Best Free Things to do in NYC July 23-27

As we tell you often here on NYC on the Cheap, cheap is good, free is better.

Here are the best of both: FREE and cheap things to see and do in New York City this week, July 23-27, including concerts and dancing, films, yoga classes, and a panel discussion about protecting the free press.

Our motto is get more NYC for less money with NYC on the Cheap.

Let’s hope the weather cooperates with all the outdoor events scheduled.

Best FREE things to do in NYC any week of the year

Beginning this Week

Lincoln Center Out of Doors, another three week festival of FREE outdoor music and dance performances, film screenings and spoken word events begins on Tuesday, through mid-August. Most events are at the Damrosch Park Bandshell or on the plaza near the famous fountain, but there also are “off-campus” events in Central Park and at Teatro Pregones in the Bronx.

Opening week schedule includes an evening of music honoring Selena, the queen of Tejano music who inspired a generation of artist, many of whom are performing.

NYC Restaurant Week – Okay, it’s not FREE, but it’s a real deal. Dine at nearly 400 top NYC restaurants offering specially priced three-course meals $26 at lunch and $42 at dinner, July 23rd to August 17th. Participating locally owned restaurants include 21 Club, Smith & Wolensky, Boulud Sud, and David Burke Kitchen.

Our advice is to book a lunch reservation – easier to get and cheaper than dinner.
Make your reservations through Open Table, which lets you search for a participating Restaurant Week restaurant by location or type of food, and reserve a specific time to dine.

Also Underway

SummerStage – Music and dance performances in all five boroughs, through Labor Day

NYC Free Monday

Bryant Park Summer Film Series – The annual and popular film series is underway, with a different family-friendly film each Monday for ten Mondays, through the end of August.

This week it’s The Princess Bride

Books Beneath the Bridge – Each Monday through mid-August, gather round for readings, discussions, signings and entertainment inspired by books. More than 5,000 people have attended this series since 2012 to hear such top authors as Martin Amis, Patti Smith, Colson Whitehead, and Paul Auster read their words first-hand. The program is sponsored by six of Brooklyn’s independent bookstores, because reading real books, with real pages you can really turn, will never go out of style. #ShopLocal

FREEBIRD BOOKSTORE in Red Hook
GREENLIGHT BOOKSTORE in Fort Greene
POWERHOUSE ARENA in DUMBO
COMMUNITY BOOKSTORE PARK SLOPE
WORD in Greenpoint
BOOKS ARE MAGIC in Cobble Hill

NYC Free Tuesday and Thursday

Bryant Park’s yoga classes, believed to be the largest regularly scheduled FREE outdoor series of its kind in the world, are now underway. The twice-weekly classes are Tuesday mornings on the Upper Terrace 10 AM-11 AM, and Thursday evenings on the Lawn 6 PM-7PM. Bring your own mat.

NYC Free Wednesday

Madison Sq. Music Summer Nights – FREE concerts each Wednesday evening through mid-August, with a different local band each week. This week, it’s the Williamsburg Salsa Orchestra, playing a mix of indie rock and Latin favs.

Concerts are at 6pm on the South end of the park, next to Shake Shack.

NYC Free Thursday

Fight for the First – A short documentary about reporters, photographers and editors at the Columbia Missourian covering political demonstrations, followed by a panel discussion about the importance of freedom of the press and challenges journalists face covering the news. The evening is hosted by the University of Missouri School of Journalism, the nation’s top J-School, and Reynolds Journalism Institute. The dean of the Missouri School of Journalism is attending.

The event is FREE, but registration is required to ensure space.
At Scandinavia House, 58 Park Ave., between 37th and 38th Streets, with complimentary hors-d’oeuvres + cash bar.
NOTE – NYC on the Cheap founder and editor Evelyn Kanter is a proud graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism, and worked at the Columbia Missourian and also at the local radio and TV stations, KFRU and KOMU, for college course credits. I’ll be attending this event, along with other Mizzou grads in NYC.

Broadway in Bryant Park – Enjoy Broadway and Off-Broadway stars performing their show-stopping numbers FREE in Bryant Park. The singers and dancers perform every Thursday, starting this week, July 12, through August 10th, with songs and dances from several shows featured each week.

NYC Free Friday

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