Looking for something interesting and FREE or cheap to do in NYC this first weekend of Autumn? Where to begin.
Enjoy the annual West Indian steel drum music festival Panology and dozens of Climate Week NYC events, virtually, visit in person the list of NYC museums and attractions which have reopened, there are outdoor movies at Flushing Meadow Corona Park, and more than 9,000 NYC restaurants are serving at sidewalk seating.
To all our Jewish friends – l’Shanah Tovah
The most solemn day of the year for Jews, Yom Kippur, or Day of Atonement, begins at sundown on Sunday, Sept. 28. It is the end of ten days of reflection and prayer that began with Rosh Hashonah.
Click here for a list of FREE and cheap, virtual and in-person High Holy Day at synagogues throughout NYC and nationwide, including Temple Emanu-El.
We recommend Central Synagogue, for the beauty of its interior, the opera-quality voices of Rabbi, Cantor and chorus, and the symphony-quality musical accompaniment.
Livestreaming on the synagogue’s Facebook page and YouTube Page, which also includes a short video of a Shofar blast using a Shofar that was saved from Auschwitz.
The recording was made at the Garden of Stones at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in Lower Manhattan, where there is a large exhibit on Auschwitz that everybody should see to understand how such a horror could happen and to be vigilant that it is #NeverAgain
Livestreaming on the synagogue’s Facebook page and YouTube Page.
What to do on Saturday
PANOLOGY
Calling all Pan Enthusiasts. Join WIADCA and Pan in Motion for some panyard music and talk into the Revolution of the Steel Pan.
The event includes the steelpan’s intricate history, production, innovations, technology, and its pioneers. This culturally enriching showcase is complete with memorable highlights, interviews, and live performances from steelbands and pan soloists from around the globe.
Panology is usually part of the annual West Indian Festival over Labor Day Weekend, but this isn’t a usual year, so Panology is this weekend instead.
- Saturday, 8pm to 11pm.
- Find out more
Through Sunday
Climate Week NYC
Normally, Climate Week NYC coincides with the annual September session of the UN General Assembly, which also is being held virtually this week for the same reason as Climate Week events are online instead of in person – the Covid-19 Pandemic.
There are dozens of events this final weekend of Climate Week NYC 2020, including an environmental hackathon and three events sponsored by NYC’s American Museum of Natural History.
Full information here.
Rubin Museum Block Party
This annual street fair went virtual this year, with a full schedule of family-friendly events including music and dance performances, crafts projects, and more.
The theme is inspired by the Rubin’s yearlong exploration of impermanence.
The idea that everything changes, so possibility is all around us—and the symbol of the lotus, this year’s Block Party reminds us that beauty can emerge from even the toughest conditions.
Streaming through Sunday.
Read more here
The Amazing Maize Maize
Each Sunday in September, kids and the adults who love them can explore this annual treat at the Queens County Farm Museum.
There’s also hayrides, live music, local food vendors and a farmer’s market.
Read more here
See Also
Best Nearby Farms for Apple & Pumpkin Picking
FREE Outdoor Art Exhibit
Frieze Sculpture at Rockefeller Center
For a second year, Frieze New York and Tishman Speyer presentin Frieze Sculpture in open, public locations throughout Rockefeller Center. This major public art initiative lets you explore new site-specific sculptural works and look close at the art, but keep your social distance, too.
Curated by Brett Littman, head of the Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum in Queens, this year’s works are inspired by the natural and botanical worlds addressing issues including women’s suffrage, migration, urban planning, and ecology and feature leading artists: Ghada Amer, Beatriz Cortez, Andy Goldsworthy, Lena Henke, Camille Henrot, and Thaddeus Mosley.
The exhibition runs through October 2, and is FREE and open to the public, 24 hours a day.
T. Rex at Christie’s
There’s a dinosaur in Rockefeller Center, too.
Through Oct. 21, a 67 million year old Tyrannosaurus rex, lovingly nicknamed Stan, is on view 24/7 through Christie’s floor-to-ceiling windows on 49th St, between Fifth and Sixth Aves.
New York City has more than 14 miles of FREE Atlantic Ocean and Long Island Sound beaches, and it’s one of the few places in the world where you can take the subway the ocean.
See our beach-by-beach guide to the best beaches in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island you can get to by subway.
Lifeguards are no longer on duty – that’s only until Labor Day – so swimming is no longer permitted. Be safe – don’t go in the water.
Or, take the ferry from Manhattan to the Jersey Shore.
Here’s how to enjoy the beach at Sandy Hook.
See a calendar of daily events
on the
NYCOTC Free and Cheap Events Page
This is a great time to be a tourist in your hometown. Some staycation suggestions:
Smell the flowers:
The New York Botanical Garden, Brooklyn Botanic Garden and Queens Botanical Garden are all open.
Take a cruise:
The Staten Island Ferry is a 20 minute delight, with picture postcard views of the Statue of Liberty, and it’s FREE.
Governors Island, the popular car-free island park has reopened for the season under new social distancing rules and requirements that you make reservations for the ferry. Full information here.
Take a hike:
High Line, the popular elevated park is now open its full distance, from 14th to 30th Street, with FREE timed reservations for social distancing. Make reservations here to visit the High Line.
See our full list of open museums, zoos and gardens and those opening soon.
Friday/Saturday/Sunday – Movie Nights
The New York Hall of Science in Queens has gone Hollywood, turning the parking lot into an outdoor drive-in theater, every weekend through October.
Weekend Street and Bridge Closures
Check the official NYC Dept. of Transportation list so you don’t get stuck in traffic or are forced to make a humongous detour.
Alternate Side of the Street Parking
Check the official NYC Dept. of Transportation updates so you don’t get a ticket.
Open Streets Closed to Vehicles
NYC has closed more than 60 miles of streets in residential areas in all five boroughs, for social distancing.
See the list here do you can avoid them.
Streets Closed on Weekends for Outdoor Dining
NYC has closed streets in all five boroughs on weekends to expand outdoor dining. Locations include Chinatown, the Theater District, the Financial District and Arthur Ave. in the Bronx.
Check our tips for outdoor dining etiquette, including social distancing and ordering everything at once to make it more efficient for you and the staff.
See more events on the
NYCOTC Free and Cheap Events Page
Every Friday
Carnegie Hall Fridays
Each week for the the forseable future, Carnegie Hall is streaming a concert from its archived recordings.
- Watch it Friday 3am through Monday, at 3 AM EDT
- Watch here on medici.tv
Every Sunday
Virtual Birdland: Arturo O’Farrill & the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra
Close the weekend on Sundays in June with Arturo O’Farrill & the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra. The performance also features a live chat and commentary from the musicians.
Recorded remotely from locations as diverse as Madrid, Los Angeles and New York City, Arturo O’Farrill and the mighty Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra are reviving their Sunday Night Birdland residency exclusively for ALJA Digital Village.
- Sunday, 8:30pm
- Link to watch Virtual Birdland
See more weekend events here
on our new
daily events calendar
Anytime
Disney World
The popular theme park has reopened. But with Coronavirus virtually out of control in Florida, you probably don’t want to get on a plane to Orlando or stuff the kids into the car for a long road trip.
Visit Disney World virtually instead, for FREE, with no admission fee.
See sour guide to virtual rides, virtual parades, virtual tours.
Streaming Now
Live From from Lincoln Center:
The renowned Metropolitan Opera, continues to live stream operas each night of the week, FREE.
Each stream becomes available at 7:30 p.m. EDT and remains accessible for on-demand viewing until 6:30 p.m. the following day.
I really enjoy my subscription to NYC cheap very enlightening and always some fun to be had by all