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When you live in the most expensive city in America, it can be hard to stick to a budget. Luckily, we've got you covered. Whether you're looking for a concert, art exhibit, comedy show or even a date idea, there are plenty of places to have a good time without paying a dime. Here are the best free parties, cultural events and things to do between now and next Wednesday.
Tainted Love ’80s Dance Party
Every month, DJ Jane Elizabeth revives gems—or, technically, jams— from the annals of synth-pop, new wave, glam rock, old-school hip-hop and more at this party for fans who still want their MTV. This is your chance to tease your hair, paint on eyeliner and worship some of the U.K.’s finest artists-—including Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, and Siouxsie and the Banshees—before celebrating the USA all weekend long. The Bell House, 149 7th St, Brooklyn (718-643-6510, thebellhouseny.com). Thu 30 at 10pm.
Everyday People
The party Everyday People started in 2012 as a brunch gathering for stylish New Yorkers to get down. Since then, the soiree has grown into a dance party behemoth and toured the nation, but it’s never lost track of its roots. As part of SummerStage, it takes over Herbert Von King Park with banging sets of Afrobeat, hip-hop, reggae and more. Bring your summer style A-game: Body paint, fanny packs and wild hair are always appreciated. Herbert Von King Park, Marcy Ave to Tompkins Ave between Greene and Lafayette Aves, Brooklyn (718-622-2082, cityparksfoundation.org). Sat 2 7–9pm.
Bryant Park Summer Film Festival
The Bryant Park Summer Film Festival celebrates 24 years of America, and maybe more importantly, depending on your penchant for cheesy ’80s cinema, 30 years of Top Gun. Pump your fist in the air as a young Tom Cruise plays Maverick, a cocky Navy fighter pilot with a need for speed, who sets out on the bold mission to bed his flight instructor (Kelly McGillis) and beat jerk pilot Iceman (Val Kilmer) in homoerotic beach volleyball. There’s some military stuff too, but you’re probably just in it for the killer ’80s soundtrack and, be honest, that sex scene. Bryant Park, 40th St to 42nd St between Fifth and Sixth Aves (bryantpark.org). Mon 4 at 5pm; free.
Party Like It’s 1999: Independence Day Weekend Edition
Dig out your freshest neon duds, because this Saturday the ’90s blow up the Bell House with an Independence Day–themed rendition of Party Like It’s 1999. In honor of the original sci-fi blockbuster’s 20th anniversary, the free monthly throwback dance party heavily rotates tracks from Will Smith’s music career in addition to the normal playlist of late-20th-century hip-hop, R&B and pop hits. To really seem fly, base your wardrobe off the fashions of a certain Fresh Prince, and you know, get jiggy wit it. The Bell House, 149 7th St, Brooklyn (718-643-6510, thebellhouseny.com). Sat 2 at 10pm; free.
Mexrrissey: Mexico Goes Morrissey
Since the ’80s, Morrissey and the Smiths have enjoyed an enduring folk legacy in Mexico. The seven-piece band Mexrrissey reimagines Morrissey ballads with Spanish lyrics, strings, horn and traditional Mexican sounds. We dare you not to tear up during “Cada Día Es Domingo,” Mexrrissey’s magnificent cover of “Everyday Is Like Sunday,” when it rocks its cover album No Manchester at a stirring Rough Trade NYC show. Rough Trade NYC, 64 North 9th St, Brooklyn (718-388-4111, roughtradenyc.com). Tue 5 at 7pm.