28 free things to do in New York City (NYC) on Sunday, August 30, 2009
All events are free unless otherwise noted.
Environmental and biking organizations from 5 boroughs are joining together to gain much needed attention ...
more >> for NYC's biggest park - Pelham Bay - home to wild turkeys, terrapin turtles and the famous 400-year old Granny Oak.
East Coast Greenway Alliance and Time's Up New York are teaming up to lead a 25-mile one-way bicycle ride to Pelham Bay Park along existing and proposed portions of the East Coast Greenway in Manhattan and the Bronx.
9:00 am
free, no reservation required
Join 20-minute instructional paddles, and explore the Hudson River first hand. Please wear a bathing ...
more >> suit or shorts and a t-shirt, and know how to swim.
10:00 am
free, no reservation required
Classical Pilates encourages proper breathing, spinal alignment, core strengthening, muscle flexibility ...
more >> and balance in the body. Taught in the Park by Courtnie Vitali.
10:00 am
free, no reservation required
Catch-and-release fishing gives anyone and everyone the chance to fish. It’s an appropriate and fun ...
more >> activity for those as young as five.
All of the necessary supplies including rods, reels and bait, as well as complete instructions, are provided. Fishing poles are provided on a first come, first served basis, with a half-hour limit when others are waiting.
10:30 am
free, no reservation required
Catch-and-release fishing gives anyone and everyone the chance to fish. It’s an appropriate and fun ...
more >> activity for those as young as five.
All of the necessary supplies including rods, reels and bait, as well as complete instructions, are provided. Fishing poles are provided on a first come, first served basis, with a half-hour limit when others are waiting.
10:30 am
free, no reservation required
Editor's Pick
11:00 am
free, no reservation required
Child friendly. Strolling, sightseeing, at a gentle pace. This legendary gem on the Hudson, opposite ...
more >> West Point, is open only 3 weekends per summer. Bring photo ID. Amenities include shaded picnic groves, public restrooms, a gift shop in historic Warner House, walking trails, and a hot dog vendor. Departure time is at your option.
View some of the City’s most notable landmarks, including the New York Life Insurance building, the ...
more >> MetLife tower, the Appellate Courthouse and the famous Flatiron Building.
11:00 am
free, no reservation required
Take a journey down historic Orchard Street and discover the origins of New York's first discount retail ...
more >> district. The two-hour tour highlights the integral role that the shopping district has played in the history and development of the Lower East Side.
11:00 am
free, no reservation required
Approximately 7 miles, moderate pace. Over and under the Brooklyn Bridge, though new parks, then under ...
more >> the Manhattan Bridge into DUMBO. Skirt The Navy Yard. Climb Fort Greene Hill to newly-opened monument dedicated to soldiers who fought with George Washington. Lunch ethnically in Williamsburg. Over the Williamsburg Bridge to Delancey Street.
The Skate Park is open to all skate boarders and roller bladers willing to sign a waiver and wear proper ...
more >> protective gear. Individuals under 18 years of age must have a waiver signed by a parent or guardian.
11:00 am
free, no reservation required
11:00 am
free, no reservation required
Led by members of the Taoist Tai Chi Society, participants will have the opportunity to relax and exercise ...
more >> among the changing exhibitions of contemporary outdoor sculpture. Classes are designed for all experience levels. Participants should wear comfortable clothing.
11:00 am
free, no reservation required
About 5 miles. Briskly paced afternoon exploration of various parts of Central Park, such as Strawberry ...
more >> Fields, the Ramble, Shakespeare Garden, Belvedere Castle, Reservoir, the Loch, North Woods, Harlem Meer, and Conservatory Garden. Bring snack and water; wear sturdy shoes. Heavy rain will cancel, showers will not.
Marsha Burnett of Musical Directions and the legendary NYC DJ Stormin' Norman bring to you a family-friendly ...
more >> gathering of community, cultures and music lovers of all ages. Soulful House music is the cornerstone of Sundae Sermon's public dance-party.
New and old House, blended with classic R&B (Barry White, Stevie Wonder), Disco (Thelma Houston), Funk (Parliament), Soul (James Brown, TSOP) and Afro-Beat (Fela). Brought to you by a rotating collection of North America's most renowned sound architects.
The selection of DJ's includes DJ Beverly Bond (BlackGirls Rock!), DJ Chris Washington (WBLS), DJ Herbert Holler, DJ Misbehavior and others spinning tunes that cross genres, generations and borders.
12:00 pm
free, no reservation required
As you promenade through the heart of the Park, imagine yourself living in 19th Century New York City. ...
more >> Learn about the Park's history and how its designers, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, struggled to create the magnificent "Greensward" for the enjoyment of all. Tour lasts approximately one hour.
12:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Gastropolis is a collection of essays that explores New York City's vast gastronomic culture and history. ...
more >> From the avant-garde food scene, hunger, "la Vida Sabrosa", the city's natural ecology, its sustainable practices, its appetizing and fusion cuisine, its compelling food voices and more, this volume examines what is delicious and diverse about New York City food culture. Several contributing authors will join co-editors Annie Hauck-Lawson and Jonathan Deutsch.
1:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Take a walk around the lands dominated by Belvedere Castle, situated high on Vista Rock. Visit the tiny ...
more >> 55-acre realm on an eclectic tour of history and nature. Tour is approximately one hour.
1:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Featured artists: Clifford Borress, Sarah Braman, Nellie Fleischner, Mitchell Goodman, Otis Houston Jr. ...
more >> aka Black Cherokee, Terry Hempfling, Danny Johnston & Cassie Mey, Lone Wolf & Cub, Yoko Ono, Jesse Peterson & Marina Peterson, Tim Roda, and Megumi Tomomitsu.
2:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Editor's Pick
Tally Ho!, or Navigating the Future, is a rip-roaring musical with book, lyrics and direction by Crystal ...
more >> Field and musical score composed by David Tice.
TNC's award-winning Street Theater always contains an elaborate assemblage of trap doors, giant puppets, smoke machines, masks, original choreography and a huge (9' x 12') running screen providing continuous movement behind the actors. The company of 27 actors, twelve crew members, two assistant directors and five live musicians shares the challenge of performing outside and holding a large, non-captive audience. The music varies in style from Bossa Nova to Gilbert & Sullivan.
The musical is a morality play about how America, facing financial failure, must set a course through the uncertainty of what's to come.
2:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Explore the Cathedral's newly cleaned and restored Nave. Learn about the art, architecture and history ...
more >> of this great sacred space from 1892 to the present.
Editor's Pick
Highlights: St. Pauls Church, Woolworth Building, the Statues of Horace Greeley and Nathan Hale, the ...
more >> Municipal Building, the 18C "Prison Window" memorial and more!
2:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Editor's Pick
The Charlie Parker Jazz Festival annually assembles some of the finest musicians in the world who reflect ...
more >> Parker’s musical individuality and genius and promote appreciation for this highly influential and world-renowned artist.
Featuring:
Cedar Walton Quartet
Cedar Walton is one of the most universally respected jazz pianists active today, having played in the bands of Lou Donaldson, Kenny Dorham, J.J. Johnson, Art Farmer, and Art Blakey, and recorded with Freddie Hubbard, John Coltrane, and Joe Henderson. As a player, Walton is a post-bopper whose solos can be pensive and exciting - often at the same time. In terms of consistency, lyricism, and tastefulness, he recalls Hank Jones and Tommy Flanagan. In addition to his abilities as an instrumentalist, Walton has amassed an impressive body of original compositions.
Papo Vazquez Pirates Troubadores
Papo Vazquez’s ability to fuse Afro-Caribbean rhythms, especially those from Puerto Rico and Cuba, with freer melodic and harmonic elements of progressive jazz has insured his popularity on many fronts. As a composer, Papo Vasquez showcased his talents on the soundtracks for the movies Free Enterprise, Mo’ Better Blues and The Mambo Kings, as well as on recordings for Ruben Blades and Hilton Ruiz. Papo Vazquez Pirates Troubadours boasts a twisted variation on traditional themes and use terms like Jibaro Waltz, Plena Funk, Bomba Jazz, and Mapeye Jazz to help describe their music.
Pyeng Threadgill
Singer-composer Pyeng Threadgill is making waves with her sultry voice and vivid compositions. Her third album Portholes To A Love & Other Short Stories is a group of original songs all based on short stories by world-renowned authors. From the lulling sensation of locomotion, to the secrets of the sea, to the hopeless romantic, to the immigrant experience, she uses lyrics lush in metaphor to depict a wondrous universe.
Dred Scott Trio
Dred Scott first earned his reputation as an innovative and eclectic pianist and multi-instrumentalist in San Francisco. He has recorded seven self-produced albums and has performed on over thirty-five others. Now based in New York City, Scott regularly performs with his own Dred Scott Trio, Jay Collins, Rene Risque, Carol Lipnik, Sasha Dobson, and the Bari Koral Family Band.
3:00 pm
free, no reservation required
This romantic comedy is one of the Bard's most popular works. The play features three interlocking plots, ...
more >> connected by a celebration of the wedding of Duke Theseus of Athens and the Amazonian queen Hippolyta, and set simultaneously in the woodland and in the realm of Fairyland, under the light of the moon.
6:30 pm
free, no reservation required
Plácido Domingo conducts starring Anna Netrebko and Roberto Alagna as the star-crossed lovers, Isabel ...
more >> Leonard as Stéphano, Nathan Gunn as Mercutio, and Robert Lloyd as Frère Laurent. This a videotaped performance shown on an outdoor screen.
7:30 pm
free, no reservation required
Editor's Pick
Director JoAnne Akalaitis presents this Greek tragedy as it was always meant to be seen – in the open ...
more >> air of the city. This interpretation, featuring a lush choral score by Philip Glass, re-imagines the classic story about what happens when a government attempts to outlaw desire.
8:00 pm
Free tickets required,...
This staged reading marks the English-language premiere of the Russian playwright Osip Brik, who was ...
more >> first assimilated and then banned by the Soviets. Of course, the personal is the political in his 1922 study of politics and romance subtitled "The Lady and the Communist."
8:00 pm
$5 suggested donation