free things to do in New York City
Free events for Wednesday, 05/04/11
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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 May 4, 2011?

53 free events take place on Wednesday, May 4 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 May 4 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 May . 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!

53 free things to do in New York City (NYC) on Wednesday, May 4, 2011

All events are free unless otherwise noted.
        

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" Five tours daily on the hour.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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9:30 am
Free

Talk | Learn about the Peoples of the Plains


With Laura Browarny.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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10:00 am
Free

Gallery Talk | The Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Room


An expert leads informal discussions in the room and answers questions. Two sessions: 10am-1pm and 1:30pm -3pm.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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10:00 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

Workshop | Ping Pong in the Park


Test your skills at state-of-the-art tables. Paddles and balls are provided free of charge.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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11:00 am
Free

Park Walk | “Views from the Past” Tour


As you promenade through the heart of the Park, imagine yourself living in 19th Century New York City. 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.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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11:00 am
Free

Workshop | Elements of Nature Drawing


Enjoy drawing in the parks and gardens with an artist/educator. Materials provided.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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11:30 am
Free

Book Signing | Country superstar Shania Twain signs copies of her book From This Moment On


A memoir from the singer of hits like "Man! I Feel Like a Woman," "From This Moment On" and "Still the One."
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:00 pm
Free

Lecture | Fear, Memory and Mobilization: Croatian Serbs & the Serbian Democratic Party


A talk by John Schiemann, Associate Professor of Political Science Director, Florham Laboratory for Experimental Social Science (FLESS) Chair, Department of Social Sciences & History Fairleigh Dickinson University. Why did many – but not all – Croatian Serbs mobilize politically then militarily from 1990 to 1992? What accounts for the variation in Serb political mobilization across time and Croatian territory? Neither the dominant general approaches to ethno-nationalist mobilization nor the competing Croatian and Serbian narratives can account for this sub-national variation. I argue that the combination of HDZ policies and fearful memories of WWII Ustaša atrocities explains the temporal and spatial variation in Serb mobilization. I test this hypothesis and its competitors on an original dataset of Serbian Democratic Party (SDS) membership lists and application cards, as well as SDS meeting minutes, notes, draft speeches and other materials. These tests generally support the historical memory argument, suggesting the need for greater attention to sub-national variation in ethnic mobilization and conflict. John Schiemann is Associate Professor of Political Science at Fairleigh Dickinson University. He is the author of The Politics of Pact-Making: Hungary’s Negotiated Transition to Democracy in Comparative Perspective, journal articles in American Journal of Political Science, The Journal of Theoretical Politics, and The Journal of Politics, as well as several book chapters on the Hungarian electoral system. He is currently working on two projects, one on interrogational torture and one on ethnic mobilization by Croatian Serbs.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:00 pm
Free

Tour | Grand Central Terminal Tour


Tour of this magnificent Beaux-Arts landmark.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:30 pm
$10 suggested donation

Conference | Islam in Europe and America


Join the Committee for the Study of Religion in a conference presenting interdisciplinary research on religion and the sacred, and their complex and diverse manifestations in modern societies. Speakers will include Ulrich Beck, Sociology, London School of Economics & University of Munich; Jocelin Cesari, Government, Harvard University; Sherman Jackson, Near East Studies, University of Michigan; Christian Joppke, Government, American University of Paris; Daniele Hervieu-Leger, l’École hautes études en sciences sociales; Saba Mahmood, Sociocultural Anthropology, University of California Berkeley, and others.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:45 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

Workshop | Fencing in the Park


Take a stab at the modern sport of fencing with masters from Manhattan Fencing Center. No prior experience needed and equipment is provided.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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1:00 pm
Free

Concert | Juilliard Chamber Ensembles


Juilliard students share their talent with the community in this free lunchtime concert.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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1:00 pm
Free

Conference | Present Tense: The 2011 D-Crit Conference


Moderated by documentary film producer Adam Harrison Levy and with a keynote lecture by New York Times contributor Rob Walker, the second annual event will feature thesis presentations by all 11 graduating D-Crit students.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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1:00 pm
Free

Screening | Short Films on and by Native Americans


Featuring UNRESERVED: The Work of Louie Gong, Writing the Land, Airplane, Button Blanket, and Preston Singletary: Echoes, Fire, and Shadows. Start times are 1pm and 3pm.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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1:00 pm
Free

Workshop | Featured Library Database: Medline Plus


Hands on using wireless laptops. Use this website produced by the National Library of Medicine to find reliable, up-to-date information about diseases, medical conditions and wellness issues in language a non-specialist can understand. Learn about treatments, look up information on drugs and supplements and much more.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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1:15 pm
Free

Talk | The Pun Also Rises: How the Humble Pun Revolutionized Language, Changed History, and Made Wordplay More Than Some Antics


While the pun is often dismissed as the lowest form of wit and many punsters are commonly ostracized for their wordplay, such attitudes are relatively recent historical developments. In this provocative presentation, John Pollack – former Presidential Speechwriter, World Pun Champion and author of The Pun Also Rises – explains why such wordplay spans the globe, how it revolutionized language, played a pivotal role in the rise of modern civilization, and even today continues to fuel human creativity and progress.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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1:15 pm
Free

Jazz | Bill Wurtzel, Jazz Guitarist


Enjoy free live music performed by jazz guitarist Bill Wurtzel and guest musicians.
   New York City, NY; NYC
2:00 pm
Free

Talk | Taino Culture & Music


Irka Mateo teaches visitors about Taino culture and music.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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2:00 pm
Free

Workshop | Figure Al Fresco Drawing


Learn figure drawing outdoors with a clothed model and an artist/educator. Materials provided.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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2:30 pm
Free

Workshop | Intro to Adobe Photoshop


Photoshop may be a household word, but not everyone knows how to use it. In fact it is still one of the most popular classes. In this seminar they'll cover the basics of Photoshop so you can get started using it for photo retouching, or web and print design.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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3:00 pm
Free

Workshop | Stay Well Exercise


A free Stay Well exercise session. Stay Well volunteers cetrified by the NYC's Department for the aging will lead participants in a well-balanced series of exercises for seniors of all ability levels. Please wear loose comfortable clothing. Exercise equipment will be provided. All participants are required to sign a personal medical waiver at the beginning of the class.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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3:00 pm
Free

Concert | Master Class and Performance with Carlos Barbosa-Lima, Brazilian Guitarist


World-renowned Brazilian guitarist Carlos Barbosa-Lima will offer an open Master Class with students from The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, and Mannes College the New School for Music, followed by a guitar recital with Lawrence Del Casale. Born in São Paulo, Carlos Barbosa-Lima began playing guitar aged seven, making his concert debut five years later and beginning his recording career shortly afterwards. Today he is a world-renowned recitalist, musician, and arranger of works for guitar, and has studied with Isais Savio and the legendary Andrés Segovia. His style mixes a classical approach with Latin, jazz, and popular repertoires, ranging from Scarlatti and Debussy to Jobim and Brubeck.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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5:30 pm
Free

Author Reading | NY1 reporter Cheryl Wills discusses her memoir Die Free


From 2011–2015, the United States is commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. Cheryl Wills’ acclaimed book pays homage to her great-great-great grandfather, Sandy Wills, who fled his slave master (Edmund Wills) and fought as a member of the United States Colored Troops from 1863–1865. Sandy’s courage was mirrored in Cheryl’s father, a Vietnam-era paratrooper, who died without knowing his family’s historic legacy.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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5:30 pm
Free

Discussion | Architectural Explorations in Books: Allied Works Architecture


Architect Brad Cloepfil and his innovative firm Allied Works Architecture have received significant and deserved attention over the past ten years for their designs of several highly influential public, institutional, commercial and residential buildings. Eric Sanderson, the well-known Wildlife Conservation Society landscape ecologist, joins Cloepfil to discuss the history of Allied Works, Cloepfil's approach to architectural design, the relationship between the built and the natural environment, and other topics captured in a major new architecture publication that details, from concept sketch through construction, many of the firm’s most ambitious commissions.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Opening Reception | Illuminated Displays: Leo Villareal's Volume


Leo Villareal (1967, Albuquerque, New Mexico) is an American artist living and working in New York City. His work combines LED lights and encoded computer programming to create illuminated displays
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Workshop | Intro to Adobe Photoshop


Photoshop may be a household word, but not everyone knows how to use it. In fact it is still one of the most popular classes. In this seminar they'll cover the basics of Photoshop so you can get started using it for photo retouching, or web and print design.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Author Reading | Marisa Trubiano discusses her book Ennio Flaiano and His Italy: Postcards from a Changing World


With a dramatic reading by Laura Caparrotti.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Talk | Organizing and Managing Your Job Search


In this special lecture format, you’ll learn to look at your job search from a different angle –one that shows you to a new way to look at searching for your next career opportunity. John Crant will demonstrate how to plan, set goals, and manage your job search. Get out of line, and get on to your next great career opportunity.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Discussion | Speculatively Speaking: The Future of Design Criticism


A panel discussion about the priorities, possibilities and impact of design criticism, featuring MoMA’s senior curator of design and architecture Paola Antonelli, Danish architect Bjarke Ingels, Van Alen Institute’s Olympia Kazi, The New Yorker's John Seabrook, Fast Company’s senior editor Linda Tischler and The New York Times Magazine contributor Rob Walker, moderated by documentary film producer Adam Harrison Levy.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Performance | Super Free Wednesday Comedy Shows


Featuring: Recess, Watson + Tuscarora Fire Company Picnic, The Whiskey Rebellion + Stranger, Local 154 and Borealis, Handsy + The Faculty and Friends, and Improdome.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Workshop | Computer Surfing for 50+


Hands on using wireless laptops. Explore websites of special interest to active older adults.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:30 pm
Free

Author Reading | Deborah Valenze discusses her book Milk: A Local and Global History


In the first cultural history of milk, the author traces the rituals and beliefs that have governed milk production and consumption since its use in the earliest societies.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:30 pm
Free

Screening | Robin Romano's Documentary The Harvest (2010): The Children Who Feed America


The story of the children who work to feed America, The Harvest revisits Edward R. Murrow’s Harvest of Shame, filmed 50 years ago, and reveals how little has changed over the past five decades in the lives of migrant farm workers in America. Currently, more than 400,000 migrant child workers in the U.S. journey from their homes, traveling from state to state, farm to farm, crop to crop, as they pick the produce we all eat. Many of them are American citizens and work as many as 12 hours a day, six months a year, without the protection of child labor laws. Followed by a Q&A with director Robin Romano.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:30 pm
Free

Opening Reception | BFA Computer Art, Computer Animation and Visual Effects Department Exhibition


An exhibition featuring work by students in the BFA Computer Art, Computer Animation and Visual Effects Department.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
Free

Book Signing | Dick Van Dyke, Emmy- and Grammy-winning star, discusses his book My Lucky Life In and Out of Show Business


Dick Van Dyke in conversation with Tom Santopietro. The beloved television icon discusses his new memoir.
   New York City, NY; NYC
7:00 pm
Free

Talk | Heavy Metal: The Race for Rare Earths and Other Metals


What do cell phones and missile defense systems have in common? Both require traces of essential metals that are extremely rare on our planet. As demand for these rare metals surges, questions about global supply and sustainability grow increasingly urgent. Join Jim Webster, curator in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, for an exploration of the rare metal deposits so vital to the development of new consumer products and specialized technologies.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
Free

Author Reading | Kelly Cutrone reads from her book Normal Gets You Nowhere: Trust Me, They're Lying to You


Kelly Cutrone, reality television star and founder of the public relations firm People's Revolution, is here tonight to discuss her latest book.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
Free

Author Reading | Pete Hamill discusses his book Tabloid City


Novelist, essayist and journalist Pete Hamill reads from his latest novel that takes the reader into the nooks and crannies of Manhattan's high society, a decadent world of money and murder.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
Free

Jazz | Spring 2011 Ensemble and Recital Series: Super Trios


Directed by Lee Ann Ledgerwood.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
Free

Theater | Student Production: Noel Coward's Design for Living


Performed by the Graduate Acting Class of 2012.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
Free

Jazz | Experimental Jazz with Kompost 3


Trumpet, e-piano, drums, bass, and subtle electronics provide the sonic groundwork for this young, funky, and avant-garde experimental jazz band. Despite their young age, the members of Kompost 3, Martin Eberle, Benny Omerzell, Lukas König, and Manu Mayr, have already played with a wide variety of renowned artists, including Soap&Skin, Wolfgang Mitterer, and Wolfgang Puschnig. Detecting 21st century signs of muck and rot, the band takes its energy from this wholly Viennese air of decay to create music that is fresh and invigorating, much like a compost pile produces fertilizer – hence the name, Kompost 3.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:30 pm
Free

Concert | Korea 21: Music Here & Now


A highlight of this event will be the select group of outstanding Korean traditional and popular music artists directly from Korea, which ranked in the top ten at the 2010, "21C Korean Music Project Competition," one of the most prestigious new music competitions in South Korea. “Aux” will present pumba, achieving great balance between Korean traditional music and popular music. “Silk Road” will present the blending of traditional Korean and old Silk Road musical classics.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:30 pm
Free

Concert | Contemporary Music Festival 2011 - Composer-in-Residence Chamber Ensemble


This concert will feature the music of 2011 Composer-in-Residence, Martin Bresnick.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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8:00 pm
Free

Dance Performance | Experiments in Dance: Crystal Nilsson / Jennifer Pommiss / Michael Ingle / Margaret Paek


A program of non-curated shared showings of experimentation and work-in-progress, for artists at all stages of their development. The events are centered around an audience discussion moderated by a Movement Research Artist-in-Residence or an occasional guest, where they will experiment with different feedback methods to support and inform the artists’ process.
   New York City, NY; NYC
8:00 pm
$3 suggested donation

Concert | NYU Community Orchestra Concert


Roger Mahadeen, conductor.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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8:00 pm
Free

Dance Performance | Student Dance: Showing V


The final showing of new work created by students in their 1st and 2nd years of study.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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8:00 pm
Free
8:00 pm
Free

Theater | Students in Repertory Productions


The Actors Studio Drama School presents its annual Repertory Season at Pace University, in five weeks of theatre designed to introduce graduating students to the professional world and the public in full productions of the work they have created during their three years of study. Here you will witness a weekly series of scenes, one-act plays and full-length plays, some of them written by our playwrights, and all of them directed and acted by students.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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8:00 pm
Free

Performance | Gandhi, Is That You? Comedy Show


Stand-up comedy show (that has been featured on MTV, and that fills to standing-room only each week). The show is produced by Brendan Fitzgibbons (The Onion, McSweeney's) and Lance Weiss (Carolines on Broadway) with comedians from David Letterman, Vh1, MTV, The Onion, and Comedy Central. Free pizza!
   New York City, NY; NYC
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9:00 pm
Free
9:00 pm
Free

Jazz | 5/5/5 After Hours Set


A great way to hear some of the most talented young lions of jazz while enjoying spectacular views of Manhattan.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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11:00 pm
$5 cover, $5...
Complimentary Tickets

to shows, concerts ... (CFT Deals!)

Broadway | Broadway Show!

Regular Price: $101
CFT Member Price: $0.00

Concert | Christmas Concert

Regular Price: $55
CFT Member Price: $0.00
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