tuesday
thru the season: rooftop cinema club: catch movies under the open sky at the embassy suites skylawn rooftop in midtown, where this seasonal series screens a mix of cult favorites, classics, and newer releases. wireless headphones help block out the city noise, and drinks and classic cinema concessions are available for purchase. screenings thru may include amélie, american psycho, casablanca, get out, one battle after another, past lives, sinners, the dark knight, the original star wars trilogy, the princess bride, top gun, when harry met sally, and many more. $21.75+ admission (15% off for military, 10% off for students). >>
thru 8/25 (tuesdays 7:30am): tai chi in bryant park: bryant park’s free outdoor tai chi classes return for the 2026 season. open to all experience levels, sessions are held at the park’s fountain terrace, rain or shine. >>
tues 6pm: lunch on a beam with christine roussel: rockefeller center archivist christine roussel discusses her new book on the iconic 1932 photograph of ironworkers high above the city, tracing the art, architecture, and mythmaking behind the image and the stories of the workers and photographers who made it possible. in conversation with william bartlett, followed by a book signing. rizzoli bookstore (flatiron), free admission. >>
tues 6pm: miller theater’s pop-up concert series: the columbia university school of the arts’s musical happy hour returns for a new season of hour-long concerts where the audience is permitted to sit onstage with the performers and enjoy a free drink. tonight: soprano alice teyssier presents a new work inspired by la maupin, the late-17th-century queer opera singer and swordswoman. columbia university’s miller theatre (morningside heights), free admission. >>
tues 7pm: page break presents: stage break reading series: four writers take the stage to read original short stories, one page at a time, alternating with three audience members picked at random to join them (optional: enter your name to read). everyone gets a zine with the four stories, so you can follow along from your seat. hosted by mikey friedman and presented by page break, a weekend reading retreat. littlefield (gowanus), $10. >>
tues 7pm (monthly): we love a theme: a storytelling show: a lineup of performers tell funny, heartwarming, and cringe-inducing tales at bailey swilley’s monthly storytelling show. tonight’s ‘rain on me’ theme features adrianne frost, mary ross, smita russell, and michelle warner. pete’s candy store (williamsburg), free ($5 suggested donation). >>
tues 8pm: park slop comedy: wally baram and lucas connolly present an intimate comedy show at two boots pizza in park slope, with stand-up by brittany carney (comedy central), gastor almonte (comedy central), subaha agarwal (hbo), and daniel simonson (colbert). bonus: free beer 7:30-8pm (one per person), and raffles for free pizza. free admission ($10 suggested donation). >>
tues 8pm: live band karaoke at arlene’s grocery: pick your song, grab the mic, and be a star with your very own live band (nakatomi5) backing you up at arlene’s grocery (les). bonus: pre-sale ticket holders are entered in raffles to win prizes like drink tickets, skip-the-line song passes, or free admission to future shows. $10 adv, $15 day-of. >>
tues 8:30pm: cinema smootaphilia: heated rivalry: ensemble erotic (ann courtney on vocals, jerome jordan on guitar, jeremy kay on bass, and dave smoota smith on casio) performs a live, original soundtrack to 90 minutes of the hottest scenes from heated rivalry. tv eye (ridgewood), $20.87. >>
sponsored
Image: Courtesy of Brookfield Place
FREE MOVIES UNDER THE PALMS AT BROOKFIELD PLACE
Final chance to catch a FREE movie with friends, family, or co-workers at the Movies Under the Palms series at Brookfield Place (230 Vesey St, Lower Manhattan)!
This week features sing-alongs that both kids and grown-ups will enjoy, including Annie (Friday, 5/1 at 5pm) and The Wizard of Oz (Saturday, 5/2 at 1pm).
Bonus: Complimentary popcorn at each event! (While supplies last.)
No RSVP necessary – seating is limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis.
More info here.
wednesday
weds thru 6/21 (closed tuesdays): out of silence: a 15-minute sound installation by hans rosenström takes over franklin d. roosevelt four freedoms state park (roosevelt island). inspired by the music of the composer arvo pärt and architect louis kahn’s memorial to president fdr, the piece features recorded vocals by estonian vocal ensemble vox clamantis and runs on the hour. free admission. >>
weds thru 5/14 (wednesdays + thursdays; 6pm dance lesson, 7-8:30pm live music and dance): bryant park dance party: bryant park’s outdoor dance party returns for its 12th year, with free beginner-friendly lessons at the fountain followed by live music performed by a diverse selection of bands to put your new moves to work. food and drinks will be available for purchase. this week: salsa clásica with maria raquel (wednesday) and motown, funk, and r+b with l*a*w and the planet 12 movement (thursday). free admission. >>
weds thru 5/7: the grandmaster: tony leung: film at lincoln center presents a career-spanning 13-film retrospective of hong kong actor tony leung, with leung in person for a number of special appearances. screenings include chungking express, hard boiled, hero, in the mood for love, internal affairs, silent friend, and more. $18 general, $15 seniors/students. >>
weds thru 5/5: live nation’s ‘summer of live’: $30 tickets: score $30 tickets to a wide range of shows during live nation’s annual ticket promotion. some announced artists include kesha, kid cudi, sarah mclachlan, john mulaney, paul simon, james taylor, tlc, and wu-tang clan, but availability varies by city. price includes service fees, but taxes will still apply. >>
sponsored: weds thru 5/3: prismatic ground film festival: prismatic ground, an annual festival centered on experimental documentary and avant-garde film, returns for its sixth edition! this year’s festival will take place at venues across new york city, including brooklyn academy of music, dctv firehouse cinema, light industry, anthology film archives, and metrograph. $10-20. >>
sponsored: weds thru 5/2: pen america: world voices festival: the world voices festival is returning to nyc! featuring 140+ writers and 40+ events, there are panels and performances for every kind of reader, from poetry lovers to sci-fi fans. this year’s lineup includes beloved authors and exciting international voices including judith butler, cory doctorow, eddie glaude jr. renya grande, siri hustvedt, katie kitamura, laila lalami, bill mckibben, rivers solomon, and abdellah taïa. join us for conversations about political fables, the erasure of black histories, dark academia, the changing role of the translator, plus a whole lot more. check out over 20 free events like the translation slam, artlords’ public mural, the unbannable library, and the tenth annual indie lit fair. the rest of the events are priced at no more than $20! don’t miss out on this celebration of global literature. use code ‘penpal26’ for 20% off tickets. >>
weds 7pm: letters + sodas reading series: writer lana schwartz (build your own romantic comedy) brings together comedians and writers for a night of standup, humor pieces, fiction, and essay readings. tonight: brandon follick (reductress), ariella elovic (cheeky), arti gollapudi (boys i’ve kissed and hated), maya deshmukh (girls5eva), zach zimmerman (is it hot in here (or am i suffering for all eternity for the sins i committed on earth)), and rachel a.g. gilman (wine and pine reading series). the greats of craft (lic), $5. >>
weds 7pm: speakeasy: ‘the definitive speechwriting comedy show’: professional speechwriters and comedians are really into speeches talk about the techniques they love, the clichés they hate, and the written remarks that rocked their world. hosted by chandler dean and and sarah gruen. caveat (les), $15.67 adv with promo code ‘speakcheaply’ (reg. $24-25). >>
sponsored: weds 7:30pm: overeager: enchanted by promises of success and sisterhood, a lonely college dropout joins a pyramid scheme, only to realize that the desperate longing for her deceased mother has shaped every relationship in her life. don’t miss jackie jorgenson’s broadwayworld award-nominated play at brooklyn art haus (williamsburg)! $20. >>
weds 8pm: whiskey river revival: a willie nelson birthday celebration: a rotating group of musicians takes on willie nelson’s extensive songbook for this second annual birthday salute. littlefield (gowanus), $15 adv, $20 day of. >>
weds 8pm: jim henson drag tribute show: the worlds of puppetry and drag collide in this tribute to jim henson, with performers putting their own spin on his beloved characters. c’mon everybody (bed-stuy), $13.39. >>
weds 8:30pm: comedy on kingston: the comedy on kingston show returns with a night of stand up featuring mandal (netflix), sureni weerasekera (don’t tell comedy), quincy jones (conan), cab washington (hbo), and justin catchens (ucblk). hosted by nolawee. salon on kingston (crown heights), $15. >>
thursday
thurs thru 10/19: andy warhol: family album: the whitney museum presents a collection of hundreds of andy warhol’s polaroids from 1972 to 1973, drawn from one of six ‘family albums’ that the artist assembled as a personal archive. the exhibition features portraits, candid snapshots of collaborators and friends, scenes from his home in montauk, and more. whitney museum of american art (meatpacking district), $30 general, $24 seniors/students, free for 25 and under, free for all every friday 5-10pm and every second sunday. >>
thurs thru mon: 16th annual lower east side film festival: the lesff is back for its sweet 16 with a lineup of independent films, premieres, and downtown events. this year’s program features a slate of feature films, short showcases, a 25-year reunion of ghost world with thora birch and steve buscemi q+a, a late-night 16mm film installation from 1973 set inside a cannabis store, and a closing night party with a live vaudeville show paying homage to ’70s-’80s nyc public access tv stars. village east cinema, international center of photography, kbg bar, and sofaclub cannabis. get 2-for-1 tickets with promo code ‘skintles50’ >>
thurs thru sun: 66th annual abaa new york international antiquarian book fair: discover rare books, maps, manuscripts, photographs, prints, ephemera, and more from over 170 exhibitors, with specialties ranging from art, design, and pop culture to science, medicine, literature, history, and much more. park avenue armory (ues). save 25% on advance tickets with promo code ‘theskintxnyiabf’, students with valid id can get $10 tickets at the door. >>
thurs thru sun: conductor: art fair of the global majority: the conductor art fair presents 28 gallery exhibitors, 19 installations, and programming showcasing artists from africa, latin america, the caribbean, south asia, southeast asia, the middle east, oceania, and indigenous nations around the globe. powerhouse arts (gowanus), $15 general / $12 for seniors, active military personnel, and retired veterans at the door / free for students and faculty at colleges in the tri-state area / free for ebt recipients. >>
thurs thru sun: annual queens new music festival: random access music presents its annual showcase of contemporary and experimental music, with concerts, premieres, and cross-genre collaborations from emerging and established composers. culture lab lic, $20 general, $10 students. >>
sponsored: thurs thru sat: you’re invited to emerge125’s 2026 season: save 40%!: emerge125, a black, female-led dance company based in harlem, presents its 2026 nyc season at el museo del barrio, celebrating 10 years of artistic director tiffany rea-fisher’s leadership. this season features three dynamic new works choreographed by rea-fisher, exploring themes of progressive social change through powerful, physically charged movement. save 40% on standard view and preferred view tickets with promo code ‘skint’ (offer not valid on the full gala experience and dinner). >>
thurs 6:30pm: confronting climate change: center for brooklyn history (brooklyn heights) confronts climate change with a three-part discussion series moderated by rebecca hersher, correspondent on npr’s climate desk. topics include ‘understanding deniers,’ ‘the science,’ and ‘solutions.’ free admission. >>
thurs 7pm: secrets and lies: she shaped the seaport edition: all aboard the permanently moored tall ship wavertree for an evening of untold tales about the unsung queens of south street. all are true—except for one. spot the lie for a chance to win a prize. $15 admission includes drinks and snacks. >>
thurs 7pm (monthly): golden spiral comedy show: at mindy raf and katie compa’s golden spiral comedy show, stand-up set lengths follow the fibonacci sequence (5, 8, 13, and 21 minutes each). tonight’s show at whiskey cellar nyc (east village) features kate sisk, shenuque tissera, red scott, sharron paul, and gabe pacheco. advance ticket purchase includes a raffle ticket for a free drink. a limited number of tickets are available for $10.38 with promo code ‘skintspiral’ (reg. $15.71+). >>
thurs 8:30pm (monthly): connor ratliff presents the acting class: a fully improvised show disguised as an acting workshop, where host connor ratliff demonstrates ‘what acting truly is’ with the help of a guest performer and occasional audience participation. tonight’s show features emmy nominee zach cherry (severance). ucb (east village), $10 adv, $15 day of. >>
ongoing
our roundup of 40+ ongoing events: the macy’s flower show, bargemusic, film fests + series, and more. >>
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– the skint
