What’s Free to do in New York on the First Weekend of 2026
Free fun in New York City this weekend includes community jogs, moonlight meditations, youth hair-braiding classes and more.
Getty Images stock photo.
It’s a whole new year and, before February, a lot of us will have abandoned those spur of the moment physical and spiritual resolutions we made Dec. 31. But the thing is, there are plenty of ways to keep yourself on point. And out of debt. We’ve got a lot of them here, from neighborhood jogging groups to meditations designed to help enhance your spirituality.
Here’s what’s free.
Manhattan
By-Donation Yoga
Every Saturday, 11 - 11:45 a.m., 2277 3rd Ave., Harlem
Breathe, stretch, shake and let it go during a free yoga session in a Harlem art gallery. Pull up every Saturday for this 45-minute by-donation session.
Full Moon Meditation
Saturday, Jan. 3, 5 - 6 p.m., 151 W 30th St. 3rd floor
Just because it’s all spiritual and stuff doesn’t mean mediation has to be solitary. Come see for yourself by pulling up to this Manhattan meditation on a full moon.
Forest Fitness
Saturday, Jan. 3, 8:30 - 9:30 a.m., Fort Tryon Park Margaret Corbin Circle Heather Garden Entrance
So, a couple of things about Saturday morning workouts. One: They’re not always great. Two: They’re way better when you’re with someone else, and once you’re done, you’re done! So start your weekend off the right way by coming through Fort Tryon Park tomorrow.
Brooklyn
Braid & Bloom Crown Creations (Youth Hair Braiding Class)
Saturday, Jan. 3, 1 - 3:30 p.m., 895 Pennsylvania Ave.
Come through Brooklyn for hair-braiding lessons for the girls. Pull up for a class that also “emphasizes self-care, self-love, and self-understanding” in addition to helping you, your daughter, or niece look fabulous.
UG! Comedy Show
Sunday, Jan. 4, 9 p.m., Secret Pour
Pull up for some free laughs on a Sunday night. Sure, that’s usually a time to quiet down, but it’s worth it if the noise is laughter.
Poetics of the Photographic: Language of Resistance
Friday-Saturday, Jan. 2 - 3, 11 - 6 p.m., Clive Davis Gallery
Come through the Clive Davis Gallery the next few Saturdays to get a look at photography that challenged the systems of the eras they were forged in.
Queens
Dreaming and Believing: 2026 Vision Board Party
Friday, Jan. 2, 6-8 p.m., 203-12 Linden Boulevard
By nature, it’s easier to “see the vision” when other people see it with you. At this interactive event, friends and family can pull up to put their New Year's resolutions, hopes and dreams into visual form.
Compost, Art, Farm and learn at Rusty Wheelbarrow Farm
Saturday, Jan. 3, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m., 7202 Woodside Avenue
If you’ve got kids that you want to teach the value of hard work — or if you were ever just curious about life on a farm — visit the Rusty Wheelbarrow Farm for a day of hand-dirtying volunteer work.
Bronx
Black Women are Powerful! NYC
Sunday, Jan. 4, 1-4 p.m., 1125 Grand Concourse
A specialized conference by and for Black women. Come feel the power this Sunday.
StartLine Runners Saturday Group Run
Saturday, Jan. 3, 8:30 - 11:30 a.m., 6115 Broadway
Nothing like a Saturday morning run with your community to get those positive juices flowing in the new year.
