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Step 1
Summer in NYC is a veritable festival of free concerts. The New York Philharmonic, New York City Opera, and the Metropolitan Opera all do free concerts in Central Park and in other NYC parks during the summer. Popular and world music artists participate in Central Park's free Summerstage series. Check their websites to get exact dates. (New Yorkers turn out in droves for these concerts, so pack a picnic and arrive early.)
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Step 2
Lesser known are the multitude of free theater, dance, and music performances that the NYC Parks Department sponsors at various parks throughout the city. Local performance troupes do several wonderful works, and they're bound to be at a park near you. Check www.nycgovparks.org for schedules.
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Step 3
Free movie screenings are constantly going on in NYC. These are usually films that haven't even been released yet, so you can get a chance to see it before anyone else. They're totally free, and you even get to bring a guest. It's not at all unusual to find people handing out free passes to these screenings in front of the big movie theaters (the AMC or Regal on West 42nd Street, the Lincoln Square cinema, etc.) during the day, or sometimes following a regular movie screening. So whenever you notice a person handing out flyers in front of a movie theater, don't assume it's just an advertisement!
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Step 4
Free outdoor screenings of Golden Age and modern age film classics are held after dark on selected days at Bryant Park and in Central Park during the warm weather months, so check out their websites for schedules too.
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Step 5
For Broadway fans, every September Times Square closes off the streets to traffic and allows thousands of people to pour in for the outdoor "Broadway on Broadway" concert. You can hear Broadway performers singing songs from long-running musicals like "The Phantom of the Opera," "Wicked," "Jersey Boys," and "The Lion King," and also hear preview songs from yet-to-open Broadway shows.
