12 fully free and fairly enjoyable issues to do in NYC this August

August, New York City, 2025: The sweat continues relentlessly. The streets are still emptier than usual. Everyone, it seems, is on vacation.

That means the city belongs to you! And, since we’re still in the thick of all the free concerts, movies and other events New York has to offer during the summer, you should pack in as much free entertainment as you can. Because — don’t look now — fall, colder weather, and earlier sunsets are all right around the corner.

Watch tennis hopefuls at the U.S. Open’s Fan Week

There’s no event that screams “August in New York City” more than the U.S. Open, one of tennis’s Grand Slam tournaments. Seeing the likes of Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner will cost you some money, but the U.S. Open’s Fan Week is a great — and free! — way to experience the tournament’s competitive environment without paying for a ticket. You can watch players trying to qualify for the tournament, and there are all kinds of on-court experiences and events that transform Flushing Meadows into a tennis fan’s paradise. Fan Week goes from Monday, Aug. 18 to Saturday, Aug. 23.

See an exhibition of up-and-coming New York artists

The Shed in Hudson Yards plays host to “Open Call: Portals,” an exhibition of 12 early-career, New York-based artists on view until Aug. 24. Works in the exhibition range from painting to performance, but all explore forces shaping the modern world in the hopes of opening “portals for passage, transformation, and resistance.” You can see the works on the Shed’s Level 2 Gallery after you get your free timed tickets here.

Go to a silent disco at Ruidosa Fest

More Lincoln Center fun! The Center’s Summer for the City series will once again host Ruidosa Fest, described as “the first fully women-led music festival in Latin America.” You can expect a jam-packed evening of DJs and musicians, all culminating in a silent disco led by Argentine DJ Tayhana. It’s Saturday, Aug. 9 and the music starts at 4 p.m., but the silence begins at 10 p.m. Silence with music, of course.

Spend an evening (or more) at the Metropolitan Opera’s HD Festival

It’s that time of summer when famous operas move from the gilded indoor halls of the Lincoln Center to a giant screen directly outside it. The Met Opera’s HD Festival brings iconic performances to the people, with screenings of works like Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville” and Verdi’s “Aida.” The Festival kicks off with a film, however, on Aug. 22: Bradley Cooper’s Leonard Bernstein biopic, “Maestro.” Screenings take place every night at 8 p.m. (with a few dates starting at 7:30 p.m.) from Aug. 22 through Sept. 1. Check out the full schedule here.

Hang out at the Afribembé Festival

For the seventh year, the Afribembé Festival will “connect memory to future vision” through a mixture of ancestral rhythms, music and other performances. Artist Michael Manswell will host the festival, which happens Sunday, Aug. 10 from 4 to 6 p.m. at Grant’s Tomb. It’s part of Harlem Week, which lasts from Aug. 1-17 and features a wide range of free events, if you’re looking for even more free ways to spend your time this month.

Chow down on free gelato at Eataly

Free gelato? Yes, free gelato! Eataly’s Flatiron Marketplace hosts Gelato Festa on Thursday, Aug. 7 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Expect live music, savory bites and plenty of gelato (duh). It’s probably wise to get there on the earlier side, because even though the gelato is free, it’s only “while supplies last.” And how long can free gelato really last?

Learn to fish on Staten Island

Haven’t you always wanted to learn how to fish? Sure you have! This August on Staten Island, you can learn two fun ways to do it, one of which is called “seining” and involves a weighted net. Or you can go for good-old-fashioned freshwater fishing with a line and rod. Or you could do both. The seining lesson happens Saturday, Aug. 9, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Conference House Park. Freshwater fishing takes place the next day in Willowbrook Park from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Scope the sand sculptures on Coney Island

Bad news for all sandcastle-building hopefuls: Entries for this year’s Coney Island Sandsculpting Competition are already full. But fret not, because you can still head to the beach to see the masters (and amateurs) ply their trades, building castles made of sand to compete for ultimate sand-structure bragging rights. Hit the beach on Saturday, Aug. 16 from noon to 4 p.m. to see the castles emerge from nothingness, and buy a hot dog while you’re at it!

Do yoga at sunrise (or at a more reasonable time) in Domino Park

To this day, there are still legends of mythical “early birds,” people who actually enjoy getting up early and starting their days before everyone else. If these people want to exercise with the rising sun, they have a great free option: sunrise yoga in Domino Park. It starts at 6:30 a.m. every Wednesday in August. For the rest of the mortals looking for a fun way to stretch their bodies, Yoga with Kula Yoga Project has free classes in the same park at 10 a.m. on three Sundays: Aug. 3, 17 and 31. Choose your fighter wisely.

Discuss literature at a literary social club

Who doesn’t love going to a library to talk about a good book? The Literary Social Club meets every month, and this August in the Bronx, head to Clason’s Point Library to discuss R.F. Kuang’s heralded novel “Yellowface.” The satirical novel explores racism and cultural appropriation in publishing, and is sure to provoke thoughtful conversation. Tuesday, Aug. 19 starting at 11 a.m. at Clason’s Point Library.

Listen to the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music’s free jazz Midsummer Nights series

What would a list of free things to do during the dog days of summer be without a couple of concerts? The Brooklyn Conservatory of Music will bring jazz to the outdoor space in front of its Park Slope location for two dates in August. Amina Scott is Aug. 7 at 6:30 p.m.. Charles Turner plays on Aug. 14, also at 6:30 p.m.

Try boxing therapy, then watch a boxing/dance performance

Boxing turns to therapy in the optional part of this free event, which brings together a boxing studio and a dance company to create a unique performance that mixes boxing (of course), dance and live music. Danse Theatre Surreality is behind the upcoming “Shadowboxing in Blue” show, and will head to Williamsburg’s HAVEN Boxing on Saturday, Aug. 3, starting at noon for the therapy-boxing-performance experience. Again, you’re not required to box — but it might be fun if you tried.