free things to do in New York City
Free events for Friday, 05/15/15
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Free Events, Free Things to Do in New York City!  Read More
41 free events take place on Friday, May 15 in New York City.
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41 free things to do in New York City (NYC) on Friday, May 15, 2015

All events are free unless otherwise noted.
        

Opening Reception | Exhibition: Martin Szekely: Artefact


The first US solo exhibition in twenty years of French designer Martin Szekely. In 1996, two years after his last exhibition in New York, Szekely declared a new foundational principle to his design and process: Ne Plus Dessiner, or Draw Nomore. His objects have since been underpinned by texts, engaging language throughout his work, from gestation through process. Draw Nomore is a removal of the self from complete authorship — acknowledging the various interpretations and sources of text. Distancing himself from objects, Szekely calls this process the “hard stones” – where the essence of the object, “origin, definition, implementation and destination” can be represented, rather than the author.
   Carnegie Hill, New York, NY
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9:00 am
free, no reservation required

Fair | Street Fair


Free fun for the whole family, including arts, crafts, antiques, plants, entertainment, games, and more.
   Lower Manhattan, New York, NY
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9:00 am
free, no reservation required

Tour | All-in-One Downtown 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, Greenwich Village, SoHo, Chinatown and Midtown Manhattan. There will be ample opportunities for memorable pictures. You'll get the chance to savor NY's best pizza and cannoli and other treats, learn how to play NY handball, maybe bargain with a shopkeeper in Chinatown, observe a game of street chess in Greenwich Village, people watch and window shop in SoHo, and kick back on the Highline Park. Along the way, you'll master the subway and learn about New York's Finest!
   Lower Manhattan,
10:00 am
Free plus $6.75...

Workshop | Bridge Club


Are you a Bridge buff? Put on your game face and show off your best plays. Join the fun and meet new friends. All players welcome.
   Lincoln Square, New York, NY
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10:00 am
free, no reservation required

City Walk | Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn Heights and Dumbo Tour


This is a 3-hour tour that begins with a walk over the Brooklyn Bridge, an icon of New York City for 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.
   Lower Manhattan,
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10:00 am
Free...

Tour | Central Park Photography Tour


Ready. Set. Shoot! Join a Central Park Photography Tour like no other. A Licensed guide and talented Photographer will take you around Central Park’s most scenic spots! He will explain all there’s to know about your surroundings while instructing you on how to make your trip memorable and improve your photography. These two-in-one tours are fun for all ages, camera type (even iPhones and smart devices), and levels of photography. So join us to have a great time if your passion is New York and photography while visiting the lungs of Manhattan. You will pass the Ramble, the Bow Bridge, The Point and more.
   Upper East Side,
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10:00 am
Free...

Tour | Lower Manhattan Tour


It is here, as much as anywhere, where American history started. It's where the first US Congress assembled and produced the Bill of Rights and where President George Washington took his first oath of office. It's here where the world's most important stock exchange and one of the most famous bridges stand. And it is here where an unspeakable tragedy took place and where a rebirth is underway.
   Lower Manhattan,
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10:00 am
Free...

Tour | Manhattan Street Art Tour


Join a Manhattan Street Art Tour and experience the Lower East Side - SoHo, NoHo, Nolita and Little Italy. The Lower East Side of Manhattan is a playground for street artists, Soho is known to be one of NYC first permit Joint Live-Work Quarters for artists and the area received landmark designation in 1973. Noho and Nolita’s street art is either hidden in courtyards or on the more prominent street art facades. Learn about the history of the art of many famous and unknown artist.
   Lower Manhattan,
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10:00 am
Free...

Workshop | Learn Juggling in the Park


Test your coordination and dexterity with free juggling lessons in the park. All skill levels are welcome to join in the fun. Equipment is provided. Lessons are weather permitting.
   Midtown,
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12:00 pm
free, no reservation required

Concert | Bach at Noon


The keyboard works of Bach offered in 30-minute meditations by Patrick Allen, organist and master of choristers, and Phillip Lamb, organ scholar.
   Lower Manhattan,
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12:20 pm
free, no reservation required

Gallery Talk | Exhibition Tour: Public Eye, 175 Years of Sharing Photography


Join a 45-minute docent led tour of the exhibition.
   Midtown,
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12:30 pm
free, no reservation required

Tour | Grand Central and Its Neighborhood Tour


Discover architecture and social history of Grand Central neighborhood; learn secrets of Whispering Gallery in Grand Central Terminal; gaze upon hubcaps and roadsters on side of Chrysler Building; discover favorite Midtown Manhattan hangout of Mercury, Hercules, and Minerva; learn why Pershing Square isn’t really square; visit original Lincoln Memorial by Daniel Chester French. Award-winning tour led by urban explorer, historian, and storyteller Justin Ferate.
   Midtown,
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12:30 pm
free, no reservation required

Festival | 19th Annual Tribeca Art Walk


Experience a behind-the-scenes look at artists and their workspaces. Since 1995, some of Manhattan’s finest artists have opened their work spaces to the public to take a free, self-guided tour. TriBeCa Open Artist Studio Tour attendees are able to visit the artists, view their work and buy art directly from the source. This is a rare insight into the inner working of the artist studio. TOAST is a celebration of the creative community of TriBeCa.
   New York, NY
1:00 pm
free, no reservation required

Workshop | Learn Fencing in the Park


Take a stab at the modern sport of fencing with masters from Manhattan Fencing Center. No prior experience needed and equipment is provided.
   Midtown,
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1:30 pm
free, no reservation required

Tour | Bushwick Graffiti and Street Art Tour


New York City is a mecca for graffiti and street art, making it a very attractive playground for artists 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.
   East Williamsburg,
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2:00 pm
Free...

Tour | Greenwich Village Neighborhood Tour


Greenwich Village is among Manhattan's most desirable and expensive residential neighborhoods. It's history, 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.
   Lower Manhattan,
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2:00 pm
Free...

Tour | Harlem Tour


Although world famous, Harlem may be New York's best kept secret with some of the city's best architecture, 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.
   Upper Manhattan,
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2:00 pm
Free...

Tour | SoHo, Little Italy and Chinatown Tour


You've seen the iconic skyscrapers, attended a Broadway show, visited Lady Liberty and relaxed in Central 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.
   Lower Manhattan,
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2:00 pm
Free...

Film | Documentary: Felix Moeller's Forbidden Films: The Hidden Legacy of Nazi Film


A thoughtful, provocative analysis of the 40 Nazi-produced movies still banned from broadcast or public screening in Germany (except in a scholarly context) because they are considered too inflammatory or offensive. The Third Reich’s anti-Semitic films are well-known (among them THE ETERNAL JEW, THE ROTHSCHILDS, JEW SÜSS), but less famed are their anti-British and anti-Polish dramas, featuring heroic young Germans, mercilessly bullied by greedy, deranged foreigners. Nearly 70 years after the demise of the Nazis, do Joseph Goebbels’s notorious propaganda movies still pose a threat to civil society? See this galvanizing documentary and judge for yourself. Start times: 2:30pm, 4:40pm, 7:00pm, 9:10pm
   Lower Manhattan, New York, NY
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2:30 pm
free, no reservation required

Workshop | Magazines and Newspapers Database Workshop 2


Explore more advanced search features of the database EBSCOhost to find full-text articles from thousands of magazines, newspapers, and journals.
   Midtown,
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2:30 pm
Free

Gallery Talk | Exhibition Tour: Public Eye, 175 Years of Sharing Photography


Join a 45-minute docent led tour of the exhibition.
   Midtown,
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3:30 pm
free, no reservation required

Concert | College Recitals


John E. Elizondo, Trombone 4 p.m. Lily Chiu, Violin 4 p.m. Melody Nishinaga, Harpsichord 6 p.m. Yoshiaki David Ko, Piano 6 p.m. Choreographic Honors 8 p.m. Greg Duncan, Jazz Guitar 8 p.m. Kurt Kanazawa, Baritone 8 p.m. Michael Chiarello, Double Bass 8 p.m.
   Lincoln Square, New York, NY
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4:00 pm
free, no reservation required

Workshop | Apples to Apples Game Social


Join weekly Game Socials to meet up with like-minded players interested in the same games as you. On Fridays, they play the popular party game Apples to Apples.
   Midtown,
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5:00 pm
free, no reservation required

Concert | College Recitals


5:00 PM Gvantsa Zangaladze, piano 8:00 PM Arthur Bosarge, collaborative piano 8:00 PM Rhys McCleary, double-bass
   Upper West Side, New York, NY
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5:00 pm
free, no reservation required

Opening Reception | Impossible Exchange by Kevin Bourgeois: Mixed Media Drawings


From the artist: "The initial inspiration for my current body of work was drawn from the re-examination of two books 'Impossible Exchange' by Jean Baudrillard and 'The Medium Is the Message' by Marshall McLuhan, in order to punctuate their current social relevance, and to highlight an unrestrained headlong journey to burn the socially viable candle at both ends."
   Lower Manhattan, New York, NY
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6:00 pm
free, no reservation required

Discussion | A Discussion of Leon Golub: Riot


The gallery’s inaugural exhibition devoted to renowned postwar American figurative painter Leon Golub. Spanning five decades and including a selection of paintings and late drawings, the show surveys the late artist’s politically charged and profoundly emotive oeuvre.
   Upper East Side, New York, NY
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6:00 pm
Free

Opening Reception | Exhibition: Zhao Zhao: Constellations II


For his third exhibition at the gallery, Zhao Zhao presents a new series of oil paintings that develop ideas first explored in Constellations exhibited at Art Basel Hong Kong and New York in 2013.
   Midtown, New York, NY
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6:00 pm
free, no reservation required

Dancing | Harlem Dances with City Stompers


Wear dancing shoes and join different local companies as they demonstrate and teach you the moves. City Stompers, NYC's only clogging school, joins Megan Downes and The Melody Allegra Band for Americana roots music and dance. Traditional fiddle playing, songs and southern Appalachian clogging will get you stompin' and hollerin' too.
   Upper Manhattan, New York, NY
6:00 pm
free, no reservation required

Tour | High Line Tour


The area around the High Line Park was a vital business district of New York City, supplying fresh fruits, French Cheeses and Russian caviar as well as fresh meats to City markets. The hustle and bustle of the streets induced the City to elevate the railroad trains delivering goods to the commercial buildings. When interstate truck traffic made the railway outdated, it fell into ruin, only to be regenerated as a park.
   Lower Manhattan,
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6:00 pm
Free...

Opening Reception | Photography: Pablo Bartholomew's Outside In


The gallery’s first solo exhibition with photographer Pablo Bartholomew (b. 1955, New Delhi), Outside In is a selection of photographs taken throughout the 1970s in three cities: Bombay, New Delhi and Calcutta. This body of work stems from the very beginning of the artist’s career, when he – expelled from high school – immersed himself in a youthful subculture testing the boundaries of an insulated socialist society steeped in tradition.
   Midtown, New York, NY
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6:00 pm
free, no reservation required

Theater | Shakespeare Outdoors: The Two Gentlemen of Verona


Presented by The Drilling Company.
   Midtown,
6:30 pm
free, no reservation required

Jazz | College Recitals


7:00 PM to 8:00 PM Luz Pinos, Voice 9:00 PM to 10:00 PM Jillian Ryan, Saxophone and Voice
   Lower Manhattan, New York, NY
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7:00 pm
free, no reservation required

Concert | Frank Sinatra Singalong Show and Tell


The Frank Sinatra songbook truly is the American songbook. Many of us have warm family memories of humming along with Frank in the kitchen as we prepared holiday meals or gathered around the television to watch our favorite Sinatra TV specials and films. The Library's collection includes many one-of-a-kind artifacts related to Sinatra hits, from lyricist Fred Ebb's scrapbooks for "Theme to New York, New York," to Kurt Weill's manuscript for "September Song," to Frank Loesser’s sketches for Guys and Dolls. Come see these rare materials and sing along to live performances of your favorite Sinatra songs. Charles Granata, author of Sessions with Sinatra, will offer expert commentary, and Glen Roven, the conductor of Sinatra's final televised concert, will be at the piano, helping recreate some of Sinatra's musical magic.
   Lincoln Square,
7:00 pm
Free

Film | Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack's King Kong (1933): Giant Ape Takes Manhattan


Stars: Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong, Bruce Cabot. A film crew goes to a tropical island for an exotic location shoot and discovers a colossal giant gorilla who takes a shine to their female blonde star. 100 min.
   Lower Manhattan, New York, NY
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7:00 pm
free, no reservation required

Performance | No Name Comedy/Variety Show


With: Ophira Eisenberg (NPR's “Ask Me Another”) will be joined by author/pundit Leighann Lord (National Geographic Channel's "Star Talk") and Charles McBee (Laughs on FOX).
   Alphabet City,
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7:00 pm
No cover...

Film | South African Documentary: David Paul Meyer's You Laugh But It's True (2011)


The Daily Show's new host, Trevor Noah, was born to an interracial couple in South Africa, at a time when such a union was illegal. You Laugh But It's True reveals the story of an outsider who has somehow figured out a way to relate to everyone through his comedy. 84 min.
   Upper Manhattan, New York, NY
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7:00 pm
$10 suggested donation

Discussion | The Work of French Author Hervé Guibert


A conversation on the work of French author Hervé Guibert, including his journals – The Mausoleum of Lovers – with Wayne Koestenbaum and his translator, Nathanaël.
   Upper East Side, New York, NY
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7:00 pm
free, no reservation required

Poetry Reading | Xi Chuan reads from his book Notes on the Mosquito


Internationally renowned Chinese poet Xi Chuan talks with contemporary American writer, essayist and translator Eliot Weinberger about the poet's first collection to appear in English.
   Upper West Side,
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7:00 pm
free, no reservation required

Tour | 9/11 Memorial and Brooklyn Bridge Night Tour


A renaissance is taking place on the southern tip of Manhattan Island. Since the terrorist attacks of September 11th 2001, a concerted effort has been undertaken to redevelop this part of the city, with the redevelopment of the World Trade Center and the construction of the National September 11th Memorial and Museum. And from twilight into the night is the right time to pay a visit to this part of New York City. From the Memorial to the Woolworth Building, City Hall to the Brooklyn Bridge, some of the your most memorable experiences in the city await you.
   Lower Manhattan,
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7:30 pm
Free...

Jazz | The Lab Sessions: Experimental Jazz Party and Jam Session


Hosted by bassist/vocalist Mimi Jones and exploring genres from traditional and contemporary jazz, eclectic soul, funk, rock, and neo soul. Great music, great vibes, and a great time.
   Upper West Side, New York, NY
8:00 pm
free, no reservation required

Concert | Ayelet Rose Gottlieb, Vibrant Israeli-Born Musician


Israeli-born musician Ayelet Rose Gottlieb draws on jazz, Middle-Eastern, and Jewish musical influences to forge an exhilaratingly eclectic sound. At once cutting-edge and rooted in tradition, her vibrant compositions are shape-shifting mélanges of textures and rhythms. A frequent collaborator of forward-thinking artists like John Zorn, pianist Anat Fort, and the ETHEL string quartet, Gottlieb performs both original works and covers that she reimagines via her one-of-a-kind sensibility.
   Fort Greene,
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9:00 pm
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Complimentary Tickets

to shows, concerts ... (CFT Deals!)

Discussion | Major Political Correspondent in Conversation

Regular Price: $40
CFT Member Price: $0.00

Concert | Gospel, Pop, Folk Artist at a Major Venue

Regular Price: $40
CFT Member Price: $0.00

Performance | Erotic Burlesque Show

Regular Price: $135
CFT Member Price: $0.00