >> vistas.
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!
2:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Pianist Ron Levy and friends perform Hummel's Piano Quintet, Op. 87; and Schubert's “Trout” Quintet, ...
more >> Op. 114. The famous “Trout” Quintet was based on Hummel’s Op. 87 Quintet.
2:30 pm
free, no reservation required
You’ve heard tales of East Harlem blight, right? But in Superheroes of East Harlem, a project initiated ...
more >> by People’s Production House, 135 ninth graders from the Renaissance Charter HS for Innovation tell it like it really is through audio tales and silkscreened portraits of East Harlem’s community leaders.
To create this work, the youth interviewed individuals about the context and the inspiring superheroes that makes their work possible. Interviewees include Ray Ramirez of the Welfare Poets, Earline Fischer, an organizer from Community Voices heard, Deidre Hollman from the Schomberg Center for Research in Black Culture, Kendred Smith, Grammy nominated hip hop producer, the poet Jesus Papoleto and Councilmember Melissa Mark-Viverito.
This event will feature journalists and local community leaders in dialog with youth reporters. Join youth working in collaboration with artist Juan Martinez in a live screenprinting lesson where you can print your own t-shirt or get a limited screenprinted poster!
marisa@peoplesproductionhouse.org |
3:00 pm
free, no reservation required
The Merry Wives of Windsor is a comedy by William Shakespeare, first published in 1602, though believed ...
more >> to have been written prior to 1597. It features the fat knight Sir John Falstaff, and is Shakespeare's only play to deal exclusively with contemporary Elizabethan era English middle class life.
6:30 pm
free, no reservation required
Program:
Mozart: Symphony No. 35 in D (“Haffner”), KV 385
Mozart: Symphony No. 41 in C (“Jupiter”), ...
more >> KV 551
Bring a blanket or chair to sit on and a picnic basket (sorry, no barbecueing) and enjoy a free concert in the park!
7:00 pm
$15 suggested donation...
Roam through the Park with the actors as you enjoy this delightful comedy presented by the New York Classical ...
more >> Theatre. With: Brian Cheng, Will Gallacher, Lindsey Kyler, Drew Lewis, Lauren Margaret Nordvig, Nick Plakias, Nick Salamone, and Courtney Alana Ward.
7:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Come down to the park and play for fellow visitors! Sing for Hope, a NYC-based non-profit, will place ...
more >> 88 pianos in parks and public spaces throughout the five boroughs from June 18 - July 2. A symbol of Sing for Hope's commitment to make the arts available to everyone, the Pop-Up Pianos will unite and engage diverse communities throughout the city. After their public residency, each piano will be donated to local schools, hospitals, and community centers to be enjoyed for years to come.
7:00 pm
free, no reservation required
A three-person improvised play performed by Laura Grey (Second City, Klepper & Grey, Laura On Laura), ...
more >> Jodi Lennon (Annoyance, Second City, IO, Exit 57) and Ari Voukydis (UCB, Conan O'Brien, The Best Week Ever).
Editor's Pick
LARRY HARLOW, “El Judio Maravilloso,” revolutionized modern salsa as both a musician and producer ...
more >> in his work with the storied Fania label. Here he brings his all-star band to back a violin throwdown of epic dimensions: the great Cuban ALFREDO DE LA FE vs. Brooklyn’s own LEWIS KAHN. Among the young torchbearers of the sound Harlow helped create, few are as electrifying as the Bronx-based LA EXCELENCIA, a group of young hotshots that’s taking the music to new levels but still “emphasizes hard-driving brass and percussion, just like a Fania Records band from salsa’s heyday in the 1970s.” (The New York Times). Gates open at 6:30.
7:30 pm
free, no reservation required
Editor's Pick
The Moose Hall Theatre Company performs as part of the Inwood Shakespeare Festival. Bring blankets and ...
more >> chairs.
7:30 pm
free, no reservation required
Measure for Measure sweeps from the corridors of national power to the intimate confines of the bedroom, ...
more >> and from the convent's chapel to the executioner’s block. It is Shakespeare at his grittiest: a bracing and bawdy glimpse of what happens when those in power allow their basest human impulses to range unchecked. Directed by David Esbjornson.