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 9, 2025?
31 free events take place on Friday, May 9 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 9 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 9, 2025?
31 free events take place on Friday, May 9 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 9 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!
31 free things to do in New York City (NYC) on Friday, May 9, 2025
All events are free unless otherwise noted.Workshop | Outdoor Tai Chi for All Ages
Improve balance, strength and focus through gentle exercises. The sights and sounds of the river provide a serene background for the ancient flowing postures. An ideal choice for participants of all ages.
New York City, NY; NYC
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8:30 am
Free
Free
Museums | History, Culture, and Arts of Indigenous Peoples
This cultural institution showcases a vast collection of Native artifacts, such as objects, photographs, archives, and media.
New York City, NY; NYC
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10:00 am
Free
Free
Workshop | Zumba Class for All-Levels
Featuring easy-to-follow Latin dance choreography. Work on your balance, coordination and range of motion.
New York City, NY; NYC
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10:30 am
Free
Free
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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11:00 am
Free
Free
Museums | Asian Art and Culture Museum
The museum features a diverse collection of artworks, including traditional and contemporary pieces from various Asian cultures. 2 pm: guided tour.
New York City, NY; NYC
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11:00 am
Free
Free
Festival | Food Festival with Local Vendors
New York City's favorite outdoor food market, Smorgasburg, is back. Enjoy a variety of eats and treats from local vendors.
New York City, NY; NYC
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11:00 am
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
Film | All Happy Families (2024): Comedy-Drama
A struggling actor remains in a slump, while his successful brother has his own show. The family soon finds itself under the same roof again, where every corner reveals secrets and resentments. Director: Haroula Rose Cast: Josh Radnor, Chandra Russell, Rob Huebel, Becky Ann Baker, Colleen Camp
New York City, NY; NYC
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1:00 pm
Free
Free
Film | A Thousand and One (2023): Drama Film
A desperate woman kidnaps a six year old to rescue him from the foster care system in New York City. Director: A. V. Rockwell Cast: Teyana Taylor, Will Catlett, Josiah Cross, Aven Courtney, Aaron Kingsley Adetola
New York City, NY; NYC
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2:00 pm
Free
Free
Performance | Playing with Social Codes through Performance Art: The Pin
Artist Pilvi Takala presents The Pin, a new performance that continues her work playing with social codes. Takala's work is set in motion by actors--identifiable only by a pin fastened to their shirts--who canvass the park, blending in with the public until they spontaneously approach unsuspecting passersby. Each performer is trained to improvise based on a script written by the artist, following the responses of the participating public. The seemingly happenstance interactions expose our preconceived expectations of how we engage with others in public spaces, and what might bring strangers to either connect or disengage. In setting up these exchanges, Takala makes visible how we grapple with polite contact, inclusion, and exclusion, while blurring the line between reality and fiction. Pilvi Takala's practice is centered on poking, prodding, and questioning conventions and codes in an effort to lay bare the social frameworks of our offices, parks, shopping malls, and other public spaces. The artist disrupts the experience of daily routines, using performative interventions as a means to push the audience to confront its own assumptions and behaviors. Often humorous--and almost always perplexing--her actions and interactions reveal our inherent discomfort with discomfort.
New York City, NY; NYC
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2:00 pm
Free
Free
Museums | Tour - Arts and Cultural Heritage of Spain and Portugal: Goya, El Greco and Others
Explore the best items this museum has on display with this guided tour. Paintings, sculptures, ceramics, antiquities, and more by world-famous artists.
New York City, NY; NYC
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2:00 pm
Free
Free
Play | New Original Play by Award-Winning Writer: I Hope This Letter Reaches Mictlān
I Hope This Letter Reaches Mictlān follows Sarai mourning the loss of her brother, whose soul is deported back to Mictlān, the Aztec underworld. Using her newly found shaman powers, Sarai attempts to transcend to help him, only to realize the journey begins with her. This play explores the complexity of grief and how it changes those who experience it. Playwright: Amalia Oliva Rojas
New York City, NY; NYC
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3:30 pm
Free
Free
Movie in a Park | Freaky Friday (2003): Family Comedy Starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan
Kick off the weekend with an outdoor movie night! Snag a seat, bring a blanket, grab a bite, and settle in for a screening of Freaky Friday! Synopsis: A mother and daughter accidentally switch bodies and must live each other's lives as they try to figure out how to switch back. Director: Mark Waters Cast: Jamie Lee Curtis, Lindsay Lohan, Harold Gould, Chad Michael Murray, Mark Harmon Jamie Lee Curtis is an American actress, producer, and children's author. Her most well-known performances are in the horror/slasher and comedy genres. She's often refferred to as a scream queen. Curtis has earned multiple accolades, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, two Golden Globes, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards, plus a nomination for a Grammy. Actress Lindsay Lohan has been in movies and TV shows since she was 10 years old. As her career grew, she established herself as a teen idol. During a period of behavioral and drug-related issues, Lohan didn't appear in as many roles, but she has worked on herself and rehabilitated her image in recent years, beginning to pick up roles again.
New York City, NY; NYC
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5:00 pm
Free
Free
Museums | American History and Artifact Collections
Enjoy a stroll through galleries of an extensive collection of American art, learn about the history of New York and the USA. Last admission is at 7 pm.
New York City, NY; NYC
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5:00 pm
Pay-what-you-wish, reservation required
Pay-what-you-wish, reservation required
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 | Friday Evening at the Art/History Museum
This museum is an assemblage of illuminated, literary, and historical manuscripts, early printed books, and old master drawings and prints inside a historic building. Registration opens 7 days in advance & does sell out.
New York City, NY; NYC
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5:00 pm
Free
Free
Museums | Friday Night Function at an Iconic Art Museum
Enjoy art, drinks, special programming, music, city views, and more! Throughout the night, there will be a few "15-minute tours," highlighting different parts of the collection.
New York City, NY; NYC
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5:00 pm
Free
Free
Party | Play New Games like Blood on the Clocktower (BOTC)
Curious about a board game or looking to try something new? The Games Hosts will be teaching how to play a wide range of fun board games. Many come to play the social deduction game, Blood on the Clocktower (BOTC).
New York City, NY; NYC
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5:00 pm
Free
Free
Talk | Renowned Translator Emily Wilson on Translating The Iliad’s Violence
Dr. Emily Wilson, renowned translator of Homer's epic poems and Professor of Classical Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, will speak on "Translating The Iliad’s violence”. This talk will argue that there is a large gap between modern and Homeric approaches to physical violence and agency. This difference is legible, she suggests, in influential critical analyses of The Iliad, such as that of Simone Weil, and in prominent translations of the poem. She will suggest that awareness of this difference can help us understand the distinctiveness of modern assumptions about power, force, individuality and humanity. She will also discuss my own approach to translating The Iliad, with particular attention to scenes of massacre.
New York City, NY; NYC
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5:00 pm
Free
Free
Museums | Friday Evening at the Art Museum
This special, all-ages evening celebrates the art and the city. Explore in the galleries, get creative with drop-in drawing sessions, and see a film in the theaters. Museum stores and café will be open, too, so you can grab a bite, get drinks, or shop for unique design objects. Free for New York State residents but must be reserved in advance (up to two adults), and are subject to availability and proof of residency. Tickets are released one week in advance.
New York City, NY; NYC
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5:30 pm
Free
Free
Screening | Screening & Discussion: Two Documentaries about the Women Who Shaped Jazz History
Learn about the first racially-integrated all-female band in the US and more for this year's Black History Month! In conjunction with the Music and Recorded Sound Division's exhibition Rhythm Is My Business: Women Who Shaped Jazz, the Reserve Film and Video Collection host an evening of film and discussion delving into the history of female jazz musicians. This event is a screening two documentary films: International Sweethearts of Rhythm, which tells the story of the first racially-integrated all-female band in the United States, and Tiny and Ruby: Hell Divin' Women, which profiles jazz trumpeter Tiny Davis and her partner, drummer-pianist Ruby Lucas. The screening is followed by a conversation with filmmaker Greta Schiller and author Linda Dahl (Stormy Weather: The Music and Lives of a Century of Jazz Women).
New York City, NY; NYC
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5:30 pm
Free
Free
Author Reading | Conversation Celebrating New Book on Post-War Korean Artists: The Making of Modern Korean Art
In celebration of the new publication, The Making of Modern Korean Art: 1961–1982, the contributors of this book will share new scholarship on the four pioneering artists who played major roles in the building of a modern identity of a nation through their artistic and intellectual exchanges, in the wake of a series of tumultuous historical events. The Making of Modern Korean Art sets up the scene in the aftermath of the Korean War (1950–1953), when Korean artists were redefining their cultural identity while articulating their collective trauma and existential dislocation. Many turned to abstraction when forging a distinctly Korean modernity. The book is a new milestone in the field of modern and contemporary Asian art, providing a comprehensive English-language survey of Korean abstraction that further contextualizes the best-known Dansaekhwa as one part of diverse and robust postwar Korean art movements. All three contributors will be speaking at the program, along with the artist Lee Ufan, moderated by Yasufumi Nakamori, Vice President of Arts & Culture and Director of Asia Society Museum, and Andrew Russeth, Editor of Artnet News Pro. Limited copies of the book will be available for purchase at the event, after the conversation.
New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free
Free
Opening Reception | From Figuration to Abstraction
This exhibition showcases over 30 works by Mark Rothko and Adolph Gottlieb, highlighting their early figurative works from the 1920s and 1930s. This exhibition reveals the artists' shared influences and friendship before their transition to abstraction, strongly shaped by their time in New York and mentorship by Milton Avery. Through early works such as portraits and figurative compositions, the exhibition explores their parallel yet divergent paths—Rothko’s brooding, psychological figures contrasted with Gottlieb’s structured, classical style. These works offer a unique look at the foundation of their emotional use of color and the evolution of modern art.
New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free
Free
Jazz | Grammy-Winning Musician Blends the Sounds of Jazz, Funk, Soul, and More
Grammy Award-winning multi-instrumentalist Nicholas Payton is a visionary artist who defies categorization. He is deeply connected to the traditions of Black American music and the rich musical heritage of his native New Orleans. His sound blends jazz, funk, soul, and more. With his signature ability to play trumpet and keyboards simultaneously, Payton creates music that is both innovative and deeply rooted in tradition. This event is a free performance by this groundbreaking musician.
New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free
Free
Lecture | Political Art During the Reformation Talk by Art Scholar
In the turbulent years before the Schmalkaldic War of 1547, the Bohemian town of Joachimsthal (now Jachymov, Czech Republic) was a major center of coinage and medal production. Among its most skilled medalists were Wolf Milicz and his son Nickel, who created medals that satisfied both Protestant and Catholic patrons, as the town's mint came to be controlled by both the staunchly Lutheran Schlick family and King Ferdinand I of the Catholic Habsburgs, brother of Emperor Charles V. This delicate balance is particularly striking in the father and son's commemorative medals of Elector Johann Friedrich of Saxony, a powerful Protestant leader and fierce opponent of Ferdinand and Charles. Rich in subtle symbolism and carefully worded inscriptions, these medals reveal the artistry and diplomacy required to navigate the Reformation's political fault lines. This lecture will explore how these works reflect the era's religious and political tensions, offering a fascinating glimpse into the intersection of power, faith, and artistic expression. Attendees may enjoy free admission to the galleries following the talk.
New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free
Free
Jazz | Exploring Jazz Inspired by Wild Landscapes with String Duo and Emerging Guitarist
Jazz educator Mark Mollica, guitar, joins the band Endless Field in a concert of music inspired by wild landscapes and reverence for our world, and the convergence of acoustic and improvisatory musical styles. The duo Endless Field (Jesse Lewis and Ike Strum) has received praise for its beautiful, ambient style. Program Endless Field Heart Endless Field Unending Season Mark Mollica The Gravity of Rivers Rowland Salley (1949-) Killing the Blues Mark Mollica Drift Mark Mollica Miles Away Mark Mollica Last Light Mark Mollica True
New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
Free
Free
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
Performance | New Humorous Performance Piece by 'Major Vocal Talent' Joseph Keckler
"Phenomenal. Major vocal talent ... with a range that shatters boundaries ... and a trickster's dark humor." --The New York Times Part site-specific concert, part impressionistic essay, A Good Night in the Trauma Garden positions the court as a space of blended times and mythologies, populated by gods and monsters; heroes, hybrids and historical figures; and moments of human suffering and sacrifice. The evening-length work weaves together original compositions with narrative vignettes that meditate on lives and deaths in New York City, the slipperiness of reality in contemporary America, and a perennial longing for the arrival of some god.
New York City, NY; NYC
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7:30 pm
Free
Free
8:00 pm
Regular: $30
Member: $0
Regular: $30
Member: $0
Join the Club!
Play | New Original Play by Award-Winning Writer: I Hope This Letter Reaches Mictlān
I Hope This Letter Reaches Mictlān follows Sarai mourning the loss of her brother, whose soul is deported back to Mictlān, the Aztec underworld. Using her newly found shaman powers, Sarai attempts to transcend to help him, only to realize the journey begins with her. This play explores the complexity of grief and how it changes those who experience it. Playwright: Amalia Oliva Rojas
New York City, NY; NYC
Join the Club!
8:00 pm
Free
Free
Play | Timely One-Woman Play Featured at Edinburgh Fringe: The Popess
The Popess is a dark comedy solo-show, which unravels the mystery of a true early feminist movement in the Italian misogynistic religious history, investigating the discrepancies between religion, faith and power and, ultimately, the meaning of freedom. Italy, 13th Century - the Guglielmites heretical sect causes havoc in Milan. Their leader, Guglielma of Bohemia, believed to be the second coming of the Holy Spirit, appoints Sister Maifreda as her Popess. Together, they herald a new female-led era, where only women could save humanity from eternal suffering. But, it doesn't take long for the inquisition to discover this new congregation and its beliefs... Written & Performed by Elena Mazzon In English.
New York City, NY; NYC
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8:00 pm
Free
Free
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Classical Music | Sacred Choral Works at a Landmark Venue
Regular Price: $50CFT Member Price: $0.00
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