25 Free Things to Do in NYC This Holiday Season

Image via Complex Original

Date: Thursday, December 5 through Sunday, January 5
Time: Depends on when you make your reservation
Location: Begins at the Starbucks and ends at Rockefeller Center
Perfect for: Gawking at lights like a little kid; seeing spots for the rest of the week
Website: freetoursbyfoot.com

Paris is nicknamed the "City of Lights", but no one touches holiday season in NYC. Every single block is home to enough flourescent bulbs to rival the sun and this tour takes you to all the best spots. Insanely lit trees, sick store displays and all the temporary blindess you can deal with: how could you say no to this?

Date: Saturday, December 21
Time: 2 p.m.
Location: Begins at Mulberry St. on Canal St., and ends at Chatham Square 
Perfect for: Experiencing awesome cultural mash-ups
Website: mommypoppins.com 

This will be the seventh year for the parade, which winds it's way through both Chinatown and Little Italy. It's like getting to see two parades for the price of none, with a little learning mixed in. Organizers claim that this parade is the second largest in NYC, behind the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. It features Asian and Italian singers, floats, and dragon dancers.

Date: November 30th through March; Saturdays and Sundays
Time: 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Location: Skylight One Hanson; 1 Hanson Place, Fort Greene 
Perfect for: Picking up some handmade wares to spruce up your apartment
Website: brooklynflea.com

It's easy to to have neglected shopping for cool items for your apartment over the summer; you hardly spent time inside, anyway. But what will you do when it's so cold outside that you just decide to stay in? Hit up the 100-plus vendors on the three floors of Gifted, and check out the vintage art and artisanal food. The influx of culture into your place will definitely impress your friends. You can find great gifts, too.

Date: Various
Time: Various
Location: 36-01 35 Ave., Astoria 
Perfect for: Ditching work early to watch a movie
Website: movingimage.us

What to do on those Fridays when you can skip out of work early, but you don't have anyone to hang with for a few hours? Easy-just catch a free movie at the Museum of the Moving Image. There are worse ways to spend your free time than watching Fight Club or Invasion of the Body Snatchers for the 20th time.

Date: December 18 - 20, 2013
Time: 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m.
Location: World Financial Center; 200 Vesey St., 11th Floor 
Perfect for: Getting some culture without spending hours in a theater
Website: brookfieldplaceny.com

Around the holiday season, you have all these obligations: buying gifts, meeting with family, religious observances, and more. With your schedule packed, you might not have a few hours (or you might be too exhausted) for a date night, so check out this 15-minute rendition of A Christmas Carol. Catch a showing by sneaking away during your lunch break with your significant other.

Date: Sunday - Saturday
Time: 8 a.m. - 12 a.m.
Location: Bryant Park on Sixth Avenue 
Perfect for: A cliched, but effective date
Website: wintervillage.org

One of the great things about Citi Pond is that admission is free, unlike some of the other, famous skating rinks (just make sure you bring your own skates, because renting will cost you). Also, don't forget the ice packs, because busting your ass on ice hurts like a mother.

Date: Fridays and Saturdays, until December 22
Time: 6 p.m. - midnight
Location: 165 Banker St, Brooklyn
Perfect for: Checking out indie vendors, local chefs, and great music
Website: bkbazaar.com

This 40,000-sq. ft. warehouse becomes an after-hours market and concert venue, with hundreds of artists, chefs, DJs, and musicians. You can find goods from local designers and restaurants, and events are headlined by some pretty sick artists.

Date: Saturdays and Sundays
Time: On the hour, from 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. on Saturdays; 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. on Sundays
Location: 79 North 11th St., Williamsburg
Perfect for: Educating yourself before you turn your bathroom into a makeshift brewery
Website: brooklynbrewery.com

Chances are, since the brewery opened in 1988, you've tasted some of their delicious beer in at least one of the 25 states it's distributed in. After a free tour of Brooklyn Brewery, you'll be able to pick up on flavor nuances you didn't even know existed. In no time, you'll be tasting beer like a judge for the World Brewer's Cup.

Date: Every Monday night
Time: 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Location: 200 North 14th St., Williamsburg
Perfect for: A little athletic and intellectual domination
Website: thegutterbrooklyn.com

When the temperature drops in New York City, you're going to need some athletics to get your blood pumping. Why not break a mental and physical sweat at the same time? In addition to the glory of victory, the winning team gets a tab for beer and bowling. Win or lose, you get to see people drunkenly throw around 15 lb. bowling balls: that's comedy waiting to happen.

Date: Sunday, February 17
Time: 1 p.m.
Location: Starts in Little Italy, working through major streets of Lower Chinatown
Perfect for: Seeing some amazing, authentic cultural exhibitions
Website: betterchinatown.com

The annual Chinatown lunar parade is an ornate and authentic exhibition of culture, highlighted by elaborate floats, lion and dragon dances, acrobats, magicians, musicians, folk dancers and Shaolin-inspired kung fu demonstrations. The fact that it's free just happens to be the cherry on top.

Date: Wednesday, January 1
Time: 1 p.m.
Location: Stillwell Avenue, Coney Island
Perfect for: Finding out how tough you really are
Website: polarbearclub.org

Do your friends call you a wuss? Do you want to earn a rep as the toughest guy in in your group? Go for a swim with the Coney Island Polar Bear Club to up your bad-ass quotient by a few points.

Date: Tuesday, December 31
Time: 10:00 p.m.
Location: Washington Square Park
Perfect for: Getting a head start on your resolution to exercise more
Website: times-up.org

Organized by environmental action group "Time's Up!," the ride goes from Washington Square Park to Belvedere Castle in Central Park, culminating in a dance party with fireworks. Maybe if you make it through the entire bike ride, you might not cave on your resolution to exercise more after just two weeks.

Date: Tuesday, December 31
Time: 11 p.m.
Location: Grand Army Plaza
Perfect for: Celebrating the new year with a bang
Website: prospectpark.org

If you're in the mood to try something different this New Year's Eve, head over to Prospect Park in Brooklyn for a fireworks display that'll make you forget all about the big ball drop. Entertainment and hot refreshments will be provided as well, so you won't be sitting outside with nothing to do but get colder and colder.

Date: Tuesday, December 31
Time: Midnight
Location: Broadway, between 42nd St. and 47th St.
Perfect for: Celebrate New Year's Eve in the most iconic way possible
Website: timessquarenyc.org

When you think of "New Year's Eve," three things come to mind: champagne, "Auld Lang Syne," and the ball dropping in Times Square. Yeah, it's cold and insanely crowded, but it's one of the most famous events in the world, the kind of thing you should do once in your life, especially if you're living here. Make sure you get there early, because it tends to fill up quickly; but it's not like there's a shortage of things to do in Times Square.

Date: Tuesday, December 31
Time: 11:59 p.m.
Location: 72nd Street Transverse near Cherry Hill
Perfect for: Betting your friends shots of alcohol on who wins the race
Website: nyrr.org

With a DJ kicking things off at 10 p.m. and a costume contest at 11, there's no shortage of things to do while you're waiting for the race to start. The actual race begins at midnight, with a fireworks display. If you're in good shape (and are sober enough) you can pay the entrance fee and try your hand at winning the $500 first place prize. On the other hand, you can just hang out and take in the late-night weird for free.

Date: Friday, December 21
Time: Various
Location: Depends on location
Perfect for: Showing off your shower-singing voice
Website: makemusicny.org

In the second Make Music Winter parade, there will be twelve different events to choose from, all leading through different regions of the city. If you're musically gifted, and you're looking for a way to show off a bit, give this a try. It's like caroling, but cooler.

Date: Saturday, December 14
Time: 10 a.m.- 10 p.m.
Location: TBA
Perfect for: Not being judged for drunkenly wearing a Santa costume
Website: nycsantacon.com

Celebrate the holiday spirit with 20,000 other Santas, elves, or whatever other creative costumes people decided to wear (a Santa hat doesn't count, you Grinch) with festive, drunken shenanigans. It's more than just a bar crawl, though, because the event also doubles as a food and toy drive; it's highly suggested you bring at least two food items for the drive, so don't be a cheap-ass.

Date: Saturday, December 14
Time: 7 p.m.- 8 p.m.
Location: Washington Square Park 
Perfect for: Being part of a huge holiday work of art
Website: unsilentnight.com

The 20-year-old tradition has become an international phenomenon, and has drawn crowds of 1,500 in New York City. Participants bring boomboxes, iPods, and laptops to play Kline's 45 minute composition, letting music ring out as they walk through city streets. If you're looking to be part of a work of art this holiday season, this is how.

Date: Daily until January 3
Time: All day
Location: Le Parker Meridien, 119 West 56th St. 
Perfect for: Killing a little time before going out
Website: parkermeridien.com

If you have a little bit of time to spare before going out with your girl, City Harvest's Gingerbread Extravaganza is a great way to kill a half-hour. Unfortunately, they won't let you chow down on these creations, but if you feel so inclined, you can donate a dollar to vote on the winner, with the proceeds going to City Harvest. Oh, and it'll put you in a drawing for a five-night stay at the four-star Parker Palm Springs hotel. If you don't have an extra dollar, no worries: looks are free.

Date: Every day, until December 24
Time: Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Location: Union Square 
Perfect for: Finding Christmas presents that don't suck
Website: urbanspacenyc.com

With over 150 merchants, the Union Square Holiday Market won't let you down. If you can't find the Christmas gift you're looking for here, you're not going to find it anywhere. In addition to handmade clothing and brew-your-own-beer kits, you can find international and exotic coffees. Check out the iPhone app to help you navigate the labyrinthine market.

Date: Every Sunday
Time: 9 p.m.
Location: 361 Metropolitan Ave., Williamsburg 
Perfect for: Getting out of the cold to catch a few laughs
Website: knittingfactory.com

A former writer for Saturday Night Live, and a current writer for 30 Rock, Hannibal Buress hosts stand-up event that has featured some of the most hilarious comedians on television, like Aziz Ansari and Jay Pharoah. Seeing those kinds of comedy all-stars for nothing is an absolute steal.

Date: Every Saturday
Time: On the hour, from 2 p.m.-6 p.m.
Location: Chelsea Piers, Pier 59 
Perfect for: When you need a reason to start drinking in the afternoon
Website: chelseabrewingco.com

If you've ever dreamed of working at or starting your own brewery, it makes sense to get a behind-the-scenes look at Manhattan's largest microbrewery. After seeing how they produce their delicious products, you'll be tempted to grab a keg and run out the door. Just don't forget your ID, or else you'll miss out on free samples. That's why you came in the first place.

Date: Wednesdays
Time: 2 p.m. - 4:45 p.m
Location: 614 Broadway, Staten Island
Perfect for: Being the only person at the exhibits
Website: statenislandzoo.org

The re-opening of the Staten Island Zoo was a bright spot in an area still hurting from the effects of Hurricane Sandy. Consider a visit to help support the borough, and you may end up using some of that money you saved to make a charitable donation to help them rebuild.

Date: Tuesdays and Thursdays
Time: All night
Location: Full Circle Bar; 38 Grand St., Williamsburg 
Perfect for: Indulging nostalgia for Chuck E. Cheese's
Website: fullcirclebar.com

In addition to free pretzels and hot dogs, Full Circle Bar offers use of their skeeball machines for free on certain nights (before you get any ideas about a Christmas gift, just know that skeeball machines cost about $4,000-$5,000 a pop). It's like killing two birds with one stone, because playing skeeball is technically exercising, right?

Date: Various
Time: Various
Location: Various
Perfect for: Freeing your inner Hemingway
Website: writingclasses.com

Every aspiring writer has that image in their head of sitting in a darkened room with a glass of scotch, laboring over the next great American novel. The problem is, you have no fucking idea where to start. Well, the Gotham Writers' Workshop is here to help. Kickstart your writing career by signing up at their website for one of the several free, one-hour classes they offer.