What’s that saying – the best things in life are free. So are the best things in New York City. Here are the best FREE things to see and do in September 2015, including concerts, parades, street fairs, art fairs, museum and gallery exhibits and more.
Metropolitan Opera HD Outdoor Festival in Lincoln Center – Through Monday, Sept. 7. See this recent NYCOTC posting for performance details.
Metropolitan Opera Opening Night in Times Square – If you miss the HD festival in Lincoln Center, you can watch a live simulcast of the season opener, Othello, in Times Square, on Monday, Sept. 21.
Governors Island Art Fair – Every weekend in September. Event website
Shakespeare in Bryant Park – See Taming of the Shrew on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, through Sept. 20, at 6:30pm.
Summer on the Hudson: Human Chess – Every Thursday in September, 4pm to 6pm at Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument in Riverside Park, West 89th St and Riverside Drive. Event website
Summer on the Hudson: Bingo! – Every Friday in September, 5pm-7:30pm at West Harlem Piers Park at 125th St. Event website.
NYC Unicycle Festival – September 3-6, noon-5pm daily, across Governors Island, Battery Park, Central Park, Brooklyn Bridge to Coney Island. Event website.
Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit – Weekends of Sept. 5-7 and 11-13. See this recent NYCOTC posting for full details.
Conservatory Garden Tour – Join Central Park gardeners and learn about the history of the Garden, including its restoration by Central Park Conservancy, and the thousands of plants that bloom throughout the year. Saturday, Sept. 5 and 12 and Wednesday, Sept. 16. Event website.
Kayaking at Pier 26 – Every Saturday and Sunday through mid-October, at Hudson River Park just north of N Moore St., Tribeca. Downtown Boathouse website.
Feast of San Gennaro – September 10-20 in Little Italy. Event website
Smithsonian National Museum Day – Free entry to 1,500 museums nationwide on Saturday, Sept. 26.
NYC parades in September
31st Annual Brazilian Day Festival – Parade on Sixth Avenue and street fair on West 46th Street on Sunday, September 6, 10am-6pm. Event website. Warning: this website opens instantly with loud Brazilian music.
West Indian Parade – On Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, on Monday, September 7. Event website.
Labor Day Parade – On Fifth Avenue on Saturday, September 12. Event website.
Muslim Day Parade – On Madison Avenue on Sunday, Sept. 13. Event website. September 13, 2015 12:30pm
German-American Steuben Parade of New York – On Fifth Avenue, Saturday, September 19. Event website.
Brooklyn Puerto Rican Parade and Festival – On Graham Avenue, Sunday September 20. Event website.
So much to see and do in NYC on the cheap.
What do you think about this? We welcome your comments.