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Free Events, Free Things to Do in New York City! Read More
Are you looking for free things to do in New York City (NYC) on September 16, 2026?
38 free events take place on Wednesday, September 16 in New York City. Don't miss the opportunities that only New York provides! Exciting, high quality, unique and off the beaten path free events and free things to do take place in New York today, tonight, tomorrow and each day of the year, any time of the day: whether it's a weekday or a weekend, day or night, morning or evening or afternoon, December or July, April or November! These events will take your breath away!
New York City (NYC) never ceases to amaze you with quantity and quality of its free culture and free entertainment. Check out September 16 and see for yourself. Summer or Winter, Spring or Fall! Just click on any day of the calendar above and you'll find most inspiring and entertaining free events to go to and free things to do on each day of September . Don't miss the opportunities that only New York provides!
Some events take place all year long: same day of the week, same time there are there for you to take advantage of. One of the oldest free weekly events in Manhattan is Dixieland Jazz with the Gotham Jazzmen, which happen at noon every Tuesday. Another example of an event that you can attend all year round on weekdays is Federal Reserve Bank Tour, which takes place every week day at 1 pm (but advanced reservations are required). You can take at least 13 free tours every day of the year, except the New Year Day, July 4th, and the Christmas Day. If you are classical music afficionado, you can spend whole day in New York going from one free classical concert to another. If you love theater, then New York gives you an option to attend plays and musicals free of charge, or at deep discount. You just need to have information about it. And we are here to make that information available to you.
Are you looking for free things to do in New York City (NYC) on September 16, 2026?
38 free events take place on Wednesday, September 16 in New York City. Don't miss the opportunities that only New York provides! Exciting, high quality, unique and off the beaten path free events and free things to do take place in New York today, tonight, tomorrow and each day of the year, any time of the day: whether it's a weekday or a weekend, day or night, morning or evening or afternoon, December or July, April or November! These events will take your breath away!
New York City (NYC) never ceases to amaze you with quantity and quality of its free culture and free entertainment. Check out September 16 and see for yourself. Summer or Winter, Spring or Fall! Just click on any day of the calendar above and you'll find most inspiring and entertaining free events to go to and free things to do on each day of September . Don't miss the opportunities that only New York provides!
Some events take place all year long: same day of the week, same time there are there for you to take advantage of. One of the oldest free weekly events in Manhattan is Dixieland Jazz with the Gotham Jazzmen, which happen at noon every Tuesday. Another example of an event that you can attend all year round on weekdays is Federal Reserve Bank Tour, which takes place every week day at 1 pm (but advanced reservations are required). You can take at least 13 free tours every day of the year, except the New Year Day, July 4th, and the Christmas Day. If you are classical music afficionado, you can spend whole day in New York going from one free classical concert to another. If you love theater, then New York gives you an option to attend plays and musicals free of charge, or at deep discount. You just need to have information about it. And we are here to make that information available to you.
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!
38 free things to do in New York City (NYC) on Wednesday, September 16, 2026
All events are free unless otherwise noted.Workshop | Tai Chi (Outdoors)
Improve balance, strength, and focus through gentle exercises. The sights and sounds of the harbor provide ... more >> a serene background for the ancient flowing postures.
New York City, NY; NYC
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8:30 am
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Workshop | Artist-Led Figure Drawing in the Park
Placed in a unique setting, a model will strike short and long poses for participants to sketch and draw. ... more >> An artist/ educator will offer constructive suggestions and critique. Drawing materials provided, or bring your own.
New York City, NY; NYC
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10:00 am
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
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, ... more >> design, and landscape. Note: Spots are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.
New York City, NY; NYC
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10:00 am
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Museums | New York City: History, Architecture, Social Movements, Cultural Diversity
This museum holds over 1,5 million artifacts, including photographs, paintings, decorative arts, costumes, ... more >> and documents that tell the story of New York's development and its inhabitants. Explore the galleries and discover the rich history and vibrant culture of New York City!
New York City, NY; NYC
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10:00 am
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Museums | Celebrate Chinese American Heritage & History
Step into a space dedicated to preserving, illuminating, and celebrating the rich history and contributions ... more >> of Chinese in America. Connect with stories that inspire and bridge communities, honoring the legacy of generations who shaped the American narrative. Walk through galleries showcasing art, artifacts, and personal histories that reflect resilience, innovation, and cultural heritage.
New York City, NY; NYC
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11:00 am
pay-what-you-wish for New...
pay-what-you-wish for New...
Workshop | French Petanque-Playing in the Park
Members of NYC’s oldest-running Petanque club guide a Petanque-playing session. This French lawn bowling ... more >> game from the early 20th century is easy to learn, and the boules will be provided. Just bring yourself!
New York City, NY; NYC
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12:00 pm
free, no reservation required
free, no 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 ... more >> 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.
New York City, NY; NYC
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12:00 pm
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Concert | Live Music in an Architectural Marvel
A live performance featuring a rotating lineup of artists curated by Sing for Hope.
New York City, NY; NYC
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12:00 pm
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Classical Music | An Afternoon of Organ Works by J.S. Bach in a Beautiful Church (In Person AND Online!)
Take a momentary respite from a busy day to enjoy a selection of organ works by Johann Sebastian Bach ... more >> in an intimate venue.
New York City, NY; NYC
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12:20 pm
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Jazz | Piano in the Park: Dizzy Gillespie Collaborator & National Jazz Museum Honoree
Come on down and swing along to the best ragtime, stride, and jazz the Big Apple has to offer. "I’ve ... more >> studied everyone who’s tried it, from Paul Bley and Keith Jarrett to Geri Allen and Jason Moran, and I’m telling you, Bertha [Hope] is absolutely killing it…" -JazzTimes Magazine Bertha Hope is an American jazz pianist, teacher, composer and arranger who has traveled around the world, and worked with a diverse group of artists, from Dizzy Gillespie and Frank Foster. In addition to being the leader of the Bertha Hope Trio, she has re-formed the Bertha Hope 5tet. As composer and arranger of several recordings her works include: In Search of Hope and Elmo’s Fire; Between Two Kings and her latest, Nothin’ But Love. She has been honored by the National Jazz Museum in Harlem, and continues to work.
New York City, NY; NYC
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12:30 pm
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Workshop | Adult Chorus Session Open to All
Directed by Church Street School of Music, the Downtown Beats adult chorus is open to all who love to ... more >> sing! Learn contemporary and classic songs and perform at community events throughout the year.
New York City, NY; NYC
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1:00 pm
free...
free...
Concert | Weekly Outdoor Bagpipe Tribute: Honoring 9/11 Lives and Legacies
A moving weekly bagpipe tribute honors those who lost their lives on 9/11, as well as individuals affected ... more >> by the lasting health impacts of that day. The tribute begins with a performance near a symbolic column preserved from the site, followed by a second performance in a nearby outdoor space.
New York City, NY; NYC
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1:00 pm
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Museums | Afternoon in a Magnificent Small Museum
Internationally recognized as a premier museum and research center, this museum is known for its distinguished ... more >> Old Master paintings and outstanding examples of European sculpture and decorative arts.
New York City, NY; NYC
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1:30 pm
pay-what-you-wish, reservation required
pay-what-you-wish, reservation required
Film | La Bamba (1987): Biographical Drama about Ritchie Valens
A biography of Ritchie Valens, the young rocker who died in a 1959 plane crash with Buddy Holly and the ... more >> Big Bopper. Director: Luis Valdez Cast: Esai Morales, Rosanna DeSoto, Elizabeth Peña, Joe Pantoliano
New York City, NY; NYC
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2:00 pm
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Workshop | Landscape Art Class (Outdoors)
Artists of all skill levels can be inspired by park surroundings to create with drawing materials, pastels, ... more >> and watercolors. Embolden your artwork amidst the flower-filled and seasonally evolving palette of verdant gardens. An artist/educator will provide ideas and instruction. Materials provided, and artists are encouraged to bring their own favorite media.
New York City, NY; NYC
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2:00 pm
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Jazz | NPR-Featured Ragtime & Stride Entertainer in the Park
Hit your stride with ragtime, stride, and jazz veteran Terry Waldo and his Gotham City Band. The protege ... more >> of the late Eubie Blake, he has produced over 40 albums and written the definitive book on ragtime, This is Ragtime - republished recently by Jazz At Lincoln Center.
New York City, NY; NYC
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3:30 pm
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Workshop | An Evening of Rowing in New York Harbor
At this rowing session, after a brief orientation, participants will be assigned to a crew with an experienced ... more >> coxswain to steer the boat and a mixture of experienced and new rowers. The boats, Whitehall gigs, are stable, traditional working boats for four rowers and a coxswain. No experience is necessary and rowers of all ability levels are welcome! The rowing sessions last several hours and are designed to be excursions: groups row against the tide to a destination, take a break onshore or in a protected cove, then return home with the tide. Minors must be accompanied by an adult. Please complete the waiver before
New York City, NY; NYC
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5:00 pm
free, registration required
free, registration required
Museums | Explore a Curated Collection of Innovation in Craft, Art, and Design
This collection celebrates contemporary makers across creative fields, showcasing artists, designers, ... more >> and artisans known for their ingenuity and skill. The work on display honors the art of making, from traditional methods to advanced technologies. Its curatorial program continues a legacy of exhibitions focused on cross-disciplinary art and design, highlighting the craftsmanship behind everyday objects and environments. The museum offers an international platform for influential practitioners shaping cultural production and innovation today.
New York City, NY; NYC
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5:00 pm
pay-what-you-wish from 5pm...
pay-what-you-wish from 5pm...
Dancing | Intergenerational Mambo Dance Party on the Plaza
Live bands, DJs, dance lessons, and performances. Learn how to mambo like they used to in New York’s ... more >> legendary Palladium Ballroom, where the social dance movement was born! Sekou McMiller & Friends host an intergenerational Mambo social dance party and lesson featuring elders from the Palladium with a live music performance by the Palladium Mambo Band. All are welcomed for this intergenerational celebration of dance and community.
New York City, NY; NYC
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5:00 pm
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Party | Play Settlers of Catan: All Levels Welcome
Play one of the most popular board games in the world. Organizers welcome players of all levels to this ... more >> social! These socials are limited to 16 players, with 2 rounds. Organizers ask that participants arrive 15 minutes early to sign up.
New York City, NY; NYC
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5:00 pm
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Discussion | Person Place Thing: Live Podcast Recording with Alvin Ailey Choreographer
Experience the public radio interview program created and hosted by Randy Cohen. Built around the idea ... more >> that people are especially engaging when they speak about something they care about, each episode explores one person, one place, and one thing with particular meaning to the guest. This episode's guest is choreographer Robert Battle. A frequent choreographer and artist in residence at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater since 1999, he set many of his works on the Ailey Company and Ailey II. In July 2011, he was personally selected by Judith Jamison to become Artistic Director of Ailey. In spring 2025, he was invited to be a Resident Choreographer for the Paul Taylor Dance Company. Doors open at 5:00 pm.
New York City, NY; NYC
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5:30 pm
free, RSVP required
free, RSVP required
Opening Reception | A Horizon Remains: Solo Multimedia Exhibition Exploring Architectural Fragmentation
Bringing together paintings, collages, and works on paper, this exhibition focuses on a body of work ... more >> centered on artist Tammam Azzam's sustained engagement with the city as landscape. Whether shaped by war, natural disasters, or archaeological remains, Azzam’s works emerge from architectural fragments. Yet rather than documenting ruin, the artist begins with it, recognizing it as an enduring condition of the built environment and transforming the city into landscapes that speak as much to human making as to human unmaking.
New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Opening Reception | American Cooking: Solo Exhibition Encountering Everyday America
An exhibition featuring Ukrainian-born artist Zoya Cherkassky. Drawn from her experience as a double ... more >> émigré to the United States, Cherkassky's new paintings and drawings explore ordinary moments and rituals through the eyes of someone encountering a place that feels both familiar and unknown. Long recognized for an assertive figurative style, Cherkassky here transforms scenes of everyday life into deftly executed, psychologically nuanced paintings rooted in social observation. In American Cooking, the artist’s penchant for color, detail, and wry humor finds new expression through encounters with everyday America.
New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Opening Reception | ART/WORK: The Practice and Politics of CETA and the Arts, 1974–1981 -- Multi-Media, Multi-Artist Exhibition
This exhibition brings together artworks, photographs, films, publications, administrative records, and ... more >> ephemera to reconstruct a history that has remained surprisingly absent from both public memory and art historical discourse. Between 1974 and 1981, the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) placed more than 30,000 artists and cultural workers on local government payrolls in nearly 200 cities and towns across the United States. Though largely forgotten today, the program represented one of the most ambitious federal investments in cultural labor since the New Deal, reshaping local cultural infrastructure and supporting artists working in communities across the country.
New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Opening Reception | Selected Prints: Solo Images Evoking Abstraction, Gesture, & Symbolic Suggestion
This exhibition presents a focused selection of Radomir Đukanović’s graphic works produced over ... more >> the past two decades, offering an overview of an artistic practice that moves fluidly between abstraction, gesture, and symbolic suggestion. Working through printmaking as a field of reduction, layering, and repetition, Đukanović constructs images that evoke landscapes, architectural fragments, organic forms, traces of writing, dreamscapes, everyday objects, and archaeological surfaces without resolving into fixed narratives. His restrained yet dynamic visual language places contemporary graphic practice in dialogue with the legacies of Art Informel, lyrical abstraction, the material poetics of Antoni Tàpies, the sign-based poetics of Paul Klee, and the experimental traditions of the Yugoslav neo-avant-garde.
New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
free, registration required...
free, registration required...
Opening Reception | The Tesseract: Solo Exhibition of Maximalist Pictures from United Nations-Featured Artist
This exhibition from Zio Ziegler swings the viewer in whirling, elliptical fashion from one aesthetic ... more >> mode to another. From the thickly patterned world of his monumental and maximalist pictures, to the exploratory mark-making of his skeletal monochrome canvases. And from the visceral and layered forms of his so-called “Essential Figures,” to his similarly totemic three-dimensional figures whose dynamism he has stilled in bronze. Four modes, four artistic voices, four variations on a theme, each one giving rise to—yet also putting a kind of gravitational pressure on—the next.
New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Party | Board Games Meet-Up
This event features a variety of board games, including Scrabble, Chess, Boggle, Bananagrams, Scattergories, ... more >> and more! Bring a friend or join on your own--all levels are welcome. Studies have shown that playing board games can have positive effects on your mental, emotional, and physical health, including: o Improving memory and focus o Enhancing critical thinking skills o Making connections o Reducing stress (and screen time!)
New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
free, registration required
free, registration required
Book Discussion | Book Launch-- Telenovela: A Reader (with Researchers, Editors, & Contributors)
Celebrating the release of Telenovela: A Reader, featuring a panel conversation with the publication’s ... more >> co-editors Aimé Iglesias Lukin and Mariano López Seoane. Telenovela: A Reader brings together artworks, archival documents, and multidisciplinary essays that examine telenovelas through the lenses of art history, sociology, anthropology, comparative literature, performance studies, and visual studies. Expanding on the themes explored in the exhibition, the publication considers the telenovela as a cultural form that has shaped collective imaginaries across Latin America and its diasporas. The program will feature a panel conversation with the publication’s co-editors Aimé Iglesias Lukin, director and chief curator of Art at Americas Society, and Mariano López Seoane, director of the Graduate Program and ISLAA fellow in Latin American Art at the Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College, as well as the publication authors. Together, they will discuss the publication’s central themes, research, and the broader questions raised by Telenovela.
New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
free, RSVP required
free, RSVP required
Workshop | Cardio & Strength Class for Endurance, Power, & Wellness with Live DJ
This class is a high-energy group workout for a fun, full-body session. Participants will be guided through ... more >> intervals designed to boost endurance, power, and overall wellness. These sessions are accessible for all fitness levels and focus on helping participants move, feel, and perform better. A live DJ will help you warm up before each class begins. Please bring your own yoga mat or blanket. All classes are weather-dependent and are subject to change. Please arrive at least 5 minutes early to secure your spot, as walk-ups may be accommodated if space becomes available.
New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
free, registration required
free, registration required
Lecture | Historian Discusses Dogs in the Visual Arts
A lecture from Thomas Laqueur. Long before the phrase man’s best friend became common parlance, dogs ... more >> were already standing beside us in art as in life. In The Dog’s Gaze, the historian Thomas W. Laqueur invites readers to explore why they feature more than any other animal in the ways in which we picture ourselves and our stories. Please review the venue's access requirements.
New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
free, registration required
free, registration required
Book Discussion | Quiet Reading Meet Up
Bring a book or check one out of the library to read to yourself for one hour. After that, spend an hour ... more >> socializing with those around you!
New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Dancing | Salsa Dancing on the Plaza (Lesson + Open Dance Floor)
Teachers with Mi Salsa Dura Baile lead an evening of Latin rhythm and dancing! Each class starts off ... more >> with a lesson followed by an open dance floor.
New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Workshop | Yoga on the Green: Alignment-Based Movement (All Levels Welcome)
This evening yoga class is led by Neeti Narula, a yoga and meditation teacher. She teaches online at ... more >> Melissa Wood Health and is the yoga advisor for Mindful Movement at THE WELL in New York City. She is a Yoga Journal regular contributor and an ambassador for Manduka Yoga. Her classes are inspired by various schools of yoga. She is known for teaching alignment-based classes infused with thematic dharma and yoga philosophy. Neeti believes that the way you move and breathe on your mat shapes the way you move and breathe in your life. Bring your own mat (the park does not provide mats). Organizers also recommend bringing water and a towel. This yoga class is appropriate for all levels.
New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
free, registration required
free, registration required
Classical Music | Baroque Masterworks for Voice & Piano
An evening of vocal artistry with acclaimed Austrian countertenor Alois Mühlbacher, accompanied by distinguished ... more >> Austrian pianist Elias Gillesberger. Mühlbacher is a sought-after countertenor and has captivated audiences worldwide with his unmistakable voice, versatility, and expressive stage presence. Together with Gillesberger, he presents a carefully curated recital spanning Baroque masterworks, Romantic Lieder, and modern compositions, offering a program of emotional depth and musical refinement.
New York City, NY; NYC
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6:30 pm
free, RSVP required
free, RSVP required
Poetry Reading | Multilingual Poetry Night: Quantum Age
Discover the concepts of Quantum Age Poetry and Quantum Poetics with this multilingual poetry event exploringinnovative ... more >> poetic frameworks.
New York City, NY; NYC
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6:30 pm
free, registration required
free, registration required
Workshop | Sculpting Workout on the Pier
Led by coaches and trainers from obé Fitness lead a class to deliver a full-body burn with energizing, ... more >> low-impact toning work. Designed to be accessible and welcoming for all fitness levels.
New York City, NY; NYC
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6:30 pm
free, registration required
free, registration required
Workshop | Sunset Yoga on the Water
End your day with yoga in a beautiful sunset setting, led by Meg SantaMaria of Roadside Yogi. Suitable ... more >> for all fitness levels. Please wear comfortable and bring your own mat. Seating is limited, unreserved, and available on a first-come, first-served basis. If there is heavy rain at the time of the event, the event will be canceled.
New York City, NY; NYC
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6:30 pm
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Book Club | Historical Book Club: Read & Discuss Hubris: Pericles, the Parthenon, and the Invention of Athens
Discuss acclaimed and trending recent titles by distinguished authors on diverse topics from the pages ... more >> of global history—from the ancient world through the Middle Ages and Renaissance. This month, the group will discuss Hubris: Pericles, the Parthenon, and the Invention of Athens by David Stuttard. Synopsis: A new perspective on ancient Athens at the height of its powers, reinterpreting the city’s supposed “Golden Age” as a period of ruinous culture wars. The age of Pericles, in the fifth century BC, is often described as the Golden Age of Athens. The city witnessed a flowering of philosophy, art, and architecture—including an ambitious building program, with the Parthenon its centerpiece. But as David Stuttard shows in this vivid account, the seemingly triumphant city was in fact riven by conflict and contradiction. Though nominally a democracy, Athens led a tyrannical empire. And for Pericles and his circle, the Parthenon was less a holy place than a propaganda vehicle. Its sculptures carried the message that Athenians, beloved by the gods, were nearly divine in their own right—which to many Greeks smacked of hubris.
New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
free, registration required
free, registration required
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