nyccheaptravel.com

Category: Events

  • Chinese New Year Firecracker Ceremony and Cultural Festival

    New Year Firecracker Ceremony & Cultural Festival

    This annual event celebrates the Lunar New Year with firecrackers, lion dances, and more.

    The Firecracker Ceremony and Cultural Festival takes place at Sara D. Roosevelt Park, where hundreds of thousands of firecrackers are lit to welcome the new year. These aren’t aerial fireworks, but firecrackers, longs strands of them, and they make a lot of noise (see the video below). Earplugs might be a good idea.

    The festival also includes music dance, cultural booths, food vendors, and more.

     

    Date & Location

    The 2017 event takes place Saturday, January 28th from 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with the firecrackers starting at noon. Visit the Better Chinatown USA website for details.

    Sara D. Roosevelt Park is located on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, south of E. Houston Street and bordered to the east and west by Chrystie Street and Forsyth Street.

     

    [box]

    365 Free Things to Do in New York City

    Sign up for our daily or weekly newsletter to receive Free Things to Do updates via email.[/box]




  • NYC Lunar New Year Parade

     

    Chinese New Year Parade

    The annual Chinese Lunar New Year Parade brings lion and dragon dancers, floats, costumed performers, and lots of confetti to the streets of Chinatown.

    The 2017 New York Lunar New Year Parade happens on Sunday, February 5th. The parade starts at 1:00 p.m..

     

    Parade Route

    According to a map provided at the Better Chinatown website, the 2017 parade starts at the intersection of Mott Street and Hester Street, then proceeds down Mott, turning at Bowery,proceeding along Division Street, then running up Eldridge to Hester, where is continues one block east and turns to run north along Forsythe Street to the end of the route around the intersection of Forsythe and Grand Street. See the route map.

     

    Festival in Sara D Roosevelt Park

    A festival featuring foods, vendors, and festivities takes place in Sara Roosevelt Park after the parade.

     

    [box]

    365 Free Things to Do in New York City

    Sign up for our daily or weekly newsletter to receive Free Things to Do updates via email.[/box]




  • Free Concerts at Trinity Church’s Time’s Arrow Festival

    Interior of St. Paul’s Chapel
    By Jean-Christophe BENOIST (Own work) CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

    The Time’s Arrow Festival is Trinity Church Wall Street’s annual festival of January concerts.

    The 2017 Festival takes place January 1st – 12th and celebrates the 250th anniversary of the opening of St. Paul’s Chapel, the oldest church building in Manhattan.

    The festival features free concerts held at St. Paul’s Chapel. The 2017 concert calendar includes music heard in Lower Manhattan from the days before the construction of St. Paul’s Chapel to the present day. The concerts provide an opportunity to enjoy first-class musical performances free of charge in a beautiful historic church setting.

    Concerts are held daily throughout the festival. See the full concert schedule.

    St. Paul’s Chapel, located at Broadway and Fulton Street is part of the Trinity Wall Street Parish and is where many of the festival’s concert events are held. St. Paul’s Chapel was constructed in 1766 and is the oldest public building in continuous use in New York City. The Chapel survived the World Trade Center attack of September 11, 2001 without even a broken window, despite the fact that the rear of the church is located opposite the east side of the World Trade Center. The Chapel served as a place of rest and refuge for rescue workers in the months following the attack.

    Trinity Church Wall Street is located at Broadway and Wall Street, a few blocks south of St. Paul’s Chapel. The current building was constructed in 1846 and is the third constructed on the site. The church contains some of the oldest stained glass in the United States. The church’s set of 12 change-ringing bells rotate 360 degrees and produce a shimming, complex combination of tones. The church hosts a variety of free musical performances throughout the year. Alexander Hamilton’s grave is located in the churches cemetery.

     

    [box]

    365 Free Things to Do in New York City

    Sign up for our daily or weekly newsletter to receive Free Things to Do updates via email.[/box]




  • El Museo del Barrio’s Three Kings Day Parade

    Copyright: ngwozdeva / 123RF Stock Photo

    Celebrate the 12th Day of Christmas and NYC’s Latino community at the annual Three Kings Day Parade. On January 6th of each year, El Museo del Barrio hosts this community parade, which is lead by giant Three King puppets and features lively music, elaborate costumes, floats, camels, and costumed students.

    Three Kings Day marks the end of the twelve days of Christmas and commemorates the story of the Three Wise Kings who followed the Star of Bethlehem to bring gifts to the infant Jesus. Three Kings Day is a religious holiday in Spanish-speaking countries such as Spain, Puerto Rico, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico.  El Museo del Barrio’s celebrates the tradition of Three Kings Day with this annual event.

    The parade starts at 11:00 a.m. and winds through the streets of East Harlem, beginning at 106th Street and Lexington Avenue and ending at 115th Street and Park Avenue.

    Following the parade there’s La Marqueta with traditional Puerto Rican music and food, and there’s music at the El Museo del Barrio, where Las Galerias are open free of charge from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

     

    [box]

    365 Free Things to Do in New York City

    Sign up for our daily or weekly newsletter to receive Free Things to Do updates via email.[/box]




  • NYC Restaurant Week – Winter 2017

    The Winter 2017 edition of NYC Restaurant Week happens January 23 – February 10, 2017 (Saturdays are excluded and some restaurants don’t participate on Sundays). We’re not sure why they call it Restaurant Week when it goes on for almost four weeks, but the extra time is good news for anyone who wants to try out some NYC restaurants at discount prices.

    A list of participating restaurants is posted at the Restaurant Week website. The prices for Restaurant Week 3-course meals are $29 for lunch and $42 for dinner.

    The way it works is that restaurants offer special three course lunch and dinner menus at a set special price. There are many restaurants to choose from. Reservations are suggested and you can make reservations online at the Restaurant Week website.

    Many of the participating restaurants have have provided links to their Restaurant Week menus on the Restaurant Week website. It’s fun to look at the variety of dishes offered.

    American Express Card holders can get $5 back on Restaurant Week meals by enrolling their card in the Restaurant Week promotion and using their AMEX card to pay for their meals. The offer is good for a $5 statement credit when you spend $35 at participating restaurants. You can get up to 4 statement credits. Details.

    Other winter-time NYC promotions that coincide with Restaurant Week dates are Broadway Week (2-for-1 theater tickets, January 17 – February 5) and Attractions Week (2-for-1 tickets to tours, museums, and attractions, January 17 – February 5).

    ********

    Subscribe to the NYC Cheap Travel Newsletter and stay up-to-date on the latest NYC deals and money-saving travel information.

     

  • Merry Tuba Christmas at Rockefeller Center – Free Concert

    Christmas music sounds really nice played on low brass instruments. Each year tuba players gather in cities around the country to spread holiday cheer with Merry Tuba Christmas concerts.

    The Tuba Christmas tradition started right here in New York City, with a 1974 concert held at Rockefeller Center. The 2016 event is the 43rd annual Merry Tuba Christmas concert held at Rockefeller Center.

    The concert takes place on the ice rink at Rockefeller Center. Come out, enjoy the music, and sing along with holiday favorites.  The free concert begins at 3:30 pm on Sunday, December 11th, 2016.  NYC Tuba Christmas Concert Details.

    ********
    Christmas in New York City 2016 – Our annual round-up of holiday activities and entertainment, with an emphasis on free and inexpensive things to do.

    Subscribe to the NYC Cheap Travel Newsletter and stay up-to-date on the latest NYC deals and money-saving travel information.

  • Discount Tickets for the New York Coffee Festival Sept 16 – 18, 2016

    coffee-iconThe 2016 New York Coffee Festival takes place September 16 – 18 at the 69th Regiment Armory (68 Lexington Avenue, between East 25th and 26th Streets).

    Festival attendees can enjoy unlimited free coffee tastings, interactive workshops, barista demonstrations, coffee cocktails, street foods, live music, art, and more.

    Discount Tickets:

    Discount tickets are available for $15 – $50 (regularly $25 – $75).  The $15.00 tickets are for one-day general admission. VIP single-day tickets are available for $29.00. A multi-day VIP ticket is available for $50.  See the ticket offer details.

    Admission to the event is in two timed sessions. The first session is 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and the second session is 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

    The discounted tickets are provided by Goldstar, a national provider of reduced price entertainment tickets.

    ********
    Subscribe to the NYC Cheap Travel Newsletter and stay up-to-date on the latest NYC deals and money-saving travel information.

  • Global Citizen Free Concert in Central Park Sept 24, 2016


    Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar, Selena Gomex, Major Lazer, and Metalica will perform at a free ticketed festival on the Great Lawn in Central Park on September 24, 2016.

    The concert is part of a movement to encourage people to take action to end extreme poverty.

    Sets of tickets will be given away to people who sign up for the Global Citizen Movement and earn entries to the ticket drawing by taking certain actions to help end poverty.

    It’s all spelled out at the Global Citizen website.

    ********

    Subscribe to the NYC Cheap Travel Newsletter and stay up-to-date on the latest NYC deals and money-saving travel information.

  • Central Park Great Jazz on the Great Hill


    Enjoy an afternoon of free jazz, swing, and blues in Central Park on August 13th, 2016, 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m..

    Great Jazz on the Great Hill 2016 takes place on Central Park’s Great Hill (enter the park at 106th Street and Central Park West).  The Great Hill is an open hilltop surrounded by trees. It’s located in the upper western side of the park.

    There will be music by the The Jimmy Heath Big Band with Special Guests, Antonio Hart and Jeb Patton, Alyson Williams, and Sheila Anderson.

    A variety of food trucks will be on hand.

    The event is free and there are no tickets required.

    Visit the Central Park Conservancy website for details.

    ********

    Subscribe to the NYC Cheap Travel Newsletter and stay up-to-date on the latest NYC deals and money-saving travel information.

  • Free Shakespeare in the Park 2016

    The 2016 Free Shakespeare in the Park shows are The Taming of the Shrew May 24 – June 26 and Troilus and Cressida July 19 – August 14.

    Shakespeare in the Park is an annual event, with free plays produced by The Public Theater staged at the outdoor stage at Central Park’s Delacort Theater.

    There are three ways you can get tickets.  You can wait in line (often a long line) at the Delecorte Theater on the day of the performance. The tickets are distributed at noon. Each person age 5 and older can get up to two tickets, while supplies last.  There will also be ticket vouchers distributed at certain other locations throughout the season. These alternative distribution sites change daily. See the boroughs ticket distribution schedule.  Or, you can enter the virtual ticket lottery online to try to get tickets. You enter the lottery between midnight and noon on the day of the performance and you’ll receive an email after noon letting you know if you were selected to receive tickets.

    See the “Tickets” page at the Shakespeare in the Park website for details.

    ********

    Subscribe to the NYC Cheap Travel Newsletter and stay up-to-date on the latest NYC deals and money-saving travel information.

    Broadway Shows Discount List – Multiple discount offers for current shows, all in one place.