Recently, my husband Reggie and I spoke to the Campus and Singles ministries at our church about having a FUN summer. One of the things that we encouraged them to do was to go out and have new experiences. Fortunately, there are so many different things to do for FREE in NYC. There really is something for practically everyone. I’ll be sharing more about free and low-cost NYC family events and activities so stay tuned. Since we are in the Queens region of our church though, the handout that we gave out was “25 Free Things to Do in Queens NY in the Summer”. In case you live in (or will be visiting) Queens this summer, you can enjoy some of these things too.
1. New York Philharmonic Concerts in the Parks (Cunningham Park)
2. Metropolitan Opera’s Summer Recital Series
3. Queens Museum (Free admission for college students and suggested admission for adults)
4. Astoria Park’s Central Astoria Movies on the Waterfront
5. Summerstage (115+ free performances with over 200 artists in 16 parks including Queens locations)
6. IDNYC card (“One-year free membership package at 40 of the City’s leading cultural institutions, including world class museums, performing arts centers, concert halls, botanical gardens, and zoos in all five boroughs”)
7. Libraries (Most of them host special events and provide calendars that you can use to help plan.)
8. Queens Botanical Garden (“Free Hours: Wednesdays, 3 to 6pm, and Sundays, 9 to 11am *Suspended on festival days”)
9. Urban Park Ranger Nature Centers’ recreational activities (3 locations in Queens)
10. Shape Up NYC (Free, drop-in fitness program with several Queens locations)
11. Art in the Parks (Experimental and traditional art in various park locations)
12. Volunteer together (In addition to God’s Love We Deliver, New York Cares has great options.)
13. Queens County Farm Museum (General admission is free except during public events.)
14. Socrates Sculpture Park in Long Island City (An outdoor art museum/public park)
15, NYC Parks Free Summer Movies
16, NYC Parks Free Summer Concerts
17, NYC Parks Free Summer Theater
18. Birding/Bird Watching Events
19. Dance Events (Swing Dance, Latin & more)
20. Fitness (Zumba, walking, yoga, etc.)
21. Nature Events (Hiking, canoeing, etc.)
22. Festivals & Parades (Including 6/26 “Only in Queens”)
23. Street Fairs & Festivals
24. Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival
25. Shakespeare in the Park (By Hip to Hip Theatre Company)
If I missed any of your favorite free activities or events to do in Queens in the summer, please let me know.
