NYC Free & Cheap Weekend Jan 19-21

Your weekend plans begin here, with more than a dozen FREE and cheap things to do this winter weekend, including the Women’s March on NYC for equality and justice.

The NYCOTC weekend guide is $25 or less so you can take bites out of the Big Apple without eating up your budget, plus a few occasional splurges worth the money. And everything is family-friendly.

NYC isn’t expensive when you know where to go and what to do, and we do.

Unless a price is noted, our weekend list is FREE, but we usually remind you anyway, to be sure you know.

Already Underway

NYC Broadway Week – Get 2-for-1 tickets to some two dozen top Broadway shows, for matinee and evening performances through Feb. 4. BOGO tickets for the most popular shows sell out first. Note that Hamilton and Book of Mormon are not participating.

Starting Next Week

NYC Restaurant Week – Get prixe fixe three-course lunches for $29 and dinners for $42 at 300+ top NYC restaurants, for three weeks, through Feb. 9. Reservations are open now, so you can get an open table at the time and date you want.

Saturday, Jan. 20

2018 Women’s March on NYC – Join the world to demand equality and justice for all humans, not just women. Raise your voice loud enough for the politicians hear it.

Over the past year, basic rights for women, immigrants, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities, the religious and nonreligious, people of color and the environment have struggled under the weight of the current administration policies.

Also over the past year, America’s First Amendment has been challenged, and healthcare for millions has been threatened. Stand together to demand and defend our rights, and show the White House and the world that red, white and blue are colors of tolerance, fairness and equality.

The main entrance point is between at 72nd & Central Park West.
The rally (starting at 11:30am) is at Central Park West & 61st/62nd street, featuring celebrities and others.
The full block in front of the stage at 61st to 62nd on Central Park West is reserved for those with disabilities.
The march (starting around 12:30pm) will go past Columbus Circle, East on 59th Street, and South on Sixth Avenue, with exits at 45th/44th/43rd streets.
There are indoor activities after the march, too.

Opening Sunday, Jan. 21

Scenes From the Collection – After months of planning and construction, the Jewish Museum is unveiling a dynamic new collection exhibition of more thn 400 objects from around the world, including some never on display before. You don’t have to be Jewish to appreciate hundreds of years of artwork, silver craftsmanship, fabric design and jewelry. Here’s a preview.

Through Jan. 23

New York Jewish Film Festival – You don’t have to be Jewish to appreciate documentaries, dramas and comedies about such universal themes as relationships between parents and children, the ethics of civil disobedience, the distress of war and immigration. More than three dozen films from a dozen countries are being shown at this annual film festival Lincoln Centrer.

Through Jan. 25

Tournament of Champions – Watch the world’s top squash players in Grand Central Terminal. The annual tournament is in Vanderbilt Hall. Tickets are $8 to more than $100. The closer to the finals, the more expensive the tickets.

Starting Next Week

Broadway Week – Get 2-for-1 tickets to top Broadway shows. But don’t wait until next week to make your reservations, since BOGO tickets for the most popular shows sell out first.

Restaurant Week – Get prixe fixe three-course lunches for $29 and dinners for $42 at 300+ top NYC restaurants.

Worth visiting

The Butterfly Conservatory – Warm yourself in the beauty and color of thousands of butterflies, flittering around you in this annual winter treat at the American Museum of Natural History. FREE with museum admission.

Holiday Express: Toys and Trains – Watch vintage trains zip around the lobby of the New York Historical Society, threading their way around equally vintage toys and games. The popular annual display is open through Feb. 25th.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s – Seriously, you can now have a full breakfast at the iconic Fifth Avenue store, at the new Blue Box Cafe, decorated in the same shade as the famous Tiffany blue gift boxes, on the newly-renovated fourth floor. At $29, it’s just over our $20 benchmark, but every once in a while you have to splurge, and the splurge is even bigger if you opt for lunch ($39) or afternoon tea ($49). And shame on you if you don’t know Tiffany’s is at the corner of 57th and Fifth.

Know before you go

FREE apps on subway track work and schedulng delays – know what trains are bypassing what stations so you aren’t late for one of these free and cheap weekend events.

NYC official street closures website – know what streets are closed when for street fairs, parades, political protests and more.

2018 NYC parking calendar – know when you have to move your car, or not.

Subscribe to our email newsletter and get NYC on the Cheap in your inbox at 8am each morning. That’s FREE, too, and you’ll start the day with what you need to know to be a NYC cheapskate.

Let’s hope the weather cooperates for outdoor events. If not –

5 FREE and cheap things to do in NYC on a rainy day

Best sledding hills in all five boroughs

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

Every Friday in NYC

Freebie Friday – FREE admission to NYC museums including MOMA. No passes or coupons needed. Just go.

Get FREE admission to more than a dozen NYC museums with the IDNYC card. Enrollment is also FREE.

Freebie Friday: Family Fridays at MoMath – Solve puzzles, family-style, and learn how math affects everything, from music to space flight. 6:30pm, FREE The National Museum of Mathematics is at 11 E. 26th St.

Freebie Friday – Grand Central Neighborhood Tour. FREE every Friday at 12:30, docents from the Grand Central Partnership guide you through the history of the fabled Grand Central Terminal and some equally-fabled nearby landmarks including the Chrysler Building. There are no tickets, no reservations. Just meet at Sculpture court at 120 Park Avenue (southwest corner of East 42nd Street). Tour is 90 minutes.

Every Saturday in NYC

FREE Saturday admission at top NYC museums every Saturday all year includes the Jewish Museum and the Cooper Hewitt Design Museum.

FREE guided tour of the High Line. Hear the story behind NYC’s trend-setting park in the sky on a special winter walking tour! Join us for a free 45-minute long tour led by High Line Docents, knowledgeable volunteer guides who offer you an insider’s perspective on the park’s history, design, and landscape. Saturdays through April 7. Meet at the Gansevort Steps at Noon.

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Every Sunday in NYC

FREE Sunday admission at top NYC museums including Morgan Library and Museum.

FREE Flatiron Walking Tour – Join professional guides on a 90-minute journey through this vibrant neighborhood, viewing some of the City’s most notable landmarks, including the New York Life Insurance Building, the MetLife Clock Tower, the Appellate Courthouse and the famous Flatiron Building. Every Sunday at 11am, rain or shine. No advance registration is required. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended.

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Also, check the list of best free things to do in NYC any day of the week, including weekends.

Enjoy your free and cheap NYC weekend.