57 free things to do in New York City (NYC) on Saturday, December 10, 2011
All events are free unless otherwise noted.
Hour-long classes with a 10-minute warm up, 30 minute fitness walk, and 20 minutes of strengthening, ...
more >> stretching, and cool-down.
This is a moderately paced adventure under, over, around and through many of the amazing architectural ...
more >> wonders throughout Central Park. Begin at the southwest tip of Central Park South and zigzag our way up the eastern half of Central Park to The Harlem Meer at 110th St. Then circle back along the western half of the park and finish at Sheep's Meadow. Please bring water and lunch or snack for this fascinating 5-hour journey of approx. 8 miles. Rain or shine.
Moderate to brisk walks led by the NY Walkers Club for people 18 years and older of all abilities. This ...
more >> low-impact fitness program is perfect for those who want to get in shape, build muscle tone and strength, and increase cardiovascular health while enjoying the Park’s beautiful landscapes.
9:30 am
free, no reservation required
Many important buildings from New York’s landscape in the 19th and early 20th centuries are long gone, ...
more >> left only as traces on maps and collections throughout the NYPL. Citizen Cartographers will trace some of these important features from an early atlas such as Wm. Perris’ 1852 Maps of the City of New York. Only after we do this can we learn where to buy lumber or book a room or attend a play in 1852.
10:00 am
free, no reservation required
Please bring your own materials and a food item to donate to the Snack Table. Njoya Angrum is the Creator ...
more >> and Director of the Harlem Knitting Circle. Her Supervisor is Ms. Zina Malik and Ms. Marie. If Njoya is not in attendance on the day you are there ask for one of these ladies and they will guide you through.
10:00 am
free, no reservation required
10:30 am
free, no reservation required
You are invited to a free three session drop-in group reading and discussion of Honoré de Balzac's novel, ...
more >> with additional background lectures on his life and place in literature.
10:30 am
free, no reservation required
Two options: 6 or 11 miles – Moderate/brisk pace. Flat, varied. Not for slow hikers. Hike to a fantastic ...
more >> view of the Great South Bay in Heckscher State Park. Ending the day by exploring the beautiful Arboretum. Bring water and lunch; wear hiking boots. Rain, snow, icy conditions cancel.
10:33 am
$3 plus $23.50...
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.
Featuring over 75 artists and designers selling their work for generally under $50, some offerings include ...
more >> traditional craft items such as handmade jewelry, ornaments, and knitwear but also include original paintings, artist books, teeth sculptures, curious creatures and more!
12:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Seneca Village was Manhattan's first known community of African-American property owners, on land that ...
more >> would become the Park. Tour covers the history of the village, the property owners, and what New York City was like at the time. Tour is approximately one hour.
12:30 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.
Children’s writer Siobhán Parkinson is Ireland’s first Laureate na nÓg, or Children’s Literature ...
more >> Laureate. The author of some 20 novels for children, young people and adults, Parkinson’s most recent publication is Long Story Short, published by Roaring Brook in the US in September 2011. Siobhan will discuss recent developments in children’s literature in Ireland, from her perspective as Literature Laureate, as well as talking about her own work as a novelist and teacher.
1:00 pm
free, no reservation required
1:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Editor's Pick
New York Opera Forum performs the complete opera La bohème by Giacomo Puccini. A live musical recital ...
more >> performed in concert with piano accompaniment.
1:00 pm
free, no reservation required
1:30 pm
free, no reservation required
Have you ever wanted to document the history of your home, apartment or neighborhood? Would you like ...
more >> to learn about the growth of your favorite historic district or deepen your knowledge of landmark New York City buildings? Discover how you can use NYPL resources to unlock the history of a building, a block, or an entire borough. In this class you will learn how to use antiquarian maps, fire insurance atlases ("Sanborns"), online property data, books and historic real estate photos to document the history of the City’s built environment.
Editor's Pick
Following the death of her newborn sister, twelve-year-old Chanda learns of a rumor spreading through ...
more >> her small village near Johannesburg that eventually destroys her family and forces her mother to flee. Determined to find out the truth, Chanda leaves her home and school in search of her mother.
106 min.
Less well-known than other works in Coward's canon, Hay Fever demonstrates the playwright's unique way ...
more >> with controlled mayhem and eccentric family characters. Featuring Drama's 4th-year actors.
2:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Editor's Pick
T.J. Stiles, who won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize and 2009 National Book Award for The First Tycoon: The Epic ...
more >> Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt, will discuss the rise of the modern business corporation and the surprising transformation of the way Americans think and argue about it.
2:00 pm
free, no reservation required
The tour explores the social and political history of the Union Square neighborhood through discussions ...
more >> of the people, history, architecture, and forces that have shaped this community. You’ll hear how Union Square got its name, see where the legendary Tiffany & Co. once stood, and learn how to read the clock (yes, it’s a clock!) on “The Metronome” sculpture and so much more!
2:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Featuring Leave 'Em Laughing (1928), Two Tars (1928), Wrong Again (1929) and Big Business (1929). Live ...
more >> piano accompaniment by Ben Model.
2:30 pm
free, no reservation required
Take a walk around the lands dominated by the Castle, situated high on Vista Rock. Visit the tiny 55-acre ...
more >> realm on an eclectic tour of history and nature. Tour is approximately one hour.
2:30 pm
free, no reservation required
The Chorus Tree Lighting Spectacular lights up the cobblestone streets with a musical performance by ...
more >> the New York City Gay Men’s Chorus.
3:00 pm
free, no reservation required
3:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Editor's Pick
A free work-in-progress series, curated by Ishmael Houston-Jones. The DraftWork series offers choreographers ...
more >> an opportunity to show new works at various stages of development. The showings are followed by discussions, moderated by Houston-Jones, and an informal reception to encourage interaction between the artists and the audience.
3:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Never taken an improv class before? Well here is your chance to try it out for free. You'll get up on ...
more >> your feet and explore the fundamental principles of improvisation through exercises in agreement, commitment, spontaneity and listening. Open to all. With Rick Andrews.
A launch of Matthew Brannon's monograph. Coinciding with his first solo exhibition with the gallery, ...
more >> Gentleman's Relish, this compact volume traverses Brannon's entire oeuvre and includes an intricate and illuminating essay by Jan Tumlir. Accompanied by a vast selection of image reproductions of artworks and references, Tumlir's chapters provide a deeper understanding of the complexity of Brannon's work and practice to date.
Matthew Brannon is an American artist living and working in New York City. Born in 1971, in St. Maries, Idaho, Brannon studied visual arts, art theory and psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles and received a Masters of Fine Arts from Columbia University in New York. Beginning in January of 2011, he presented a major body of work at Portikus, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. This solo exhibition, A question answered with a quote, is the third adaptation of two prior exhibitions; Reservations, at Ursula Blickle Stiftung, Kraitchal, Germany, and Mouse Trap, Light Switch, at the Museum M. Leuven, Belgium. Other solo museum exhibitions include; Where Were We, Whitney Museum of American Art at Altria, New York and Try and Be Grateful, Art Gallery of York University, Toronto.
4:00 pm
free, no reservation required
A holiday ice show and Christmas tree lighting. Also featuring the Skyliners and Figure Skating in Harlem. ...
more >> Bring the whole family to enjoy the festivities.
4:00 pm
free, no reservation required
4:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Editor's Pick
Contemporary Art: The Legacy of the Progressive Era: Martha Rosler, Trevor Paglen and Lucy Raven discuss ...
more >> their work in relation to the origins of social documentary photography and progressive politics.
4:00 pm
free, no reservation required
4:00 pm
free, no reservation required
The program features the great repertoire of the Organ on the 101 rank Pipe Organ built by Herman Schlicker ...
more >> and the 5 stop chamber organ built by Taylor & Boody Organ Builders.
4:00 pm
free, no reservation required
4:30 pm
$10 suggested donation
Pre-College faculty member since 2005, Danielle Farina also recently was appointed to the faculty of ...
more >> Vassar College. Works by Bach, Schubert, and more
6:00 pm
free, no reservation required
6:00 pm
free, no reservation required
7:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Lucas Hazlett of the house team Stranger takes the stage alone in this one-man show that explores just ...
more >> what the hell is going on in the mind beneath that unkempt afro of his. If this show were an internet video it would be NSFW.
Editor's Pick
Frowsy, acid-tongued Beatrice Hunsdorfer wreaks petty vengeance on everybody around her. Her elder daughter, ...
more >> Ruth, is a pretty, high-strung girl subject to convulsions; her younger daughter, Tillie, plain and almost pathologically shy, has a gift for science. Encouraged by her teacher, Tillie undertakes an experiment that wins a prize at her high school—and also brings on the shattering climax of the play. Both proud and envious of her daughter, Beatrice can only strike out when she needs to love and deride when she wants to praise. She is a victim as much of her own nature as of her cruel lot. And yet, as Tillie’s experiment proves, something beautiful and full of promise can emerge from even the most barren soil. That is the timeless lesson of the play and the root of its power and truth.
7:00 pm
free, no reservation required
7:00 pm
free, no reservation required
7:00 pm
free, no reservation required
7:00 pm
free, no reservation required
The Arts program presents the annual Fall Dance Production. The program features premieres of original ...
more >> dance works created by Juliette Mapp and Ori Flomin, as well as student choreographed works. All pieces are performed by students of Eugene Lang College.
7:30 pm
free, no reservation required
The Experiment is pleased to present for its second season finale a selection of shorts by Laura Kraning ...
more >> and Fern Silva. The recurring thread of the series this year concentrates on a comparative cinema wherein particular pairs of filmmakers are gathered to celebrate commonalities and contrasts found in their cinematic aesthetics. The films and videos of The Experiment are a testament to the convergence of documentary and experimental tableaus that, as our featured filmmakers pronounce, "traverse the border between the objective and the subjective, the real and the imaginary," (Laura Kraning) and "reflect the tensions between mystification of the observational and experiential and the realization of moments in time as a form of unification." (Fern Silva)
7:30 pm
$10 suggested admission
Editor's Pick
Featuring members of the university’s student choirs and Opera Hispanica, this year’s annual Candlelight ...
more >> Concert celebrates the music of South America with a performance of Missa Criojja (featuring Andean instruments), as well as holiday favorites that will have you singing along. Cast in the glow of hundreds of candles, the concert is an especially festive way to ring in the season. Reception to follow. All are invited.
Act One is a monthly showcase of improvised one act plays performed by New York City improvisers. Hosted ...
more >> by the creators of The Scene, Dan Hodapp and Micah Sherman. Produced by GCA, Mike Burton and Allison Dembek.
8:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Less well-known than other works in Coward's canon, Hay Fever demonstrates the playwright's unique way ...
more >> with controlled mayhem and eccentric family characters. Featuring Drama's 4th-year actors.
The Second Avenue Dance Company functions as a contemporary professional repertory dance company. Made ...
more >> up of students in their final year of training, it is designed to serve as the dancers' transition into the professional world of dance. This concert presents previews of repertory and original works by renowned guest choreographers as well as original works by students.
8:30 pm
free, no reservation required
8:30 pm
free, no reservation required
Editor's Pick
Anna and Claire are two bickering, scheming women who have long lived together on the fringes of upper-class ...
more >> society. Anna has just become the mistress of a wealthy man, from whom she has received an enormous emerald and an income to match. Claire, meanwhile, is infatuated with a respectable young lady and wants to enlist the jealous Anna’s help for an assignation. As the two women exchange barbs and take turns taunting Anna’s hapless maid, Claire’s young inamorata suddenly appears, setting off a crisis that puts both the valuable emerald and the women’s future at risk. To this wickedly funny comedy Mamet brings his trademark tart dialogue and impeccable plotting, spiced with Wildean wit.
Editor's Pick
Winner of the Rising Star Female Vocalist award in the 2011 Downbeat Critics Poll, Gretchen Parlato has ...
more >> been called “the most important jazz singer since Cassandra Wilson” (All About Jazz). Her voice is breathy and sultry, yet focused, hugging the contours of tunes evoking Bill Evans in one moment, Brazilian music the next.
Founded in November 2011 by Taylor White and Dave Maulbeck, Slamborghini is headquartered in Sant’Agata ...
more >> Bolognese, in Northeastern Italy. There it manufactures some of the world’s most sought-after sketch comedy shows. With this year’s presentation of the best-in-class GTX 450 at the Peoples Improv Theatre, Slamborghini has marked another milestone in the history of luxury sketch comedy shows. With more than 120 laughs worldwide, Slamborghini is building on a succession of dynamic and elegant super sketch comedy shows including the 350GT, LP 560-4, LP 570-4 and the LP 570sx.