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Free events for Friday, 08/17/12
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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 August 17, 2012?

39 free events take place on Friday, August 17 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 August 17 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 August . 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.
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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!

39 free things to do in New York City (NYC) on Friday, August 17, 2012

All events are free unless otherwise noted.
        

Concert | 98 Degrees, 90s Boy Band


Once=popular boy bands trying to make a comeback are all around these days and 98 Degrees, who hit the top ten with "Because of You" and "The Hardest Thing," are no exception.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 am
Free

Concert | Neon Trees, Alt-Rockers


Neon Trees is an American alternative rock band from Provo, Utah, with origins in Murrieta, California. The band received nationwide exposure in late 2008 when they opened several North American tour dates for the band The Killers.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 am
Free

Concert | Lynyrd Skynyrd, Rock Survivors


Beyond the tragedy, the history, the raging guitars and the killer songs, ultimately, Lynyrd Skynyrd is about an indomitable will and survival of spirit -- unbowed, uniquely American and stubbornly resolute.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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8:00 am
Free

Workshop | Morning Tai Chi


Increase physical balance, strength, and mental focus. Learn the ancient Chinese martial art with expert Alex Hing. No experience is necessary. Hing also teaches Tai Chi at the China Institute. He has practiced martial arts for over 30 years in San Francisco and New York City, including 10 years with Tai Chi grand master William C. C. Chen.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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8:30 am
Free

Screening | Daily Screenings: Arctic Summer, Part I


For their Celebrating American Nations! series, they present three works from Arctic Canada, two animations and a short documentary on the World Eskimo-Indian Olympics. Start times: 10:30am and 11:45am.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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10:30 am
Free

Tour | Cathedral Tour


Explore the Cathedral's newly cleaned and restored Nave. Learn about the art, architecture and history of this great sacred space from 1892 to the present.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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11:00 am
$6

Performance | Write Out Front: A Playwright Happening


Watch emerging and emerged playwrights, book writers and lyricists create new work right in front of your eyes. During two hour time slots, a writer or writer's team will write a new play in the storefront window with a screen shot of their computer projected behind them, visible to the street. See writers create new worlds, find inspiration and try to avoid Facebook (or not). Come see playwrights from shows coming up or currently playing at venues around town including the NY International Fringe Festival.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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11:00 am
Free

Tour | Federal Reserve Bank Tour


Learn about central banking functions that Federal Reserve System performs and see Bank's vault of international 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. Congressman Ron Paul considers the Federal Reserve "both corrupt and unconstitutional" Tour times: 11:15 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 1:15 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 3:15 p.m., and 4:00 p.m.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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11:15 am
Free

Dance Performance | Downtown Dance Festival 2012


The 31st Annual Downtown Dance Festival is New York City’s longest-running public dance festival and is Battery Dance Company’s gift to its home community. International highlights this year include Sri Warisan, a 15-member troupe from Singapore that is known for its authentic presentation of Malay ethnic dance, music and theater; Vanaver Caravan, the dance and music ensemble from New Paltz performing a tribute to Woody Guthrie on the legendary American folk musician’s centenary year; Philadelphia-based Kun-Yang Lin/Dancers, and ten New York companies showcasing various genres ranging from modern ballet to fusion.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:00 pm
Free

Workshop | Yoga at the Library


Bought to you by Shape Up NYC. Expert Instructors. Please bring your own mats
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:00 pm
Free

Concert | Dallas Vietty's Musette Project


Enjoy a taste of Paris in the park at lunchtime with musette style accordion music.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:30 pm
Free

Tour | Grand Central and Its Neighborhood


Discover architecture and social history of Grand Central neighborhood; learn secrets of Whispering Gallery 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.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:30 pm
Free

Jazz | Victor Lin, Jazz Pianist


Victor Lin is a former student of jazz legend Kenny Barron. He is currently a jazz music instructor at Columbia University, Teachers College, and The Calhoun School.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:30 pm
Free

Tour | “Manhattan Adirondacks” Tour


Olmsted and Vaux designed the North Woods to replicate the forests of the Adirondack Mountains with its crystal streams, calming cascades, and rustic bridges. This scenic and meditative walk is right in New York City's backyard. Tour will be approximately one hour.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:30 pm
Free

Tour | Cathedral Tour


Explore the Cathedral's newly cleaned and restored Nave. Learn about the art, architecture and history of this great sacred space from 1892 to the present.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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1:00 pm
$6

Screening | Daily Screenings: IndiVisible


In conjunction with the exhibition “IndiVisible: African-Native American Lives in the Americas,” they present two documentaries that explore the history, culture and contemporary reality of people who share African American and Native American ancestry. Start times at 1pm and 3pm.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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1:00 pm
Free

Workshop | Learn Juggling in the Park


Test your coordination and dexterity with free juggling lessons in the park. All skill levels are welcome to join in the fun. Equipment is provided.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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1:00 pm
Free

Tour | U.S. Customs House Building Tour


Museum Ambassadors provide a 45-minute in-depth look at the unique architecture and design of the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Customs House.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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1:00 pm
Free

Film | Martin Scorsese's 5-Time Oscar Winner Hugo (2011): Fantasy in France


With Asa Butterfield, Chloë Grace Moretz and Christopher Lee. In 1930s Paris, an orphan who lives in the walls of a train station is wrapped up in a mystery involving his late father and an automaton. 126 min.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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2:00 pm
Free

Jazz | 20th Charlie Parker Jazz Festival


A tribute not only to Bird, but to the jazz heritage of the neighborhood and the many greats that played at Mikell’s Jazz Club, the former resident at the address.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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5:00 pm
Free

Talk | Artist Mathias Kessler discusses his work


For this special event, which takes place in conjunction with the ongoing exhibition, Our Haus, curator Amanda McDonald Crowley speaks with participating artist Mathias Kessler. As much as Mathias Kessler's installation, "Das Eismeer - Die gescheiterte Hoffnung," is a formal sculpture and a comment on the sublime, it is also a social sculpture.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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5:30 pm
Free

Dance Performance | An Absurd Vice


"Overlove/Underpass" brings energy and wonder to the understated beauty of this architectural thoroughfare. Fruit wielding goddesses oversee the pulse of daily life while fierce improvisers inscribe the splayed space. This new group work includes 12 dancers and envelopes three duets from Catherine Gallant's critically acclaimed meditation on romantic love, "An Absurd Vice." Artist's Bio: Catherine Gallant has been creating dance in traditional venues and alternative sites for more than 30 years. Gallant's work often explores themes of chance, doubt and the body as a source of comfort and torment. She has received funding for her choreography from the Harkness Foundation for Dance, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, and the Bossak/Heilbron Charitable Trust, among others. She holds a BFA in dance from the Boston Conservatory and an MFA from Temple University. Gallant leads workshops for Dance Education Laboratory and is a full time NYCDOE Dance Educator at PS 89 in Lower Manhattan.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Opening Reception | Photography: Ron Fricke & Mark Magidson's Samsara


This photography exhibition and art talk, from award-winning filmmakers Ron Fricke and Mark Magidson, coincides with the debut of their upcoming film, Samsara, opening in theaters on August 24, 2012. Samsara is a Sanskrit word defined as “the ever turning wheel of life”. These images act as a guided meditation on the cycle of birth, death and rebirth sculpted by the power of flow on a global level. Illuminating the links between humanity and nature and the interconnection that runs through our lives, we are deeply moved by each moment captured in time.
   New York City, NY; NYC
6:00 pm
Free

Theater | Outdoor Presentation of Shakespeare's Richard III


After a long civil war between the royal family of York and the royal family of Lancaster, England enjoys a period of peace under King Edward IV and the victorious Yorks. But Edward’s younger brother, Richard, resents Edward’s power and the happiness of those around him. Malicious, power-hungry, and bitter about his physical deformity, Richard begins to aspire secretly to the throne—and decides to kill anyone he has to in order to become king. No tickets required; Just show up and choose a seat on the steps and benches.
   New York City, NY; NYC
6:30 pm
Free

Workshop | Sunset Jam on the Hudson


Join a drumming circle led by master drummers. Improvise on African, Latin, and Caribbean rhythms. Instruments provided, or bring your own.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:30 pm
Free

Jazz | Chuck Braman Jazz Band


Celebrate the sunset with some of New York City’s favorite musicians from this spectacular grass covered pier that stretches 900 feet into the majestic Hudson River.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
Free

Performance | Comedy: Two Chairs


Come watch three different two-prov teams take the stage where every performance begins with two chairs.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
$5

Performance | No Name and A Bag O’ Chips Comedy/Variety Show


“No Name... & A Bag O' Chips" Comedy / Variety show producer, Eric Vetter will feature the funky sounds of The Summer Replacements” including Carl (BabyFreak) Fortunato.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
No cover...

Workshop | Waterfront Workouts: Hip Hop Dance Aerobics


With Dodge YMCA. This class gets your heart pumping with Hip Hop music and hot step-by-step dance moves. Registration begins at 6:30pm.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
Free

Dance Performance | WHITE WAVE Young Soon Kim Dance Company / DoubleTake Dance


Hailed as a splendid eleven member company, WHITE WAVE Young Soon Kim Dance Company just returned from a triumphant tour throughout Korea & China. Dance Magazine has said of the company, “stunning performers, passionate dancing… Kim’s choreography is highly charged.” The company will perform Here NOW So Long, an ambitious work of courage and beauty in a dynamic collaboration with composer Marc Cappelli featuring live music that will explore the body’s limitless capacity for expression. DoubleTake Dance is a New York City-based contemporary dance company that strives to connect with a wide range of audiences through fusions of movement that are accessible and understandable to both the dancer and non-dancer. By creating choreography that is original and passionate; each piece is as unique as the artists who interpret it. Ashley Carter and Vanessa Martínez de Baños, co-founders of the company, will present a number of diverse and dramatic pieces, remixing contemporary styles with modern, lyrical, ethnic, vocal and neoclassical elements.
   New York City, NY; NYC
7:00 pm
Free

Screening | Documentary: Macarena Aguiló's The Chilean Building (2010)


It's a story never before documented: While their parents battled the Pinochet dictatorship in Chile, a group of children were raised in Europe, safely and communally. The 20 adults who supervised "Project Home" saw over sixty children through to adulthood, children whose mothers and fathers-militant MIR members-fought in their homeland to fight for freedom, many never to be seen again. In The Chilean Building, patriotic duty took another form-childcare rather than warfare-as these adoptive, communal parents assumed responsibility for their charges for years to come. 99 min.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:30 pm
$10 suggested donation

Film | See The Goonies


With Sean Astin, Josh Brolin and Jeff Cohen. A group of kids embark on a wild adventure after finding a pirate treasure map... 1985. 114 min
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:30 pm
Free

Performance | Comedy: The Big Pony Show


Molly Austin and Mike Brown present “The Big Pony Show,” a comedy-themed variety show. Acts include, but are not limited to, stand-up, sketch, story-telling, juggling and violin-playing. Each show features the variety of people Molly and Mike have been hanging out with lately. But no matter who they bring along, they’re always sure to put a smile on your face and laughter in your heart.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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8:00 pm
$5

Theater | Shakespeare in the Park(ing) Lot presents Coriolanus


The play is presented in a working parking lot, so you can drive there but you should expect to pay the Muni-meter. The show is offered while the lot is in use. The action sometimes happens around a parked car which drives away during a performance. At such times, the players stop and the audience moves its chairs, pausing the performance the same way a show would stop for rain uptown in Central Park. It's all part of the fun. Seats are available on a first come first serve basis, with audience members often arriving as early as 7:00 PM to secure a place. You are encouraged and welcome to bring your own chair. Once seats are gone, blankets are spread out.
   New York City, NY; NYC
8:00 pm
Free

Theater | Stephen Sondheim & James Lapine's Into the Woods, the Broadway Smash


A witch's curse condemns the Baker and his Wife to a life without children. They embark on a quest to find the four items required to break the spell: the cow as white as milk, the cape as red as blood, the hair as yellow as corn, and the slipper as pure as gold. Will they succeed? And what happens after "happily ever after?" A masterpiece by musical theater giants Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, Into the Woods is a witty and irreverent reimagining of beloved classic fairytales: Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and Cinderella. Featuring Amy Adams, Jack Broderick, Gideon Glick, Cooper Grodin, Ivan Hernandez, Tina Johnson, Josh Lamon, Jessie Mueller, Donna Murphy, Laura Shoop, and Tess Soltau.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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8:00 pm
Free

Film | Robert Zemeckis' Oscar-Winning Back to the Future (1985): Time-Traveling Adventure


With Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd and Lea Thompson. In 1985, Doc Brown invents time travel; in 1955, Marty McFly accidentally prevents his parents from meeting, putting his own existence at stake. 116 min. Movie starts at dusk.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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8:30 pm
Free

Concert | Experimental Sounds: Rat King / Normally Important


Rat King is an experimental/ambient/industrial music project from Madras. The music draws influences from significant metal origins and ambient moods, as well as tropical tones, instruments, and the use of orchestral and classical elements to narrate a tale, which is the pivot around which the albums revolve. Normally Important is Alex Ikechi and Radell Moyd-Kane, two 20-something-year-old NYC transplants making eccentric music; it’s kind of punk, it’s kind of garage, and it’s kind of awesome.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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9:00 pm
Free

Performance | Comedy: The Vigilante


Most bands write out a set list before a performance. They can direct the ebb and flow of emotions by carefully placing songs in a particular order. The Vigilante approaches a concert with a figurative blank canvass. Our concerts are entirely improvised and evolve organically. The audience decides the emotional swings, the peaks and troughs. They feel their set list. The show is entirely collaborative. The lead singer, and an occasional band member, will talk to the audience to garner words, phrases, interactions, stories, and even musical requests from the audience to create an entire set list of completely original songs.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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9:30 pm
$5

Performance | Comedy: Sex in the Late Night Air


Sex in the Air presents Sex in the Late Night Air, a late night talk show hosted by Paul Gutkowski, featuring the musical stylings of Hal McFall and The Haldane McFall 5. Don’t miss the show Susan Sarandon calls, “Sweeter than a plate of yams with extra syrup.”
   New York City, NY; NYC
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11:59 pm
$5
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