note: the heat wave may cause some outdoor events to be canceled or rescheduled. please check the venue’s website and/or social media for updates before heading out. and stay cool out there!
friday
fri thru tues: sail4th 250: america’s 250th birthday celebration brings a once-in-a-generation flotilla of tall ships and naval vessels to new york harbor. highlights include the preliminary tall ship parade, the international parade of sail, the international naval review, the international aerial review, and free public tours aboard many of the visiting tall ships docked around the city. >>
fri thru sun (10am-9pm): 55th annual international african arts festival: the international african arts festival brings together artists, artisans, food vendors, and performers from africa, the caribbean, europe, the u.s., and more for a three day celebration at lincoln terrace / arthur s. somers park (crown heights). rain or shine. free admission. >>
fri (all day, while supplies last): free ample hills sundaes: as part of an mlb/nbc/peacock promotion, stop by any ample hills shop for a free, limited-edition star-spangled sundae, served in an official baseball helmet cup. >>
fri 7pm (monthly): immigrant jam comedy: german-born, nyc-raised comedian and actor lucie pohl (overwatch) celebrates all things cross-cultural, international, and delightfully different at the immigrant jam stand-up show, featuring immigrant and first generation comedians. tonight’s lineup reps canada, china, egypt, india, peru, romania, and more with performers aanchal agrawal, ophira eisenberg, paula leon, dan yang, and salma zaky. a portion of the proceeds will go to new women new yorkers. caveat (les), $15.67 with promo code ‘skint’ (reg. $24-25). >>
fri 8pm: bryant park picnic performances: the annual summer performance series is back with two dozen free music, dance, and theater events in the heart of midtown. blankets and bistro chairs are provided for use. bring your own picnic or purchase food and drinks from on-site vendors. next up: carnegie hall citywide presents: chamber orchestra the knights, performing selections from coleridge-taylor’s ’24 negro melodies,’ an arrangement of paul simon’s ‘american tune,’ and more. >>
fri 8:30pm: bitches brew comedy show: this women-produced and -hosted comedy show conjures up big laughs in the back room of halyards (gowanus). tonight’s performers include vannessa jackson (snl), dvontre coleman (don’t tell comedy), jaqueline blizzard, sam evans, janelle draper, and lizzy cassidy. free admission (a tip jar will be passed around at the end of the show). >>
fri 9pm: the drunk texts: a day of independence: the drunk texts thespians present a boozy, shakespeare-inspired adaptation of rolan emmerich’s independence day (1996) that combines drinking games, improvisation and audience participation. the rat nyc (dumbo), $12 admission. >>
fri 10pm: neverender: an alt/indie dance party: dance to tame impala, passion pit, mgmt, lcd soundsystem, empire of the sun, grouplove, and more. requests welcome! baby’s all right (williamsburg), save 15% with promo code ‘niche’ >>
sponsored
On July 8, join the Downtown Alliance, the Battery Conservancy and PAC NYC for a special free outdoor screening of the beloved MGM musical “On the Town” (1949) in the heart of the Battery.
Starring Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra and Jules Munshin as three sailors on a whirlwind 24-hour shore leave, “On the Town” is a joyful love letter to the city featuring iconic landmarks and unforgettable musical numbers. Set against the backdrop of a city buzzing with excitement, “On the Town” offers the perfect cinematic companion to this summer’s harbor-wide celebration.
This interactive evening will include giveaways, surprise performances and more! Pack a blanket, bring friends and family and enjoy a magical musical evening under the stars.
Admission is free; attendees are encouraged to register in advance so we can best prepare for the event. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the movie program starts at 7:30 p.m.
REGISTER HERE
saturday
sat thru 7/19: french restaurant week: more than 30 french restaurants across manhattan (plus one in brooklyn) serve up special prix fixe lunch and dinner menus for a limited time. no passport required. >>
sat + sun various times: jaws: stephen spielberg’s 1975 blockbuster resurfaces for special fourth of july screenings at nitehawk cinema williamsburg (sat 11am) and prospect park (sat + sun 12pm). $15. >>
sat thru 7/10: big swing at the paris theater: the paris theater celebrates america’s favorite pastime with a five-film lineup of baseball classics: 42, a league of their own, the sandlot, eight men out, and field of dreams. the paris theater (midtown), $17 general, $15 seniors/students. >>
sat + sun 10am-4pm: vintage subway car rides: as part of new york transit museum’s 50th anniversary celebration, you can hop aboard vintage subway cars for a short ride between court street and hoyt-schermerhorn, retracing the route once served by brooklyn’s hh shuttle in the 1930s and ’40s. free with museum admission ($10 general, $5 seniors). >>
sat 10am: nathan’s famous fourth of july international hot dog-eating contest: a crowd of thousands show up to see who’ll be top dog at this hot dog-eating contest, held every year at the original nathan’s famous location in coney island. free admission. >>
sat 10am-4pm: free tours of the louis armstrong house museum: the louis armstrong museum in corona, queens celebrates the legendary trumpeter and vocalist’s claimed birthday with free tours all day. rsvp required. >>
sat 12-10pm: jersey city fourth of july festival: jersey city’s america 250 celebration fills four blocks with food vendors, beer gardens, djs, world cup matches on the big screen, family activities, and more, followed by waterfront views of the jersey city and macy’s fireworks. exchange place, free admission. >>
sat 3-8pm: the pit’s 14th annual indie-pendence day fest: nyc’s longest-running improv fest is back at chelsea’s people’s improv theater, spotlighting indie improv teams from around the world. $23. >>
sat 4pm (monthly): tom d’s big new york show: comedian and licensed nyc tour guide tom delgado takes you through different aspects of nyc each month, with history, comedy, trivia with prizes, and special guests. tonight’s fourth of july show celebrates the history of new york and the us with comedian ayanna dookie (don’t tell comedy) and historian jim rasenberger (author, a perfect coincidence: the extraordinary friendship and astonishing deaths of john adams and thomas jefferson). save $5 with promo code ‘tomdnyc’ >>
sat 5-9pm: summer by shea: the shea stadium crew brings another season of free outdoor indie and punk shows to rockaway beach’s rippers. tonight’s july fourth edition: summerjam xvii featuring frank hurricane, carlos truly, infinite loss, clipping wings, and canticles for the new scene. >>
sat 7:30pm (monthly): feel the news with marcela onyango: in this monthly anti-capitalist, anti-fascist comedy show, ‘radical lefty’ comedian marcela onyango breaks down the latest headlines—helping you decide whether to be mad, glad, or just deeply confused. each show supports direct action efforts, raising funds for mutual aid projects. tonight’s guests include tyrone thornhill, peter liu, kofi thomas, seynique smythe, and winter. friends and lovers (crown heights), $10. >>
sat 9:25pm (nbc/peacock broadcast starts at 8pm): macy’s 50th annual 4th of july annual fireworks celebration: with launch sites in both the lower east river and the lower hudson river, macy’s largest fireworks display ever lights up both sides of lower manhattan, visible from brooklyn, manhattan, new jersey, and anywhere with an unobstructed view of the sky above the lower east river. >>
sat 10pm: young adult friction 10-year anniversary party: celebrate 10 years of indie pop, alternative, post punk, dance punk, synthpop, and indie sleaze at union hall. free admission. >>
sat 10:30pm: wet hot american summer camp: dress as a counselor, camper, or your favorite movie character at this 80s-00s dance party. alphaville (bushwick), free admission. >>
sunday
sun various times (+ weds): citizen kane 85th anniversary screenings: orson welles’s 1941 classic, starring welles, joseph cotton, and dorothy comingore, returns to select theaters for a limited engagement. various prices. >>
sun 2-6pm (+ 7/12, 8/2, 8/9): union pool’s 14th annual summer thunder concert series: free daytime concerts return to union pool’s backyard for four sundays, kicking off today with ‘king of latin soul’ joe bataan and dj tahleim. >>
sun 7pm (sundays thru 7/26): summer on the hudson: amplified sundays: end of the weekend on a high note with amplified sundays, riverside park’s annual golden hour live music series. tonight: wayne tucker + the bad mothas. pier i in riverside park south (uws), free admission. >>
monday
mon thru 7/25: 34th annual hot! festival: the world’s longest-running lgbtqia+ arts fest takes over dixon place (les) with more than two weeks of solo works, musicals, readings, and special events featuring lgbtqia+ playwrights, directors, literary artists, dancers, comedians, and performers. free opening party 7/6 at 7:30pm. dixon place (les), $10-35. >>
mon thru 7/12: eighth annual rouge theater festival: the indie theater fest returns with a week of new plays and staged readings by emerging and seasoned artists. the flea theater (tribeca), $15-25. >>
mon 4pm, 7pm: (monthly): movie musical mondays: mamma mia!: a series of iconic movie musicals hits the big screen at village east by angelika. the 2026 season continues with phyllida lloyd’s mamma mia! (2008), starring meryl streep, amanda seyfried, pierce brosnan, colin firth, and stellan skarsgård. $19. >>
mon 7:30pm: bikencerto: a concerto for solo bicycle and orchestra: spokes, tires, and rims join strings and woodwinds as composer reynaliz herrera turns bicycle parts into instruments while backed by a nine-piece orchestra. a short q+a with follow the performance. trans-pecos (ridgewood), $15-20. >>
ongoing
our roundup of 70+ ongoing events: free public beaches and pools, free shakespeare in the park, rooftop cinema, art shows, and more. >>
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Photo by Emilio Madrid