Image via Complex Original
The transition between winter and spring always causes the human brain to short circuit for a moment. You feel the pull of the outdoors, but you're still clinging to your coat, afraid to step outside without proper fortification to protect you from the cold. Fear not! Spring has officially arrived. It's time to hang up the coat for good, find your sunglasses, and prepare for some fun in the sun. These 25 free things to do this spring in New York City are the perfect reason to get you out of the house.
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Bushwick Open Studios
Date: Friday, May 30
Time: All day
Location: Various locations
Perfect For: Supporting local artists
Website: artsinbushwick.org
Arts In Bushwick is an all-volunteer organization that puts on events and festivals year-round. Any and everyone is welcome to help with set-up and event staffing. Their main festival is the three-day Bushwick Open Studios during the spring. The festival houses all local art and is all free. Like their Facebook page to stay updated on upcoming projects and check up on locations for the festival.
Fort Greene Flea
Date: Opens Saturday, April 5
Time: 10 a.m.
Location: 176 Lafayette Ave.
Perfect For: Authentic hipster sightings and delicious food
Website: brooklynflea.com
This famous flea market goes down on a 40,000 square foot schoolyard, providing reliably original finds, vintage novelties, food, and some of the best people-watching Brooklyn has to offer. It's a great place to eat donuts and buy vintage furniture.
Walk the High Line
Date: Whenever the weather permits
Time: All day
Location: Manhattan's West Side
Perfect For: Walking along a train track in style
Website: thehighline.org
Though The High Line has been around for a few years now, every Spring offers a new vision of lush shrubbery and flowers. Enjoy the elevated nature walk once more and it'll feel like the first time.
East River State Park
Date: Whenever the weather permits
Time: All day
Location: 90 Kent Ave.
Perfect For: Frisbee tossing and a picnic
Website: http://nysparks.com/
The best patch of land no-money can buy, East River State Park provides a magnificent view of Manhattan and some great nearby eateries. Outdoor drinking is illegal, so don't do it here. A better idea would be to enjoy some cocktails at brunch and then enjoy the rest of your afternoon on your blanket soaking up some rays.
Janelle Monáe at Prospect Park
Date: Wednesday, June 4
Time: 8 p.m.
Location: Prospect Park
Perfect For: Restoring your faith in mainstream musicians
Website: last.fm
Every year Prospect Park holds a number of impressive concerts for free! Previous artists include Little Dragon, Mavis Staples, The Roots, Shaggy, Beck, and more. Get there early, bring a blanet and some munchies and enjoy some park action.
Beginners Drawing Classes
Date: Thursdays
Time: 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Location: Poe Visitor Center
Perfect for: Getting in touch with your artistic side
Website: nycgovparks.org
NYC Parks hosts drawing classes for the artistically challenged every Thursday. These classes build the foundation of how to recreate still-life compositions. Stop dreaming about becoming an artist and take these classes already.
The SoHo Bazaar
Date: Saturday, March 29
Time: 11 a.m.
Location: Grand Central Terminal
Perfect For: Window shopping superfluous home accessories
Website: clubfreetime.com
Peruse and be joyous in the glory of looking at suggestive tapestries, misshapen homemade pastries, and other random oddities at this traditional bazaar. Not all of it is appealing enough to buy, but you'll have a blast looking!
The Stoop Series: Brooklyn Hip Hop’s Roots and Future
Date: Tuesday, April 15
Time: 7 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Location: 647 Fulton St.
Perfect for: Hip Hop heads
Website: bricartsmedia.org
Hip hop producer Wes Jackson, rapper Talib Kweli and filmmaker Nelson George examine where the genre has come from and where its trajectory seems to be heading. Attendees will meet the panelists directly after the discussion.
An Evening With Reddit Co-Founder Alexis Ohanian
Date: Wednesday, April 2
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Location: 333 W. 23rd St.
Perfect For: Pin pointing why the Internet now makes you feel like mush
Website: clubfreetime.com
Alexis Ohanian, entrepreneur and co-founder of reddit, is coming to the MFA Design for Social Innovation to share his thoughts on the future of the Internet. Be sure to RSVP 1-212-592-2173, this talk tends to hit capacity quickly.
Street Games in Harlem
Date: Saturday, April 26
Time: 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Location: Thomas Jefferson Park
Perfect for: Competitive adults
Website: nycgovparks.org
Walt Disney partners with NYC Parks for a day of street games that aren't just for the youngsters. Although today's kids seem glued to their electronic games, Street Games brings back the days when kids actually played outside. Yo-yos, pogo sticks and skateboard clinics will be provided.
Flushing Meadows Corona Park
Date: Whenever the weather permits
Time: All day
Location: Grand Central Pkwy
Perfect For: Kicking around balls or tossing balls
Website: nycgovparks.org
Flushing Meadows Corona Park offers ample, lush space for any and all field-day activities. The park also boasts a zoo, an art museum, a botanical garden, a science museum, and a baseball stadium.
Chelsea Brewing Company
Date: Saturdays
Time: 2 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Location: Pier 59
Perfect for: Free booze
Website: chelseabrewingco.com
The Chelsea Brewing Company welcomes guests every Saturday for free brewing tours. The tours are free of charge with samples of some of their best brews.
Kayak Down the Hudson River
Date: Saturday, May 17
Time: 9 a.m.
Location: Pier 96 & 40
Perfect For: Alternative physical activity and impressing her (or yourself) with exceptional upper-arm strength
Website: downtownboathouse.org
The Downtown Boathouse is an all-volunteer non-profit organization that offers free activities including kayaking in the New York harbor. The only requirement is that you know how to swim (stay afloat by some means of body flailing or another) and your life jacket remains on your body.
USA Memory Championship
Date: Saturday, March 29
Time: 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Location: Con Edison Grand Auditorium
Perfect for: Cheering on a different type of athlete
Website: usamemorychampionship.com
The 17th Annual USA Memory Championship will test the brain power of the most qualified Mental Athletes. Contestants will go through four qualifying rounds to determine who advances to the Championship to compete for the coveted title as the winner.
Bike the Central Park Loop
Date: Monday - Friday
Time: 10 a.m.
Location: Central Park Loop
Perfect For: A scenic, traffic free ride
Website: athleticmindedtraveler.com
The loop is 6.1 miles long and runs along the Park Drives. There are alternative, shorter, routes within the loop—or you could simply stop biking, take a breather, and see if you want to continue or not.
SONYA Art Walk
Date: Saturday, May 17 and Sunday, May 18
Time: All day
Location: Various locations
Perfect for: Checking out Brooklyn's art scene
Website: sonyaonline.org
The South of Navy Yard Artists (SONYA) Art Walk explores a slew of creatives within the Brooklyn art scene. Studios will be highlighted in the Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Wallabout and Bedford-Stuyvesant areas.
Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit
Date: Saturday, May 24
Time: 12 p.m.
Location: Washington Square
Perfect For: Not spending money and enhancing strolling experience
Website: wsoae.org
In the Spring of 1931, a 19 year-old Jackson Pollock persuaded his neighbor and friend, Willem DeKooning, to gather some of their pieces and display them in Washington Square. The success of the impromptu exhibit is unknown, however it inspired some admirers to continue the tradition of displaying artwork in the square twice a year. Go check it out.
Pillow Fight Day
Date: Saturday, April 5
Time: 3 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Location: Washington Square Park
Perfect for: Letting out aggression in a fun way
Website: pillowfightday.com
Release you inner child and blow off some steam during International Pillow Fight Day. This year's superhero versus villain theme means you can take a break from the evils of adulthood. Be sure to bring feather-free pillows to participate.
The CPDSA Skate Circle
Date: Opens early April
Time: 2:30 p.m.
Location: Central Park
Perfect For: Observing or participating in something new (and terrifying)
Website: centralpark.com
This beloved skate dance party has become a staple of Spring in NYC. The skaters come out every Saturday and Sunday and boogie to a rotation of post-funk and disco DJs. To get to the Skate Circle, enter the park at East or West 72nd and continue onto 'Skaters Road.'
Holi Hai
Date: Saturday, May 3
Time: 12 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Location: TBA
Perfect for: Exploring new cultures while letting out your inner child
Website: eventbrite.com
NYC Bhangra hosts the 5th annual Indian festival of colors, Holi Hai. The ancient Indian tradition commemorates good vibes and places a strong value on relationships. Indian cuisine and music will be provided. Guests are asked to wear white for the paint throwing portion of the festival. Be sure to RSVP for entry.
Activities on Governors Island
Date: Whenever the weather permits
Time: All day
Location: Upper New York Bay
Perfect For: Getting stranded outdoors
Website: govislandpark.com
Just a half mile away from the southern tip of Manhattan, Governors Island provides 172-acres for walking tours, bike riding, picnicking, art installations, fairs, festivals, and concerts. Bike rental is provided on the island.
Robin Thicke at Express
Date: Tuesday, March 25
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Express Time Square
Perfect for: An excuse to drink and shop simultaneously
Website: ilovefreeconcerts.com
Express brings the ultimate after-hours shopping experience at their Times Square location. Equipped with food, drinks and music by the "Blurred Lines" star himself, the atmosphere will be great for a night out. The event is free but requires an RSVP.
Brooklyn Bridge Pier 2
Date: Opens late April
Time: N/A
Location: Brooklyn Bridge Park
Perfect For: Getting back into your outdoor activity groove
Website: timeout.com
Pier 2 is a five-acre expansion of the Brooklyn Bridge Park and will include an array of certifiably awesome features. Some of the more exciting additions include a roller rink (both for leisurely roller-skating and a venue in which to observe roller-derby matches), vintage games like bocce ball and shuffleboard, and an outdoor basketball court.
Shakira on TODAY
Date: Wednesday, March 26
Time: 8 a.m.
Location: Rockefeller Center
Perfect for: Analyzing whether Shakira's hips are as truthful as she says
Website: today.com
Latina songstress Shakira will be gracing the TODAY show's stage to promote her new album, Shakira. Catch the "Voice" coach singing a bevy of her hits for the popular morning show. Admission is free and on a first-come, first-served basis.
Eviyan featuring Iva Bittová, Gyan Riley, & Evan Ziporyn
Date: Thursday, March 27
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Location: David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center
Perfect For: Leaving your genre stickler friends totally stumped
Website: lincolncenter.org
Eviyan, an experimental collective comprised of Iva Bittova, Gyan Riley, and Evan Ziporyn, come together for an eclectic performance of genre-defying grandeur. Their sound incorporates elements of world roots, post-minimalism, jazz, rock, and cabaret. Prepare for the likely implosion of your needy, compartmentalizing brain.