The best free events and festivals in NYC

Discover a ton of free events and festivals in our handy, chronological guide to freebies in New York City

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Broke? No matter what sort of wallet-friendly happening you’re looking for, we've got it. Click through our easy-to-navigate roundup of the best free art exhibitions, free concerts, free club nights and much more!

RECOMMENDED: See all free things to do in NYC

Best free events and festivals in NYC

  • Things to do
Within Grand Central Terminal, find the New York Transit Museum's 20th annual Holiday Train Show, an ode to all kinds of locomotives. You'll feel positively giant while wandering around the 34-foot-long display, festooned with miniature versions of city landmarks such as the Brooklyn Bridge and the Empire State Building. Watch as Lionel model trains depart from a miniature replica of Grand Central. Then they travel over the river (the East River, to be exact) and through the wood to reach their final destination, the North Pole. The Holiday Train Show will be on view at Grand Central Terminal through February 2025. The free show is open Monday-Friday, 10am-7:30pm; Saturday-Sunday, 10am-6pm; and closed major holidays. Find it in the shuttle passage on 42nd Street and Park Avenue, adjacent to the Station Master’s Office.
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