Friday September 29, 2017
Saturday September 30, 2017
Sunday October 1, 2017
Looking for free and cheap things to do in New York City this weekend? We have scoured the internet to find fun, interesting, artsy, tasty, active, educational and unique experiences that you can do this weekend in the city for free or cheap.
If you’re on a budget (or even if you’re not), check out the chronological list below for ideas on what to do this weekend without breaking the bank. Whatever your interests – food, music, movies, theater, dance, comedy, classes, tours, art or games – there’s definitely something here for you!
Museum of Modern Art | Museum/Art
- 11 W. 53rd St., 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM (Free!)
- Free admission to the MoMA courtesy of Uniqlo
- Recurring every Friday
- Event Website
Free Music Fridays | Music
- American Folk Art Museum, 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM (Free!)
- This week’s feature includes David Nagler, Jenna Nicholls, and The Tall Pines.
- Recurs every Friday
- Event Website
Bingo | Fun & Games
- West Harlem Piers Park (W. 125th St. & Marginal St.), 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM (Free!)
- BYO food & beverages to this all ages, free to enter, B-I-N-G-O night. Each game winner receives a prize!
- Event Website
“Wonder Woman” Screening | Film
- McCarren park (Brooklyn), 6:45 PM – 9:15 PM (Free!)
- Synopsis: An Amazon Princess Diana and her mission to fight in an ongoing world war. Convinced that she can stop the threat, Diana leaves her home for the first time. Fighting alongside men in a war to end all wars, she finally discovers her full powers and true destiny.
- Event Website
Think Olio Lecture & Discussion: Ban This Book (If You Can) | Class
- The Strand Bookstore (Manhattan), 7:00 PM ($20)
- Discussion Topic: Censorship
- For many of the greats of literary Modernism, including James Joyce, D. H. Lawrence, Djuna Barnes, e.e. cummings, Ernest Hemingway and John Dos Passos, the ultimate cat and mouse game with the censors was played on a global scale. An examination of examine the extraordinary symbolic richness of the writing that fooled the censors as well as the ways that some writers and editors caved in to the authorities.
- Event Website
Morgan Library & Museum | Museum/Art
- Madison Ave & 36th St., 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM (Free!)
- Free admission to the library and museum.
- Recurring every Friday
- Event Website
“Jason Bourne” Screening | Film
- J. Hood Wright Park (Manhattan), 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM (Free!)
- Synopsis: Jason Bourne probes his father’s death while evading government forces.
- Event Website
Whitney Museum | Museum/Art
- 99 Gansevoort Street (Chelsea), 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM (Free!)
- Free/pay what you wish admission to the Whitney Museum.
- Recurring every Friday
- Event Website
“Beauty and the Beast” Screening | Film
- Conference House Park (Staten Island), 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM (Free!)
- Synopsis: A live-action re-telling of the studio’s animated classic which refashions the classic characters from the tale as old as time for a contemporary audience, staying true to the original music while updating the score with several new songs.
- Event Website
Wanderfest! | Comedy
- The Bell House (Brooklyn), 8:00 PM ($12 Advance, $15 Door)
- “Artists” Martin Urbano, Kelsey Caine, and Jack Comstock host a full-fledged festival experience at a different venue every month, and this September they’ve wandered on over to the Bell House! An entire comedy festival in one show.
- Event Website
“Boss Baby” Screening | Film
- Williamsbridge Oval (Bronx), 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM (Free!)
- Synopsis: A new baby’s arrival impacts a family, told from the point of view of a delightfully unreliable narrator — a wildly imaginative 7-year-old named Tim.
- Event Website
Boy Band Sing-Along | Music Dance
- Union Hall (Brooklyn), 9:30 PM ($10)
- A judgment-free night of singing along to our awesome selection of boy band music videos from the 80’s thru today (but mostly from the 90’s and early 00’s) with all the words on screen so the whole crowd can sing and dance along together!
- Event Website
Drunk Restoration Comedy | Comedy
- Q.E.D. (Astoria), 9:30 PM – 11:00 PM ($8)
- Part scripted, part improvisation, part drinking game, Drunk Restoration Comedy allows the cast to utilize a combination of their professional training, both on stage and off (in the bar), as audience members “choose-their-own-adventure” by deciding which performers will have the most mighty hangovers come Saturday morning.
- https://qedastoria.com/collections/mike-gregorek/products/drunk-restoration-comedy-presents
Karaoke | Music Fun & Games
- Union Hall (Brooklyn), Midnight – Late (Free!)
- Karaoke!
- Recurring every Friday night
- Event Website
Chelsea Flea Market | Fair/Festival
- West 25th Street, between 6th Ave & Broadway, 6:30 AM – 6:00 PM ($1 admission)
- Features up to 135 vendors selling antiques, collectibles, ephemera, decorative arts, vintage clothing, jewelry, and other types of antiques (items more than 100 years old), vintage items (including Art Deco and Mid-Century Modern items), and other desirable items from the past
- Recurring weekly
- Event Website
Craft Coffee Festival | Drink Fair/Festival
- Villain (Brooklyn), 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM ($35 GA, $45 VIP)
- You’ll have the chance to sample 20 roasters and coffee shops to your heart’s content while live entertainment keeps the party spirited. Also featuring Underwest Donuts to snack on.
- Separate morning and afternoon sessions. Morning session features music by Arin Maya and afternoon session features music by Olivia Castriota
- Event Website
Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market | Fair/Festival
- West 39th Street, between 9th & 10th Ave, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Free to enter, goods for purchase)
- A place where collectors and top-notch hagglers including fashion hunters, designers, celebs, tourists, and residents shop for antiques, collectibles, vintage clothing, home decorations, furniture, ephemera, jewelry, and more
- Recurring weekly
- Event Website
Highline Tour: From Freight to Flowers | Tour
- The High Line, 10:00 AM – 11:15 AM (Free!)
- A 75-minute-long tour led by High Line Docents, knowledgeable volunteer guides, will offer you an insider’s perspective on the park’s history, design, and landscape.
- Recurs weekly through October
- Event Website
The Green Team | Active
- Brooklyn Bridge Park, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM (Free!)
- Volunteer with the Green Team: The Green Team provides essential horticultural care to the Park, including planting, mulching, and removing invasive plants. The Green Team is a wonderful opportunity to learn about gardening, enjoy nature, and make the Park look its best.
- Recurs Saturdays
- Event Website
National Public Lands Day | Active
- Riverside Park @ W. 148th, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Free!)
- National Public Lands Day (NPLD) is the nation’s largest, single-day volunteer effort for public lands. Last year, about 175,000 volunteers worked at 2,237 sites in every state, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico.
- Event Website
Butt & Gut Workout | Active
- Soldiers’ & Sailors’ Monument (Riverside Park), 10:30 AM – 11:15 AM (Free!)
- Veteran Donald Calliste leads a class to tone and define your core, lower back, and glutes combined with cardio exercises that will maximize your fat burning potential.
- Recurs Saturdays
- Event Website
Hans Christian Andersen Stories | Fun & Games
- Central Park (72nd St. & 5th Ave.), 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM (Free!)
- Each summer on Saturday morning for the past 60 years, New Yorkers of all ages have listened to Andersen tales and other stories, folktales, and fairytales from around the world told by a group of brilliant storytellers at the Hans Christian Andersen Statue in Central Park.
- This week: The Ugly Ducking
- Event Website
Shape Up Zumba | Active Class
- West Harlem Piers Park (W. 125th St. & Marginal St.), 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM (Free!)
- Zumba Class
- Recurs Saturdays
- Event Website
Garden Highlights Walk | Tour
- Wave Hill, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM (Free!)
- Join a Wave Hill Garden Guide for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights.
- Event Website
Central Park Tour: Heart of the Park | Tour
- 5th Ave and 72nd Street, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM (Free!)
- Visit some of the park’s most famous landmarks, including Conservatory Water, Loeb Boathouse, Bethesda Terrace, Bow Bridge, Cherry Hill, the lake, and Strawberry Fields.
- Event Website
The Amazing Maize Maze | Active
- Queens Farm, 11:00 AM – 4:30 PM ($10)
- Find your way out of this three-acre corn labyrinth! The adventure begins with a “Stalk Talk” to prepare you for the challenge of finding clues, solving puzzles, and making your way out of the maze.
- Recurs weekends through October
- Event Website
Urban Farm Exploration Day | Active
- Randall’s Island Park (Manhattan), 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Free!)
- Explore and learn about the great variety of colorful fruits and vegetables, chickens, and even rice paddies.
- Recurs Saturdays and Sundays through mid-October
- Event Website
Hester Street Fair: Home Brew Octoberfest | Food Fair/Festival
- Hester Street, Saturday – Sunday 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM (Free to enter, food for purchase)
- This week’s fair features the a home brewing competition.
- Event Website
Smorgasburg | Food Fair/Festival
- Willamsburg (Saturday) and Prospect Park (Sunday), 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM (Free to enter, food and drink for purchase)
- 75-100 food and drink vendors
- Recurring weekly, April through October
- Event Website
Long Island City Flea & Food | Fair/Festival Food
- 5-25 46th Avenue, LIC, 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM (Free to enter, goods for purchase)
- The market has over 80 carefully curated vendors that sell items such as internationally inspired food & drink, antiques, art, furniture, fashion, jewelry, arts & crafts and much more
- Recurring weekly
- Event Website
Madison Square Eats | Food Fair/Festival
- Madison Square Park, 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM (Free!)
- A line-up of nearly 30 food vendors, including a mix of newcomers and veterans.
- Recurs through the end of September
- Event Website
Greenwich Village Walking Tour | Tour
- St. Marks Church (2nd Ave & 10th St.), 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM (Free!)
- Led by licensed guides, each tour lasts about 90 minutes and the Greenwich Village: steeped in artistic, political and progressively social history, Greenwich Village today remains a cultural 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.
- Event Website
Communal Spaces: A Garden Play Festival | Theater Fair/Festival
- Brooklyn (Various Locations), Saturday – Sunday 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Free!)
- A festival of plays written for and performed in community gardens in NYC.
- Event Website
Brooklyn Brewery Tours | Tour Food
- Brooklyn Brewery, 12:30 PM – 6:00 PM (Free!)
- Tour the brewery and learn how beer is made.
- Recurs every Saturday & Sunday
- Event Website
Capoeira for Beginners | Active Class
- Socrates Sculpture Park, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM (Free!)
- This introduction will offer guidance with balance, flexibility, and agility while also providing a brief history of capoeira traditions.
- Recurs Saturdays through October 7
- Event Website
Union Square Park Tour | Tour
- Union Square, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM (Free!)
- Explore the social and political history of the Union Square neighborhood and learn about the people and events that shaped this vibrant historical community.
- Recurring every Saturday
- Event Website
Bargemusic | Music
- Brooklyn Bridge Park, 4:00 PM (Free!)
- Walk across the gangplank of a renovated coffee barge for a one-hour, family-friendly concert by Bargemusic.
- Recurs Saturdays
- Event Website
Queens Night Market | Fair/Festival Food
- New York Hall of Science, 6:00 PM – Midnight (Free to enter, food and drink for purchase)
- Open-air market that celebrates the rich cultural and ethnic diversity of Queens and NYC through affordable street food, art, and performances.
- Recurring every Saturday
- Event Website
“In the Parlor: The Final Goodbye” Screening | Film
- Merchant’s House Museum (Manhattan), 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM ($20)
- Synopsis: A critical look at America’s uncomfortable relationship with death and an inquiry into the growing revival of home death-care. The film takes viewers on an intimate journey into the lives of three families who have chosen to reclaim an active role in caring for their deceased as a more personal and fulfilling way to say goodbye..
- Event Website
“Guardians of the Galaxy 2” Screening | Film
- Brower Park (Brooklyn), 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM (Free!)
- Synopsis: This hilarious sequel to the wildly successful Marvel superhero film finds the Guardians travelling throughout the cosmos as they help Peter Quill learn more about his mysterious parentage.
- Event Website
“Coming to America” Screening | Film
- Brower Park (Brooklyn), 6:45 PM – 8:45 PM (Free!)
- Synopsis: This 1988 romantic comedy stars Eddie Murphy as Akeem Joffer, the crown prince of the fictional African nation of Zamunda, who comes to the United States in the hopes of finding a woman he can marry.
- Event Website
Trivia Night | Fun & Games
- One Star Bar (Manhattan), 7:00 PM (Free!)
- Hosted by Tony Hightower of TriviaNYC and John Chaneski of NPR’s “Ask Me Another“.
- Recurring every Saturday
- TriviaNYC Website
- Venue Website
“Saturday Night Fever” Screening | Film
- Dry Dock Playground (Manhattan), 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM (Free!)
- Synopsis: A Brooklyn teenager feels his only chance to succeed is as the king of the disco floor. His carefree youth and weekend dancing help him to forget the reality of his bleak life.
- Event Website
“Wonder Woman” Screening | Film
- FDR Boardwalk and Beach (Staten Island), 7:30 PM – 10:00 PM (Free!)
- Synopsis: An Amazon princess leaves her island home and journeys to the outside world, which is being consumed by a massive war. With the help of an American pilot, she works to put an end to the conflict.
- Event Website
Guardian Angels | Comedy
- Union Hall (Brooklyn), 8:00 PM ($8)
- Comedy stylings from Jeff Seal, Chris Roberti, Chris Manley and Shaina Feinberg.
- Event Website
“Sing” Screening | Film
- Grant Park (Bronx), 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM (Free!)
- Synopsis: Dapper Koala Buster Moon presides over a once-grand theater that has fallen on hard times. An eternal optimist, and a bit of a scoundrel, he loves his theater above all and will do anything to preserve it..
- Event Website
Last Stop Laughs | Comedy
- Q.E.D. (Astoria), 11:00 PM – 12:30 AM (Free!)
- Late night stand up.
- Recurs every Saturday
- Event Website
“The Wicker Man” Screening | Film
- Videology Bar & Cinema (Brooklyn), Midnight ($12)
- Synopsis: A reclusive lawman travels to a secluded island to search for a girl who has gone missing. Once there, he discovers sinister forces at work among the island’s secretive residents, including strange sexual rituals, a harvest festival and possible human sacrifice.
- Event Website
Chelsea Flea Market | Fair/Festival
- West 25th Street, between 6th Ave & Broadway, 6:30 AM – 6:00 PM ($1 admission)
- Features up to 135 vendors selling antiques, collectibles, ephemera, decorative arts, vintage clothing, jewelry, and other types of antiques (items more than 100 years old), vintage items (including Art Deco and Mid-Century Modern items), and other desirable items from the past
- Recurring weekly
- Event Website
Hudson River Park Nature Walk | Tour
- Christopher St. Fountain (Manhattan), 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (Free!)
- Learn about Hudson River Park’s wildlife by joining knowledgeable naturalists on guided nature walks along the Park’s esplanade.
- Recurs every Sunday through September; Pre-registration required
- Event Website
Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market | Fair/Festival
- West 39th Street, between 9th & 10th Ave, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Free to enter, goods for purchase)
- A place where collectors and top-notch hagglers including fashion hunters, designers, celebs, tourists, and residents shop for antiques, collectibles, vintage clothing, home decorations, furniture, ephemera, jewelry, and more
- Recurring weekly
- Event Website
Grand Bazaar | Fair/Festival
- 77th St. & Columbus Ave., 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM (Free!)
- Recurring every Sunday
- The largest curated weekly market on the Upper West Side: indoors & outdoors, local artist, designers, and antique/vintage dealers sell one-of-a-kind and limited edition art, antique watches, vintage collectibles and fashion, handmade jewelry and furniture.
- Event Website
Big City Fishing | Active Class
- Pier 25 (Tribeca), Pier 84 (Chelsea), 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM (Free!)
- Learn how to fish while engaging with trained environmental educators about river science topics. Rods, reels, and instruction provided.
- Recurs Sundays
- Event Website
Kickoff To Fall | Fair/Festival
- Queens Country Farm, 11:00 AM – 4:30 PM (Free!)
- Explore our grounds and buy a variety of Hudson Valley apples, donuts, fresh cider, and locally-made pie. Listen to live country western music by Savannah Sky and check out The Amazing Maize Maze and Pumpkin Patch.
- Recurs weekends in October.
- Event Website
The Amazing Maize Maze | Active
- Queens Farm, 11:00 AM – 4:30 PM ($10)
- Find your way out of this three-acre corn labyrinth! The adventure begins with a “Stalk Talk” to prepare you for the challenge of finding clues, solving puzzles, and making your way out of the maze.
- Recurs weekends through October
- Event Website
Urban Farm Exploration Day | Active
- Randall’s Island Park (Manhattan), 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Free!)
- Explore and learn about the great variety of colorful fruits and vegetables, chickens, and even rice paddies.
- Garden Tour at 2:00 PM
- Recurs Saturdays and Sundays through mid-October
- Event Website
Chile Pepper Festival | Food Fair/Festival
- Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM ($25)
- Dozens of fiery food artisans, combustile condiments, hi-scoville sweets, hours of chile-chocolate debauchery, and scorching bands from around the world.
- Event Website
Hester Street Fair: Casual Art Fair | Art Fair/Festival
- Hester Street, Saturday – Sunday 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM (Free to enter, food for purchase)
- Objective: aim to play with the context of the contemporary art fair, to create an affordable space for galleries, project spaces, collectives, and experimental retail projects to gather outdoors in a truly public space and share their most current excitements, artists, and projects
- Event Website
Smorgasburg | Food Fair/Festival
- Willamsburg (Saturday) and Prospect Park (Sunday), 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM (Free to enter, food and drink for purchase)
- 75-100 food and drink vendors
- Recurring weekly, April through October
- Event Website
Long Island City Flea & Food | Fair/Festival Food
- 5-25 46th Avenue, LIC, 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM (Free to enter, goods for purchase)
- The market has over 80 carefully curated vendors that sell items such as internationally inspired food & drink, antiques, art, furniture, fashion, jewelry, arts & crafts and much more
- Recurring weekly
- Event Website
Annual Medieval Festival | Fair/Festival
- Fort Tyron Park, 11:30 AM – 6:00 PM (Free!)
- Visitors are greeted by authentic period music, dance, magic, and minstrels, as well as jugglers and jesters, and a thrilling joust between four knights on horseback. Costumed vendors will be on hand to demonstrate and sell a wide variety of medieval crafts as well as food and drink.
- Event Website
Communal Spaces: A Garden Play Festival | Theater Fair/Festival
- Brooklyn (Various Locations), Saturday – Sunday 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Free!)
- A festival of plays written for and performed in community gardens in NYC.
- Event Website
Fordham Road Fair | Fair/Festival Food
- Brooklyn Bridge Plaza, 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Free!)
- Join Fordham Road BID for games, live music, magic, a car show, prizes, exhibits, and more along East Fordham Road between East Kingsbridge and Creston Avenue.
- Event Website
Brooklyn Brewery Tours | Tour Food
- Brooklyn Brewery, 12:30 PM – 6:00 PM (Free!)
- Tour the brewery and learn how beer is made.
- Recurs every Saturday & Sunday
- Event Website
Board Game Meet Up | Fun & Games
- Q.E.D. (Astoria), 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Free!)
- Break out the board games and bring your friends to play anything you like. There are lots of games and snacks in stock and beer & wine all day.
- Event Website
Spring Overlook Concerts | Music
- 116th Street Overlook (Riverside Park), 2:00 PM (Free!)
- This week features traditional as well as contemporary brass music.
- Recurs Sundays through October 8
- Event Website
Field Trip to the Cloisters | Tour Museum
- The Cloisters (pick up in Brooklyn and Manhattan), 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM (Free!)
- A tour of the medieval gardens at the Met Cloisters. We’ll discuss historical garden design, edible and ornamental plant choices, art, and horticultural and architectural practices.
- Pre-registration required.
- Event Website
International Raccoon Appreciation Day | Art Class
- Central Park (110th between 5th & Lenox), 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Free!)
- Participants will have the opportunity to create their own chalk art celebrating raccoons as part of a larger, community-curated piece. All materials provided. In addition, NYC Parks’ Wildlife Unit will be on hand to talk about coexisting with urban wildlife, and the Urban Park Rangers will be leading short walks in search of raccoons. Participants can also volunteer to share stories about their experiences with NYC wildlife; these stories will be audio recorded as part of a wildlife story collecting project.
- Event Website
Socrates Annual Opening | Art
- Socrates Sculture Park, 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Free!)
- An annual exhibition of new public art that addresses the most urgent issues of today. It is distinct in its mission to foster individual artist projects rather than present an overarching theme. Featuring fifteen artworks selected through our competitive open-call selection process.
- Event Website
Shell-ebrate Oysters | Active Class
- Pier 25 (Tribeca), 4:00 PM (Free!)
- Oysters filter water, engineer reef habitat, and stabilize shorelines. Work alongside Park staff to restore oysters and learn how these bivalves benefit the health of the river.
- Recurs through October 15; registration recommended
- Event Website
Trivia Night | Fun & Games
- Arts & Crafts Beer Parlor Soha (by Columbia), 7:00 PM (Free!)
- Recurring every Sunday
- Each week features an “On This Day In History” round, a rapid-fire “Name Threes” round, the best-curated audio round in the city, and tons of prizes, including books, theater tickets, & other prizes (many of them drinkable).
- TriviaNYC Website
- Venue Website
The Resistance Comedy | Comedy
- Union Hall (Brooklyn), 7:30 PM ($6 Advance, $8 Door)
- Live recording of a podcast by the two former “Adventures of Pete & Pete” stars.
- Event Website
“The Piano Teacher” Screening | Film
- Videology Bar & Cinema (Brooklyn), 8:00 PM ($12)
- Synopsis: Erika Kohut teaches piano at the Conservatory in Vienna. In her early forties, she lives at home, cooped up with her mother, whose influence Erika escapes only on her regular visits to porn cinemas and peepshows. Her sexuality is an affair of morbid voyeurism and masochistic self-mutilation. Erika and life travel separate paths. Until one day, one of her students gets it into his head to seduce her…
- Event Website
