Friday November 3, 2017
Saturday November 4, 2017
Sunday November 5, 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 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!
Festival Albertine Curated by Gloria Steinem and Robin Morgan | Class
- Albertine (UES), Various Times (Free!)
- An opportunity to realize a vital exchange of ideas between leading francophone and U.S.-based thinkers and artists. Check schedule for specific talks, lectures, and discussions.
- Event Website
Canstruction | Art
- Brookfield Place, 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM (Free!)
- An amazing art exhibit with sculpture created out of food cans. Through this innovative and fun exhibition the Architecture & Engineering community was able to provide art and inspiration to the local community as well as canned food to local hunger relief organizations.
- Suggested donation of one item of canned food for City Harvest.
- Recurs next weekend.
- Event Website
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
- Recurs every Friday.
- Event Website
Free Music Fridays | Music
- American Folk Art Museum, 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM (Free!)
- This week’s feature includes Piedmont Bluz.
- Recurs every Friday.
- Event Website
Time Lapse: Five Seasons | Art
- The High Line, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM (Free!)
- Artist and filmmaker Thomas Piper captures the complex evolution of Piet Oudolf’s planting designs in loops of time-lapse photography, projected publicly for the first time on the High Line.
- Event Website
Big Apple Film Festival | Film Fair/Festival
- SVA Theatre (Manhattan), Various screenings 6:30 PM – 11:30 PM ($20)
- Dedicated to showcasing and promoting the highest quality films from the NYC independent film community, as well as additional specially selected films from across the country and around the world.
- Event Website
Architecture & Design Film Festival | Film Fair/Festival
- Cinepolis Chelsea, 6:45 PM – 11:00 PM ($16.50)
- A curated selection of films, events and panel discussions, ADFF creates an opportunity to entertain, engage and educate all types of people who are excited about architecture and design. With well-attended screenings, legendary panelists, and vibrant discussions, it has grown into the nation’s largest film festival devoted to the subject.
- Event Website
Think Olio Lecture & Discussion: Shakespeare and the Invention of the Supervillain | Class
- The Strand Bookstore (Manhattan), 7:00 PM ($20, beer and wine included)
- Discussion Topic: Antagonists
- Ancient mythology had its share of gods, monsters, and witches, and allegorical Christian plays had their allegorical bad guys. But the modern supervillain has one single pure origin: Shakespeare’s Iago, an ordinary person whose multiple motives conceal his essential drive for, and unrestrained theatrical enjoyment of chaos and evil for the sake of evil. Join us for a look at where he comes from (Chaucer’s Pardoner), what makes him so terrifying, and where he goes — Milton’s Satan, Cormac McCarthy’s Judge, Hannibal Lecter, the Joker, and the Amazing Amy Dunne.
- 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.
- Recurs every Friday.
- 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.
- Recurs every Friday.
- Event Website
The Visitation: Immersive Theater | Theater
- Wyckoff House Museum (Brooklyn), 8:00 PM – 9:30 PM ($25)
- Child. Mother. Father. Servant. Priest. A young girl’s claim of witchcraft. the search for truth. In a small dark house, there are no secrets.
- Event Website
Drink & Draw | Comedy
- Q.E.D. (Astoria), 9:00 PM – Midnight ($10 Advance, $12 Door)
- A social drawing event with focus on figure drawing from a live model. No need to be a pro, stick figures and hand-turkeys welcome! Model poses can range from 30 seconds to 20 minutes. Each event will have a unique theme, new models, and plenty to drink! Bring your own materials.
- Event Website
The 90’s Alternative Sing-Along | Comedy
- Union Hall (Brooklyn), 9:30 PM ($10)
- Prepare your ear drums for over 2 hours of your favorite 90’s alt-rock music videos with all the lyrics projected on the big screen so you and all your friends can sing (and skank/mosh) along together.
- Event Website
Karaoke | Music Fun & Games
- Union Hall (Brooklyn), Midnight – Late (Free!)
- Karaoke!
- Recurs every Friday.
- Event Website
Canstruction | Art
- Brookfield Place, 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM (Free!)
- An amazing art exhibit with sculpture created out of food cans. Through this innovative and fun exhibition the Architecture & Engineering community was able to provide art and inspiration to the local community as well as canned food to local hunger relief organizations.
- Suggested donation of one item of canned food for City Harvest
- Recurs next weekend.
- Event Website
Women’s International Film Festival | Film Fair/Festival
- Wythe Hotel (Brooklyn), 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM ($8+)
- Devoted to showcasing the work of women storytellers from around the world. Bringing filmmakers and the community together for a rich experience. Featuring screenings, Q&As, opening night mixer co-hosted by Cinematcher, and a closing award ceremony.
- Event Website
Festival Albertine Curated by Gloria Steinem and Robin Morgan | Class
- Albertine (UES), Various Times (Free!)
- An opportunity to realize a vital exchange of ideas between leading francophone and U.S.-based thinkers and artists. Check schedule for specific talks, lectures, and discussions.
- Event Website
Architecture & Design Film Festival | Film Fair/Festival
- Cinepolis Chelsea, 1:30 PM – 11:30 PM ($16.50)
- A curated selection of films, events and panel discussions, ADFF creates an opportunity to entertain, engage and educate all types of people who are excited about architecture and design. With well-attended screenings, legendary panelists, and vibrant discussions, it has grown into the nation’s largest film festival devoted to the subject.
- Event Website
Big Apple Film Festival | Film Fair/Festival
- SVA Theatre (Manhattan), Various screenings 6:30 PM – 11:30 PM ($20)
- Dedicated to showcasing and promoting the highest quality films from the NYC independent film community, as well as additional specially selected films from across the country and around the world.
- After party at Jake’s Saloon to follow.
- Event Website
Volunteer at Washington Square Park | Active
- Washington Square Park, 8:45 AM – 11:00 AM (Free!)
- Join the WSP conservancy on Saturday mornings this fall and help rake leaves, mulch, plant and more. All tools provided. Make it social by volunteering with a friend! RSVP in advance.
- Event Website
Nature Walk | Active Tour
- Washington Square Park, 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM (Free!)
- Join NYC naturalist Leslie Day for a nature walk through Washington Square Park where she will talk about the botanical Untitled design history of the trees and the diverse bird life of the Park.
- Event Website
Bulb Festival | Active
- Long Island City, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Free!)
- Help plant over 6,300 daffodil and tulip Bulbs. There will be face painting and refreshments will be available.
- Event Website
The Van Cortlandt Super Hike | Active
- Van Cortlandt Park (Bronx), 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Free!)
- Urban Park Rangers will introduce you to the hidden gems of New York City. Hiking programs feature intensity levels ranging from light, to moderate, to vigorous. This challenging eight-mile hike winds its way through most of Van Cortlandt Park’s many diverse forests and ecosystems.
- Pre-registration required.
- Event Website
From Freight to Flowers | Tour
- The High Line, 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM (Free!)
- Hear the story behind New York City’s park in the sky on a special winter walking tour! Join a 45-minute long tour led by High Line Docents, knowledgeable volunteer guides who offer you an insider’s perspective on the park’s history, design, and landscape.
- Recurs Saturdays.
- 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.
- Recurs weekly.
- 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
- Recurs weekly.
- Event Website
Shape Up NYC: Zumba | Active Class
- Poe Park (Bronx), 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM (Free!)
- Have fun with Zumba for fitness, health, and well-being.
- 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
Tabatathon | Active Class
- Ocean Breeze Park (Staten Island), 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Free!)
- Get ready to break a sweat as participants rotate through various stations consisting of high intensity exercises in 20 second on, 10 second off intervals for 8 rounds totaling 4 minutes each.
- Event Website
Central Park Tour: Southern Welcome | Tour
- 5th Ave and 61st Street, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM (Free!)
- Visit some of the park’s most famous landmarks, including Grand Army Plaza, the pond, Gapstow Bridge, Wollman Rink, Chess & Checkers House, and the Dairy.
- 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
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
- Recurs weekly.
- Event Website
Smorg Square | Food Fair/Festival
- SoHo, 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM (Free to enter, food and drink for purchase)
- 75-100 food and drink vendors
- Recurs through the holidays.
- Event Website
Patchwork Memories Exhibition & Workshop | Art Class
- James Recreation Center (Bronx), 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM (Free!)
- Patchwork quilts are odd bits and pieces as well as used items that have memories, joined together into a unique one-of-a-kind masterpiece. Admire patchwork quilts made with love and commitment by local artists. Over 10 works of art will be displayed just for one day.
- Workshop (12:00 PM – 2:00 PM): Experience a hands-on demonstration for a simplified basic piecing technique. Learn to cut and piece at the same time with the X Cut technique. Beginners welcome.
- 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
Home Brewing with Honey | Class
- Q.E.D. (Astoria), 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM ($30)
- Join beekeeper and hobby home brewer Nick Hoefly to learn the process of turning honey into mead. Class will start with a brief discussion on the basics of simple home brewing, and a honey and mead tasting. Following the tasting, Nick will demonstrate and prepare a gallon of mead starter and answer any questions.
- Event Website
Einstein and the Exploration of Outer Space | Class
- Greenbelt Nature Center (Staten Island), 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM (Free!)
- NASA Solar System Ambassador and Wagner College Professor Harold Kozak will discuss and illustrate how Einstein’s ideas about light and gravity not only allowed us to travel to the moon and beyond, but also will enable us to find more new planets and possibly alien life. In addition, he will discuss and illustrate how Einstein’s ideas might lead to time travel in the future.
- Event Website
Create Your Own Holiday Wrapping Paper | Class Fun & Games
- Poe Visitor Center, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM (Free!)
- Adults will make their own, creative gift wrapping paper for the coming holidays. Participants will take inspiration from fall and winter seasons, as well as the holidays for each month.
- October: Fall, Poe, Halloween
- November: Fall, Thanksgiving
- December: Whimsical Winter Wonder, Christmas, and Hanukah
- Recurs Saturdays through December.
- 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
Central Park Tour: North Woods | Tour
- 5th Ave and 61st Street, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM (Free!)
- Highlights include Harlem Meer, Huddlestone Arch, the Loch, Glenspan Arch, several cascades, and the Pool.
- 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
Panel Discussion and Public Art in Seward Park | Art Class
- Seward Park (Manhattan), 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM (Free!)
- A discussion of local cultural landmarks and ongoing urban transformations in the Lower East Side/Chinatown neighborhood in collaboration with the public artwork Constellation by Cheryl Wing-Zi Wong.
- Event Website
Brooklyn Museum | Museum
- Brooklyn Museum, 5:00 PM – 11:00 PM (Free!)
- A full line up starting at 5 pm of music, curator tours, hands-on art, dance, film, and more. Courtesy of Target.
- Recurs the first Saturday of every month.
- Event Website
Time Lapse: Five Seasons | Art
- The High Line, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM (Free!)
- Artist and filmmaker Thomas Piper captures the complex evolution of Piet Oudolf’s planting designs in loops of time-lapse photography, projected publicly for the first time on the High Line.
- 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
The Visitation: Immersive Theater | Theater
- Wyckoff House Museum (Brooklyn), 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM ($25)
- Child. Mother. Father. Servant. Priest. A young girl’s claim of witchcraft. the search for truth. In a small dark house, there are no secrets.
- Event Website
H.P. Lovecraft Festival | Theater
- 81 Christopher St. (Manhattan), 8:00 PM ($24)
- Lit by flickering candlelight, bathed in ghostly mist, the players hope to chill the marrow in your bones as they celebrate Halloween with the 9th annual festival teeming with very special denizens of its own, so rich in bloodcurdling variety that the heart thuds loudly, sweat breaks and the cringing mind searches shudderingly for the next ghastly manifestation in this terrifying feast of fiendish delights! All live, onstage complete with our fabulous cast, original orchestral scores and a plethora of sound effects.
- Recurs through November 5.
- Event Website
Party Like It’s 1999: Shania Edition | Dance Music
- The Bell House (Brooklyn), 10:00 PM (Free!)
- On November 4th, 1997 Shania Twain released Come on Over, an album that would go on to sell more than 10-million copies and turned her from country icon to a worldwide pop star. Party Like It’s 1999: Come On Over to Shania’s Edition will mark the 20th anniversary of that release with double shots of Shania’s pop hits all night long. Plus DJ Steve will serve up our usual mix of the best pop, rock, R&B, hip-hop and dance tunes from the 1990s.
- 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
DJ Party | Music Dance
- Union Hall (Brooklyn), Midnight – Late (Free!)
- DJ Colleen Crumbcake (East Village Radio) spins a late night mix of heavy hitters starting at midnight to make your booty bounce! Hip Hop, Mainstream Dance Hits, Classic Soul, Old Skool, & Disco.
- Recurs most Saturday nights.
- Event Website
Festival Albertine Curated by Gloria Steinem and Robin Morgan | Class
- Albertine (UES), Various Times (Free!)
- An opportunity to realize a vital exchange of ideas between leading francophone and U.S.-based thinkers and artists. Check schedule for specific talks, lectures, and discussions.
- 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
- Recurs weekly.
- 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
- Recurs weekly.
- Event Website
Canstruction | Art
- Brookfield Place, 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM (Free!)
- An amazing art exhibit with sculpture created out of food cans. Through this innovative and fun exhibition the Architecture & Engineering community was able to provide art and inspiration to the local community as well as canned food to local hunger relief organizations.
- Suggested donation of one item of canned food for City Harvest.
- Recurs next weekend.
- Event Website
Women’s International Film Festival | Film Fair/Festival
- Wythe Hotel (Brooklyn), 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM ($8+)
- Devoted to showcasing the work of women storytellers from around the world. Bringing filmmakers and the community together for a rich experience. Featuring screenings, Q&As, opening night mixer co-hosted by Cinematcher, and a closing award ceremony.
- 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
Mount Moses Hike | Active
- High Rock Park (Staten Island), 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM (Free!)
- Urban Park Rangers will introduce you to the hidden gems of New York City. Hiking programs feature intensity levels ranging from light, to moderate, to vigorous.
- Event Website
Historic New York: Native Americans | Class
- Alley Pond Park (Queens), 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM (Free!)
- Urban Park Rangers specialize in the interpretation of historic turning points, both natural and man-made, in our city’s long history. The Native Americans are a very important piece of NYC history. Learn some of the customs and culture of the Lenape and how they have made their impact in our everyday lives as New Yorkers.
- 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.
- Event Website
Smorg Square | Food Fair/Festival
- SoHo, 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM (Free to enter, food and drink for purchase)
- 75-100 food and drink vendors
- Recurs through the holidays.
- 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.
- Recurs weekly.
- 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
Autumn Highlights Garden Tour | Tour
- Fort Tryon Park (Manhattan), 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM (Free!)
- Join public garden designer Ronda M. Brands for a behind-the-scenes look at the particular design emphasis on the garden’s Autumn assets, and the plant selections made to ensure a remarkable blend of fall colors throughout the three-acre Heather Garden, with its 550 varieties of plants, trees, and shrubs.
- Event Website
Book Talk on WWI | Class
- Kingsland Homestead (Queens), 2:30 PM – 4:30 PM ($5)
- A book discussion by Mr. Kevin C. Fitzpatrick. In his book, “World War I New York: A Guide to the City’s Enduring Ties to the Great War”, Kevin C. Fitzpatrick places NYC among major cities who contributed to the war effort. The book covers locations of monuments and memorials, as well as places in the city where the war was active.
- Event Website
Architecture & Design Film Festival | Film Fair/Festival
- Cinepolis Chelsea, 2:30 PM – 9:15 PM ($16.50)
- A curated selection of films, events and panel discussions, ADFF creates an opportunity to entertain, engage and educate all types of people who are excited about architecture and design. With well-attended screenings, legendary panelists, and vibrant discussions, it has grown into the nation’s largest film festival devoted to the subject.
- Event Website
New York Philharmonic Ensemble | Music
- Kupferberg Center for the Arts (Queens), 3:00 PM ($25+)
- Experience the passion and personality of the performers in an early work of Beethoven, his Octet for Winds; and in two works composed during the Second World War – Dmitri Shostakovich’s Piano Quintet, premiered in Moscow, and Gideon Klein’s String Trio, composed in the Terezin Concentration Camp.
- 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 Visitation: Immersive Theater | Theater
- Wyckoff House Museum (Brooklyn), 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM ($25)
- Child. Mother. Father. Servant. Priest. A young girl’s claim of witchcraft. the search for truth. In a small dark house, there are no secrets.
- Event Website
Fairytales Reimagined: “Ever After” Screening | Film
- Videology Bar & Cinema (Brooklyn), 7:15 PM – 9:15 PM ($12)
- Synopsis: A princess that can save herself, this Cinderella does not idly sing to the birds––a humanitarian with a fiery passion for literature, Danielle frees indentured servants between chapters of Thomas More’s Utopia, and isn’t afraid to tell the prince when he’s wrong.
- Event Website
The Adventures of Danny and Mike | 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
H.P. Lovecraft Festival | Theater
- 81 Christopher St. (Manhattan), 8:00 PM ($24)
- Lit by flickering candlelight, bathed in ghostly mist, the players hope to chill the marrow in your bones as they celebrate Halloween with the 9th annual festival teeming with very special denizens of its own, so rich in bloodcurdling variety that the heart thuds loudly, sweat breaks and the cringing mind searches shudderingly for the next ghastly manifestation in this terrifying feast of fiendish delights! All live, onstage complete with our fabulous cast, original orchestral scores and a plethora of sound effects.
- Event Website
Repeater: A Little Show About Big Songs | Class
- Q.E.D. (Astoria), 8:30 PM – 10:00 PM ($5)
- Each month, a special guest shares one song that they love – be it an all-time favorite, a track that reminds them of a great story, or something that just blew their minds. Then a musician takes the stage to cover it and play a song of their own.
- Event Website