Festivals and events in New York: Cheap NYC activities
Looking for a cool thing to do that won’t break the bank? Discover the best affordable events in New York.
Thu Feb 28 2013
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Free things to do in New York City
Cheap things to do in NYC: Your guide to bargains in Gotham
Copyright Caroline Voagen Nelson, Photograph: Caroline Voagen Nels
Huzzah! Find hundreds of great events in New York in our ever-updated list of inexpensive things to do. We’ve compiled concerts, parties, festivals, comedy and theater shows, tastings and more that won’t be a strain on your wallet.
RECOMMENDED: Full list of cheap things to do in NYC
The Moth StorySLAM!
- Price band: 1/4
- Critics choice
Ten stories. Three teams of judges. One winner. The outrageously (and deservedly) popular storytelling series pits local yarn spinners against one another, challenging them to deliver an impressive tale based on a specific theme. Get in line early, as spots for raconteurs and spectators alike go quickly.
- Housing Works Bookstore Cafe 126 Crosby St, between E Houston and Prince Sts, 10012
- Thu May 23
Bike Month NYC
- Price band: 1/4
- Critics choice
Each year, Transportation Alternatives and several biking businesses and nonprofits collaborate to make May the most cycling-friendly time of year. The full schedule is still to be announced, but look out for pedal-powered events such as Bike Expo New York (May 3, 4) and the TD Five Boro Bike Tour (May 5), plus a heap of classes where you can
- Various locations
- Sun May 19 - Fri May 31
“Making Room: New Models for Housing New Yorkers”
- Price band: 1/4
- Critics choice
Gotham is predicted to gain 1 million new residents by 2030, and the proportion of one- and two- person households is rising. See the ways in which New York housing might accommodate these changing demographics in an exhibit co-presented by the Citizens Housing and Planning Council and MCNY. On display are models, videos and photographs, along
- Museum of the City of New York 1220 Fifth Ave, between 103rd and 104th Sts
- Sun May 19 - Sun Sep 15
"Shop Life"
- Price band: 1/4
The first new permanent exhibition to open at the the Lower East Side Tenement Museum since 2008 showcases the array of local businesses that have occupied the historic tenement at 97 Orchard St. Visitors are led through re-creations of those shops, including a 19th-century beer saloon, a kosher butcher shop from the 1890s, a 1930s auction house
- The Tenement Museum 103 Orchard St, between Broome and Delancey Sts
- Sun May 19 - Tue Dec 31
"Flip Side: The Unseen in Tibetan Art"
- Price band: 1/4
- Critics choice
The museum displays both sides of select illuminated Tibetan treasures, revealing clues to the meaning and history of the work's public-facing front.
- Rubin Museum of Art 150 W 17th St, at Seventh Ave, 10011
- Sun May 19 - Mon Aug 12
"Wear It or Not: Recent Jewelry Acquisitions"
- Price band: 1/4
See the newest additions to MAD's extensive jewelry collection at this show, which compiles around 130 baubles from all over the world and from different historic and contemporary periods.
- Museum of Arts & Design 2 Columbus Circle, at Broadway, 10019
- Sun May 19 - Sun Jun 2
The Adventures of Robin Hood
- Price band: 1/4
- Critics choice
Errol Flynn robs from the rich, gives to the poor and winks at the ladies in what is still the greatest screen version of this durable legend. Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone and Claude Rains head an outstanding supporting cast. Way, way too much fun.
- Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) 11 W 53rd St, between Fifth and Sixth Aves, 10019
- Mon May 20
Fleece Festival
- Price band: 1/4
- Critics choice
Your brood can watch as the sheep have their coats snipped in anticipation of hot summer days. Afterward, head next door to Lefferts Historic House for free demonstrations and lessons on spinning and weaving fleece into cloth. All ages.
- Prospect Park Zoo 450 Flatbush Ave, at Empire Blvd
- Sun May 19
Secret Film Club
- Price band: 1/4
From May17 to 23, reRun presents ten new independent films the programmers are very excited about. Titles are TBA; it is a secret film club, after all. Visit secretfilmclub.eventbrite.com for more information.
- reRun Gastropub Theater 147 Front St, between Jay and Pearl Sts, 11201
- Mon May 20 - Thu May 23
Sweet Smell of Success
- Price band: 1/4
- Critics choice
Legendary cinematographer James Wong Howe transforms the streets of Manhattan into a cruel playground for this cynical take on the fuel that fires the gossip columns. It’s also got some of the greatest movie dialogue ever penned and career-best performances by Lancaster and Tony Curtis.
- The Film Society of Lincoln Center 165 W 65th St, between Broadway and Amsterdam Ave, 10023
- Sun May 19
