41 free things to do in New York City (NYC) on Friday, May 19, 2017
All events are free unless otherwise noted.
Green Day has sold more than 85 million records worldwide. The group has won five Grammy Awards. In 2010, ...
more >> Green Day was ranked no. 91 in the VH1 list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". In 2015, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility.
7:00 am
free, no reservation required
Mary J. Blige is an American singer, songwriter, model, record producer and actress. Starting her career ...
more >> as a backing singer on Uptown Records in 1989, Blige released her first album, What's the 411?, in 1992, and has released 13 studio albums since and made over 150 guest appearances on other albums and soundtracks.
7:00 am
free, no reservation required
Editor's Pick
Visit for a daylong Raga Marathon—free performances celebrating the vibrant sounds of South Asia as ...
more >> part of the 2017 New York Guitar Festival, the annual festival that explores virtually every aspect of the guitar’s personality! 8:00 AM Debashish Bhattacharya & Samir Chatterjee - Bhattacharya, one of the world’s preeminent slide guitarists, performs a morning raga with Chatterjee on tabla. NOON Anupam Shobhakar - Anupam Shobhakar performs a noon raga with a sarod, a fretless stringed instrument that dates back centuries. 5:00 PM Gyan Riley, Krishna Bhatt, & Dan Weiss - Guitarist Gyan Riley, sitarist Krishna Bhatt, and jazz drummer Dan Weiss join forces for an early evening performance. 7:00 PM Debashish Bhattacharya & Samir Chatterjee - Bhattacharya and Chatterjee return in the evening with more melodious sounds. 8:30 PM A Throw of Dice with New Score by Rez Abbasi - Silent cinema returns with a screening of the 1929 film A Throw of Dice: A Romance of India, accompanied by a new score performed by guitarist Rez Abbasi’s trio. Based on a story found within the Sanskrit epic, The Mahābhārata, and filmed on location in Rajasthan, the movie stars Seeta Devi as the ravishing beauty Sunita. The composer Nitin Sawhney describes A Throw of Dice as a cross between Cecil B. DeMille, Chaplin, and early Bollywood. 10:30 PM DJ Rekha and Special Guests (to be announced!) - DJ Rekha and special guests spin an in-the-moment mash-up of ragas, EDM, and Punjabi pop until midnight.
8:00 am
free, no reservation required
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.
It is here, as much as anywhere, where American history started. It's where the first US Congress assembled ...
more >> 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.
Join a Manhattan Street Art Tour and experience the Lower East Side - SoHo, NoHo, Nolita and Little Italy. ...
more >> 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.
Are you a Bridge buff? Put your game face on and show off your best plays. Join the fun and meet new ...
more >> friends! All players welcome!
10:00 am
free, no reservation required
It is easy to forget that you are in a crowded city while walking through this spectacular park! The ...
more >> original plan for the City of New York, laid out by the City Commissioners in 1811 did not include the park. But as the city grew rapidly in size, we needed a place for New Yorkers to get a breath of fresh air! Central Park, with its 843 acres of meadows, lawns, ponds, lakes and more, was the solution. Today it is one of the best-known parks in the world and is enjoyed by millions-both locals and tourists alike.
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
A fitness dance party with upbeat Latin music of Salsa, Merengue, Hip-Hop and more. Enthusiastic Instruction ...
more >> creates fun community of dancers who learn new dance steps each week. Bring your friends.
10:30 am
free, no reservation required
Test your coordination and dexterity with free juggling lessons in the park. All skill levels are welcome ...
more >> to join in the fun. Equipment is provided.
12:00 pm
free, no reservation required
The keyboard works of Bach offered in 30-minute meditations by Patrick Allen, organist and master of ...
more >> choristers, and Mary Pan, organ scholar. Bach at Noon concerts takes place Tuesdays through Fridays, from September 13, 2016 to May 25, 2017.
12:20 pm
free, no reservation required
Discover architecture and social history of Grand Central neighborhood; learn secrets of Whispering Gallery ...
more >> 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. This tour takes place every Friday.
12:30 pm
free, no reservation required
A guided walking tour of the historic and revitalized 34th Street District. Tour-goers will explore the ...
more >> neighborhood's rich history of commerce, transit, and architecture. This 90-minute tour is held Friday, Saturday, and Sunday through May 28, 2017.
An in-depth look at the unique architecture and exquisite beauty of the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom ...
more >> House. Designed by famed architect Cass Gilbert and completed in 1907, the Custom House is a National Historic Landmark. The building’s interior splendor includes an elliptical rotunda with a 140-ton dome skylight designed by Valencia-born engineer Raphael Gustavino and murals by New York painter Reginald Marsh, as well as monumental marble arches and columns. Tours include a visit to the Collectors Office, not normally accessible to the public. Takes place daily.
1:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Learn about central banking functions that Federal Reserve System performs and see Bank's vault of international ...
more >> monetary gold on bedrock of Manhattan Island, five stories below street level. Learn why Federal Reserve has "Federal" in its name, while it's a private bank, not Federal at all. Tour times: 1:00pm, 2:00pm. This tour takes place Mondays through Fridays, except bank holidays.
Beginner lessons with masters from Manhattan Fencing Center. Take a stab at the modern sport of fencing. ...
more >> No prior experience needed and equipment is provided. Must be 16 or older to participate.
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.
Stars: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker. When twelve mysterious spacecraft appear around the ...
more >> world, linguistics professor Louise Banks is tasked with interpreting the language of the apparent alien visitors. 116 min.
2:00 pm
free, no reservation required
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.
Special guest Tim Minchin joins Andy Karl and cast members from Broadway's Groundhog Day: The Musical ...
more >> for a special live performance followed by signing of the Groundhog Day Original Broadway Cast Recording CD. This is a wristbanded event. CAll store for details.
4:30 pm
free, no reservation required
Every Friday on the lawn, the park has a free picnic, featuring over 100 free blankets to borrow, lawn ...
more >> games, entertainment, and food vendors from the Hester Street Fair, with wine and beer also for purchase from ARK Restaurants. Each week, the park will bring to the picnic a theater, music, or dance production. Every Friday from May 12 to September 1, 2017. Bryant Park Lawn in Bryant Park Manhattan Directions to this location Cost Free Event Organizer Bryant Park Corp. Related Links Bryant Park Website Categories Accessible, Concerts, Dance, Art, Festivals, Games, Theater, Free Summer Concerts, Free Summer Theater, Food Additional Media
5:00 pm
free, no reservation required
The annual commemoration of the birth of el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz (Malcolm X) will explore his legacy ...
more >> as it directly reflects the state of Black America today.
Matisyahu is a Jewish American reggae vocalist, beatboxer, and alternative rock musician.
New York City, NY; NYC
6:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Learn a new strategy game and discuss tactics at socials focused on tactical games like King of Tokyo, ...
more >> Shadows over Camelot, Forbidden Island, Alhambra, and more. Participants who win a game can enter a raffle to win a valuable Park Prize pack at the end of the Game Social season.
6:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Join the ART walk, as artists around TriBeCa open their studio doors to the public. Experience a behind-the-scenes ...
more >> 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.
6:00 pm
free, no reservation required
A young German tourist tries to help an African refugee and his son get to the Spanish mainland. 95 ...
more >> min. In German with English subtitles.
6:30 pm
free, no reservation required
Editor's Pick
Join various local companies for dance performances and lessons of different movement styles. Harlem ...
more >> Dances events take place on the third Friday of each month from May through August. Today: NYC Bhangra - expresses the joy, passion, and energy of life.
6:30 pm
free, no reservation required
The Bloomingdale School of Music's upcoming community concert features music from the United States, ...
more >> France, Japan and Russia performed by member's of the school's gifted faculty as well as invited guest artists.
7:00 pm
free, no reservation required
7:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Editor's Pick
Shakespeare's first sitcom, featuring the classic misadventures of Falstaff and two neighborhood wives, ...
more >> set in an Upper West Side Co-op. Produced by the irreverent, surprising and critically acclaimed The Drilling Company.
7:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Singer/songwriter Terre Roche leads this weekly singing program with the beautiful backdrop of the setting ...
more >> sun in NY Harbor. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned crooner, the singing circle is perfect for mellow melodies and healthy harmonizing.
7:00 pm
free, no reservation required
A renaissance is taking place on the southern tip of Manhattan Island. Since the terrorist attacks of ...
more >> 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.
Editor's Pick
Trombonist, flutist, and bandleader Joe de Jesus brings his new band for a solid, sabor-packed night ...
more >> rooted in Cuban dance traditions by way of New York City. Opening set by DJ Busquelo
7:30 pm
free, no reservation required
The ghosts of Greenwich Village are too numerous and interesting to meet in just one evening! Due to ...
more >> popular demand, they are offering a new tour, “Ghosts of the East Village,” as a companion tour to one of their biggest crowd-pleasers, Ghosts of the West Village.
7:30 pm
Free plus subway...
Editor's Pick
Program: J.S. Bach: Selections from Violin Partita No. 2 in D minor, BWV1004 J.S. Bach: Selected chorales ...
more >> Josquin des Prez: Absolon fili mi Pierre de la Rue: O salutaris hostia Pierre de la Rue: Selections from Missa Pourquoy non Adrian Willaert: Pater noster The lives of Johann Sebastian Bach and Martin Luther are more intertwined than many realize. New York Polyphony illuminates the connections between the timeless composer and the legendary theologian, who both called the German region of Thuringia home. Performers: New York Polyphony : Rahel Maria Rilling, violin Silvius von Kessel, organ
7:30 pm
free, no reservation required
Come see NYC’s top comedy talent perform and work out material. They regularly feature performers who ...
more >> been seen on TV (MTV, Late Night, Comedy Central, etc.) and have been passed at NYC’s top comedy clubs. Not only is the show free, but at the end of the night, all remaining attendees get a free slice of pizza.