free things to do in New York City
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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 8, 2025?
22 free events take place on Thursday, May 8 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 8 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.
Are you looking for free things to do in New York City (NYC) on May 8, 2025?
22 free events take place on Thursday, May 8 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 8 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.
Join the Club!
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!
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!
22 free things to do in New York City (NYC) on Thursday, May 8, 2025
All events are free unless otherwise noted.Workshop | Pick-Up Pickleball
An exciting fusion of badminton and tennis, pickleball has been proven to strengthen muscles, boost cardiovascular health, and enhance brain function. First come first serve basis.
New York City, NY; NYC
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9:00 am
Free
Free
Film | Flower Drum Song (1961): Broadway Musical Adaptation
A young woman arrives in San Francisco's Chinatown from Hong Kong with the intention of marrying a rakish nightclub owner, unaware he is involved with one of his singers. Director: Henry Koster Cast: Nancy Kwan, James Shigeta, Miyoshi Umeki, Jack Soo, Benson Fong, Juanita Hall
New York City, NY; NYC
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11:00 am
Free
Free
Party | 100: A Century of Collections, Community, and Creativity Exhibition and Celebration
The Division of Negro Literature opened on May 8, 1925 as a special collection of the 135th Street Branch Library. This event celebrates the centenary of this institution. During this launch, visitors are invited to an open house of our archival divisions, important dialogues contextualizing the center’s development and evolution, and close with a public celebration marking its historic past and vital future. Get there early to enjoy tours of 100: A Century of Collections, Community, and Creativity, an exhibition exploring the library’s history through the prism of place, people, and material culture. 11AM | Exhibition Opening 12PM | Opening Ritua 2 PM | Rebuilding the Past, Making the Future Conversation 3:15 PM | 20th Century Harlem: An Evolving Site of Black Placemaking Conversation And more!
New York City, NY; NYC
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12:00 pm
Free
Free
Concert | Piano in the Park: Brazilian & American Jazz
A five, six, seven, eight… Come on down and swing along to the best ragtime, stride, and jazz the Big Apple has to offer. Performing at this event: Luiz Simas. Brazilian/American pianist Luiz Simas is a versatile performer who feels totally at ease with both the music of his native Brazil and the American genres of jazz and ragtime. Keyboard magazine has described his playing as "sassy, clear and vibrant", and his music as "fresh, smart and witty". His latest CDs are Transparências (Transparencies), a solo piano CD released by Lydjul Records, and Deuce, a CD of the Simas & Amorim Duo with guitarist Wesley Amorim.
New York City, NY; NYC
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12:30 pm
Free
Free
Concert | Folk and Early Music of Ireland and Scotland on Period Instruments (In Person AND Online!)
This concert celebrates the intersection between early music and ancient folk traditions from Ireland and Scotland. Members of the Magdalena ensemble (Liv Castor, harp; Mira Fu-En Huang, voice, riq, frame drum; Cole Manel, Renaissance guitar; Niccolo Seligmann, viola da gamba, bowed dulcimer; Sarah Shodja, recorders; and Cameron Welke, lute) perform heartrending ballads and raucous dances adapted from both historic manuscripts and the oral tradition. This program presents a unique sonic tapestry that pushes the boundaries of early music, both in genre and accessibility, to audiences.
New York City, NY; NYC
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1:15 pm
Free
Free
Film | The Royal Tenenbaums (2001): Tragicomedy Directed by Wes Anderson
The eccentric members of a dysfunctional family reluctantly gather under the same roof for various reasons. Director: Wes Anderson Cast: Danny Glover, Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Bill Murray, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller, Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson American filmmaker Wes Anderson is notable as an auteur, employing a distinctive visual and narrative style. His movies have won several Academy Awards, BAFTAs, and Golden Globes.
New York City, NY; NYC
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2:00 pm
Free
Free
Opening Reception | A Sanctuary Built from Grief
Inspired by Claude Monet’s Water Lilies rooms at the Musée de l’Orangerie — formative works in her artistic life — Austyn Weiner set out to create an immersive sanctuary for reflection through painting. The exhibition features three monumental panels forming a room-sized installation that chronicles a year of profound emotional transformation.
New York City, NY; NYC
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5:00 pm
Free
Free
Birdwatching | Evening Birding in the Park with NYC Audubon
Discover the surprising diversity of birds that call New York home during migratory season with guided tours by NYC Audubon, led by environmental educator and urban naturalist Gabriel Willow. This park is a hotspot for avian visitors and birders alike. Past sightings include warblers, tanagers, vireos, thrushes, and even a Chuck-will’s-widow!
New York City, NY; NYC
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5:00 pm
Free
Free
Museums | Historical and Modern Design Spanning Centuries
The museum is dedicated to showcasing the history, influence, and importance of design in everyday life. Housed in a historic mansion, the museum features a diverse collection of design objects, including decorative arts, architecture, graphic design, textiles, and industrial design. Free admission is daily 5 pm - 6 pm.
New York City, NY; NYC
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5:00 pm
pay-what-you-wish...
pay-what-you-wish...
Workshop | Sketch Night in a Museum (with After-Hours Gallery Access)
Enjoy the galleries and draw at your own pace during this in-person sketching program. All art materials are provided, and participants are invited to sketch independently in select galleries. This program is free, but online registration is required; registration includes after-hours access to select galleries.
New York City, NY; NYC
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5:00 pm
Free
Free
Film | I Walked with a Zombie (1943): Monster Movie
A nurse in the West Indies is hired to care for the wife of a sugar plantation owner, who has been acting strangely... Director: Jacques Tourneur Cast: Frances Dee, James Ellison, Tom Conway
New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free
Free
Dance Lesson | Dance Party: Afrofusion feat. Nkumu Katalay
At this event, attendees meet at the park to learn basic steps with expert instructors at 6pm. Afterwards, participants can test out their new moves to live music performed by a diverse selection of bands from 7pm-8:30pm. 6pm: Afrofusion Instruction with Angel Kaba 7pm: Live Dance Music with Gentleman Brawlers and Nkumu Katalay
New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free
Free
Opening Reception | Unfolding Myths in Paint and Grain
Michael Armitage's work is held in the collections of The Museum of Modern Art, New York; the Tate, London; the Art Institute of Chicago; and the Centre Pompidou, Paris. This exhibition marks the artist's first major solo presentation in New York since his 2019 MoMA exhibition Projects 110, organized by The Studio Museum in Harlem. Known for his richly layered paintings and carved wood panels, Armitage draws from East African folklore, contemporary politics, and Western art history to create dreamlike, often unsettling compositions. The new works continue his exploration of narrative and materiality, combining figuration and abstraction through a distinct painterly language that challenges conventional depictions of African subjects and landscapes.
New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free
Free
Workshop | Dance Aerobics Class: Low Stakes & All Fun
Find your inner dancer and get your body moving with pure joy at this cathartic dance aerobics class! Low stakes, all fun, and open to all levels. Space is limited, unreserved, and available on a first-come, first-served basis. If there is heavy rain at the time of the event, the event will be canceled.
New York City, NY; NYC
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6:30 pm
Free
Free
Discussion | Women's Voices Between Rebellion and Silence in Southern Italy with My Brilliant Friend Actress
A thought-provoking conversation on how women challenge and redefine their space in societies that still struggle to fully embrace them. Taking inspiration from Lila, the iconic character from My Brilliant Friend, this talk explores themes of misogyny, independence, and defiance in different realities in Southern Italy. Actress Irene Maiorino, who played Lila in the acclaimed TV series based on Elena Ferrante’s bestseller, and journalist Angela Vitaliano will discuss the similarities and differences between the world portrayed in the series and other contexts—perhaps less desperate, yet still marked by oppressive structures that seek to silence disruptive voices.
New York City, NY; NYC
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6:30 pm
Free
Free
Talk | NYT Bestselling Author Talks about Her Inspirations and Journey (In Person AND Online!)
This event is a captivating conversation with Abigail Hing Wen—New York Times bestselling author, producer, and director—as she shares her multifaceted journey across literature, film, and artificial intelligence. Best known for her breakout Loveboat series and her latest bestseller Kisses, Codes and Conspiracies, Wen is a trailblazer at the intersection of storytelling and technology. From Silicon Valley to Hollywood, Wen will reflect on how her experiences as a creative producer and woman-in-tech leader have shaped her bold and imaginative body of work. She’ll also offer an exclusive first look at her exciting upcoming projects: The Vale — Origins, a hybrid live-action and animated short film starring award-winning actress and singer Lea Salonga, and her forthcoming middle-grade novel The Vale—both of which explore the healing power of imagination through a virtual reality world crafted by a grieving inventor family. From AI-generated fantasy realms to teen thrillers, Wen’s storytelling continues to push boundaries and inspire audiences of all ages.
New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
Free
Free
Author Reading | Author Sarah Aziza Talks about Her New Memoir: The Hollow Half + Readings (In Person AND Online!)
This event is a celebration of The Hollow Half, an urgent and groundbreaking memoir by Sarah Aziza, one of the most important new voices in contemporary literature and criticism. Sarah will be in conversation with writer Hannah Bae, with featured readings by Kamelya Omayma Youssef, Ghinwa Jawhari, H. Sinno, and Ladan Khoddam-Khorasani. A brush with death. An ancestral haunting. A century of family secrets. Sarah Aziza’s searing, genre-bending memoir traces three generations of diasporic Palestinians from Gaza to the Midwest to New York City—and back. Weaving timelines, languages, geographies, and genres, The Hollow Half probes the contradictions and contingencies that create “nation” and “history.” Blazing with honesty, urgency, and poetry, this stunning debut memoir is a fearless call to imagine both the self and the world anew.
New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
Free
Free
Concert | Trans-African Contemporary Music Concert: Lollise x Loboko
Botswana-born Brooklynite singer, artist, and fashion designer Lollise sprinkles transfigured play-songs from her childhood with boldly contemporary statements of identity and purpose on her recent debut LP, I hit the water. She teams up here with Loboko, an infectious Brooklyn dance band anchored by Congolese guitar virtuoso and vocalist Yohni Djungu Sungu, for a powerful fusion of trans-African pop styles, featuring original music from both acts.
New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
no cover &...
no cover &...
Theater | The Imaginary Invalid: Moliere's Comedy-Ballet Starring Broadway Actor
Argan is ill. But is he? Argan is dying. But aren't we all? Argan wants absolute control. But is that ever achievable? After a series of upside down attempts to snap him out of it, a solution is found. But will it save him? The Imaginary Invalid is the last play that legendary French playwright Moliere wrote and was originally conceived as a Comedy-Ballet where theater, dance, and music are intertwined. It explores the fear of disease and the exploitation it breeds through infinitely humorous dialogue and in-your-face satire. This production will feature original choreography by FlexN dancer Cal Hunt, original music by cellist Johnathan Moore, and stars Tony and Olivier Award nominee Sahr Ngaujah. Director and Translator: Lucie Tiberghien Choreographer and Dancer: Cal Hunt Composer and Cellist: Johnathan Moore Cast: Dante Bonner, Mary Bacon, Rory Furey-King, Doron JePaul, Naomi Lorrain, Sahr Ngaujah, Shayvawn Webster
New York City, NY; NYC
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7:30 pm
Free
Free
Concert | Armenian Music Then & Now: Folk Tunes & Brand New Works
A kaleidoscope of Armenian folk music through both a historical and modern interactive lens, Komitas and Friends celebrates the interdisciplinary, ever-changing legacy of folk songs deeply rooted in Armenian culture even today. This program is derived from music notated and transcribed by Komitas Vardapet, a pioneering ethnomusicologist, composer, and priest who gathered thousands of folk songs at the turn of the 20th century, immortalizing folk tunes for generations to come. A wide array of songs present themselves in their original form for voice, as well as in classical and jazz transcriptions that have kept these melodies alive throughout the last 100 years, interspersing them in various genres and musical spaces all over the world. This program also includes the world premieres of five brand-new works of music commissioned by The Juilliard School and The Columbia University Armenian Center—the result of a cultural exchange project led by Juilliard student Anoush Pogossian for five of her Juilliard peers to write pieces for her to perform, each one based on a different one of the folk songs of her upbringing as a member of the Armenian diaspora.
New York City, NY; NYC
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7:30 pm
Free
Free
7:30 pm
Regular: $10
Member: $0
Regular: $10
Member: $0
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8:00 pm
Regular: $30
Member: $0
Regular: $30
Member: $0
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Complimentary Tickets
to shows, concerts ... (CFT Deals!)
Classical Music | Sacred Choral Works at a Landmark Venue
Regular Price: $50CFT Member Price: $0.00
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