tuesday
thru thurs (various dates thru 8/8): lincoln center’s summer for the city: lincoln center’s annual campus-wide arts festival returns with two months of free and choose-what-you-pay concerts, performances, film screenings, dance parties, and more. this week: jungle cat comedy (weds 7:30pm); declaration: songs of democracy, voices of hope with lara downes and guests (weds 7:30pm); k-pop dance night with dj moobek + hwarang (weds 8pm); disco party with joe mcginty + the loser’s lounge and dj bill coleman (thurs 6:30pm); contemporary dance festival presents: akram khan company (thurs-fri at 7:30pm); silent disco with dj bill coleman (thurs 10pm); and more; and more. >>
tues various times (weather permitting): free outdoor movies:
► encanto at kaiser park (coney island) >>
► inside out 2 at columbia park (jersey city) >>
tues 7pm doors (thru august): rooftop films summer series: farm-to-screen shorts: rooftop films returns for its 30th summer of indie screenings across rooftops, parks, and other open-air spots around nyc. tonight: the second annual farm-to-screen short documentary series, a presentation on urban beekeeping, and filmmaker q+a. $22. >>
tues 8pm: scientific controversies: heart, blood, and soul: for the latest installment of pioneer works’ scientific controversies series, researchers dr. doris taylor and dr. cédric ghevaert discuss bioengineered hearts, lab-grown blood cells, and the future (and limits) of regenerative medicine. hosted by barnard physics and astronomy professor and pioneer works director of sciences janna levin. food will be available for purchase, and stargazing with the amateur astronomers association will precede and follow the event. pioneer works (red hook), free admission (donations welcome). >>
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. >>
wednesday
weds 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 july include a crazy ex-girlfriend mini-marathon, amélie, american psycho, clueless, jennifer’s body, purple rain, saturday night fever, selena, sinners, the dark knight, and many more. $21.75+ admission (15% off for military, 10% off for students). >>
weds thru the season: rooftop movies at yotel times square: soccer sundays, musical mondays, date night tuesdays, and spooky wednesdays await on the green room 42’s rooftop at yotel times square. food and drinks will be available for purchase. july’s selections include 13 going on 30, back to the future, la la land, mamma mia!. $23.48 ticket includes a cocktail/mocktail of the day and popcorn. >>
weds thru 7/9: declaration of independents!: indiecollect and ifc center host a 20-film series saluting trailblazing american indie films from 1979-89, with directors charlie ahearn (wild style), lizzie borden (born in flames), aarin burch (dreams of passion), bette gordon (variety), paula de koenigsberg + lucy winer (rate it x), jim klein (seeing red), spike lee (school daze) and fran rubel kuzui (tokyo pop) presenting their films in person. ifc center (greenwich village), $18 general, $15 seniors. >>
weds thru 7/7: the declaration of independence at nypl: as part of the new york public library’s commemoration of the nation’s 250th anniversary, a rare handwritten copy of the declaration of independence by thomas jefferson goes on view at the stephen a. schwarzman building (midtown). free programming surrounding the exhibition includes a family activity day, an evening performance by the young people’s chorus of new york city on the library steps, a nightly projection of the declaration of independence on the facade of the building, and more. note: tickets to the special display are no longer available, but a limited number of walk-ins may be accommodated as space and time permit. >>
weds 5pm doors (thru 10/1): summerstage: the city parks foundation presents its 40th season of free and benefit performances across the city. tonight: giant step and blue note jazz festival present: shabaka / kokoroko / omar / lovie at central park’s rumsey playfield. free admission. >>
weds 7pm (wednesdays thru 8/12): jazz at pier 84: celebrate all things jazz with live music by local artists in hudson river park. the 2026 season continues tonight with trombonist clifton anderson. free admission. >>
weds 7:30pm: awkward teenage years: pride month edition: laugh and reminisce as storytellers relive their growing-up joys and traumas for your entertainment. hosted by will clegg and featuring stories by calvin cato, emily hespeler, parker sublette, shawn musgrave, and valarie walker. under st. marks (east village), pay-what-you-can admission ($7 min). >>
weds 7:30pm (monthly): cold plunge with kurt braunohler: comedian and actor kurt braunohler (bananas podcast, bob’s burgers) hosts the cold plunge stand-up show at park slope’s union hall. tonight’s performers: subhah agarwal, alison leiby, shane torres, and musical guest ted leo. $12 adv, $15 door. >>
weds 7:30pm: we have fun: a stand-up show: hosts zach sims and dan wilbur team up to bring the fun-ny to young ethel’s (south slope), with stand-up by mike drucker (fallon), carmen lagala (colbert), sarah barnitt, and andrew polk. free admission. >>
thursday
thurs thru 7/26: the classical theatre of harlem: othello: the classical theater of harlem presents an outdoor production of shakespeare’s othello at the richard rogers amphitheater in marcus garvey park (east harlem). previews 7/2-3, performances 7/5-26. free admission (donations welcome). >>
thurs various times (weather permitting): free outdoor movies:
► hamilton brooklyn bridge park’s harbor view lawn >>
► hoppers at gertrude ederle recreation center (hell’s kitchen) >>
thurs 7pm-midnight: y2k baby one more time: throwback to the 90s and early 00s with niche night and steve reynolds spinning pop, r+b, rock, and dance floor favorites. friends and lovers (crown heights), free admission. >>
thurs 8pm: ucblk presents: black america 250*: join hosts justin catchens, dominique kaplowitz, and shem pennant for a night of improv, sketch, and stand-up featuring a lineup of black performers including zach cherry (severance), onika mclean (don’t tell comedy), lanee’ sanders (the daily show), and many more. littlefield (gowanus), $15. >>
ongoing
our roundup of 80+ ongoing events: coney island’s friday night fireworks, free shakespeare in the park, rooftop cinema, art shows, and more. >>
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