Lockdown, stay at home, safer at home … unless you’re an essential worker during this time of coronavirus, chances are you’ve been spending months stuck at home and are looking for some virtual events to attend and other fun things to do. Whether you’re bored by yourself, with your BFFs, with bae or with family—we’ve got you! Check our massive online events list + more free, cheap and creative things to do every day in quarantine below.
Stay safe, stay strong and remember: we’re in this together.
Know about an antiracist organization, online party, talk, crafts, cooking class, concert or other virtual event we should list? Tweet tips to @niftynyc.
Please share this with your friends and family around the world, and don’t forget to subscribe to our free e-newsletter.
xo Claire Elyse
Note: This list is no longer being updated
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- Help Fight for Justice & Dismantle Systems of White Supremacy
- Free & Cheap Online Events This Week
- Ongoing & Recurring Virtual Events
- Travel the World for Free (From Your Home)
- More Things to Do in Quarantine
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- Follow @niftynyc: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Free & Cheap Online Events This Week
All events are listed in EDT (Eastern/New York) time zone
Daily | Change your life. Change the world. Get a free one-on-one life coaching session when you make a donation to or volunteer with organizations related to COVID relief or racial justice.
Daily | Support Nifty NYC & local indie bookstores by browsing our favorite books about NYC
Center for Mind Body Medicine: Laughter Breaks Trauma’s Spell | Stream free here
Through July 31 | SVA: Pillars of Resilience virtual exhibition | View free here
America’s racial reckoning talk with Wes Moore, CEO of Robin Hood Foundation | Free here
Angelique Kidjo concert
Starting at 7pm | Stream live/replay free here
Museum of the Moving Image: “The Children’s Television Revolution in the ’70s: A Focus on ZOOM” | Stream free here
Thursdays-Sundays Through August 30 | How to host an epic wine tasting party | $20 through Nifty reader discount link (save $15)
Fridays-Sundays Through June 28 | Virtual wine education + food pairing
$17.99 through Nifty reader discount link
Through July 11 | NYC gay virtual speed dating | $10 through Nifty reader discount link (1/2 price)
Through June 26 | Brooklyn Institute for Social Research: “From Racial Capitalism to Prison Abolitionism” virtual teach-in | Free here
Through June 26 | Heart & Mind Festival Peace-IN ft. global indigenous leaders, musicians & spiritual practices for our chaotic times | Stream free here
Through June 28 | Virtual Brooklyn Art Book Fair 2020 + talks | Free here
Get a free month of MUBI through this Nifty reader link. Netflix, Prime and other services have an overwhelming amount of content these days, which somehow makes it harder to find something good to watch. I love MUBI’s highly curated selection of classics, docs & contemporary independent films from around the world. Membership includes access to a vault of films + a new handpicked selection dropped every day.
Happy hour online painting class
8pm EDT | $10 through Nifty reader discount link (save 50%)
Virtual DIY Shibori indigo tie-dye class
Noon EDT | $22.50 through Nifty reader discount link (1/2 price)
QED: Intro to Podcasting
2pm | $20 through Nifty reader link (save $15)
Through August 29 | Virtual Wine 101 tasting + guides | $20 through Nifty reader discount link (save $15)
Frozen movie trivia night
7pm | $10 through Nifty reader discount link
Saturdays Through July 25 | Drunk Zoom game nights | $8 through Nifty reader discount link
Saturdays Through July 11 | Shake Rattle & Roll Dueling Pianos plays the hits online
8pm | $5 through Nifty reader discount link
Through June 29 | Intimate virtual Josh Groban concert | $21.50 through Nifty reader discount link
Pickathon: Langhorne Slim concert
4pm | Stream for free here
Mondays Through July 6 | Waxahatchee performs full albums live
9pm | $15 in advance
Mondays | Grace Potter streams soulful covers & originals during “Monday Night Twilight Hour”
9pm EDT YT | Stream free here, donations to Minneapolis orgs appreciated
Monday evenings | Bryant Park Mahjongg players have moved online
Tuesdays | The Drawing Center: Free live drawing sessions & artists talks
12:30pm IG | Stream free
Wednesdays Through July 29 | Pop music replaces numbers during virtual Jukebox Bingo games
7:30pm Zoom | $8 through Nifty reader discount link
Ongoing & Recurring Virtual Events
All events are listed in EDT (Eastern/New York) time zone
[IRL] Through June 27 | 2020 NYC Caribbean Restaurant Week with prix fixe delivery deals | Participating restaurants
Through June 28 | Virtual 2020 Hudson Valley Cider Week with tastings & orchard tours | Free here
Through June 28 | Participate in the 2020 Runstreet Virtual Pride 5K Art Run wherever you are in the world
Through June 29 | National Queer Theater & Dixon Place: Virtual Criminal Queerness Arts Festival 2020
Through June 29 | 2020 Virtual Lower East Side Film Festival
$10/screening or $30 all-access | See lineup
Through July 31 | 2020 Edgar Allan Poe Festival | $10 through Nifty reader discount link
Through July 31 | 2020 Radiotheatre LIVE Sci-Fi Festival | $10 through Nifty reader discount link
Through July 31 | 2020 Radiotheatre H.P. Lovecraft Festival | $10 through Nifty reader link
Daily | Volunteer in-person or virtually with local organizations through New York Cares
Daily | Henry Street Settlement: Volunteer at home making wellness calls to seniors or in-person at food pantries | Sign up
Daily | Films showcasing Black stories you can stream for free online
[IRL] Daily | Plan a self-guided, socially-distant walking tour of Lower Manhattan civil rights & social justice sites here
Daily | Research Black heritage with NYPL’s e-resources
Daily | CreativeMornings talks streaming from around the world
Daily | Metropolitan Opera streams favorites for free & new performances premiere every day at 7:30pm
Daily | Virtual interactive, Broadway-themed murder mystery party | $19 through Nifty reader discount link
Daily | NYC plans to keep nearly 100 miles of road car-free for socially distant walks & bike rides
8am-8pm | See map & list of streets here
Daily | Club Quarantine queer dance parties
4-7pm Saturdays, 9pm midnight all other days | Free, donations appreciated, RSVP here
Daily | Online one-on-one ballet classes with an American Ballet Theater alum | $10 classes through Nifty reader discount link
Daily | Fun beginner ukulele lessons | $9 for series through Nifty reader discount link
Daily | Free 7-day trial membership to inclusive HealHaus yoga & meditation classes
Daily | Stream a huge array of Lincoln Center performances free on demand
Daily (except Thursdays & Sundays) | The Jazz Gallery: Happy hour performances & dance parties | $15 in advance
Daily | Strike up conversations with strangers around the world through QuarantineChat
Donate materials to Brooklyn Historical Society’s COVID-19 collection
Daily | Free access to 3 online OneCommune workshops:
– “Unwinding Prejudice: How to Break down Bias & Forge Equality” with social psychologist Evelyn Carter
– “Organize a March” with Emi Guereca, Director of Women’s March LA
– “Redefining Leadership: Self-Inquiry for Social Action” with Off the Mat, Into the World
Email jeffk [at] onecommune [dot] com for free access
Mondays Through July 27 | Interactive virtual scavenger hunt you can do from home
7pm | $8 through Nifty reader discount link
Tuesdays Through June 30 | City Reliquary: Panorama Challenge NYC trivia game
8pm | Free on Insta (@cityreliquary)
Wednesdays | Scott’s Pizza Tours: Pizza History 101
8pm | $10 in advance
Wednesdays | Maha Rose: Online non-religious prayer circle
9pm | Free, RSVP here
Thursdays | Scott’s Pizza Tours: History of NYC pizza told through 8 slices from beloved pizzerias
8pm | $10 in advance
Fridays Through July 10 | Atlas Obscura: Adults-only dinosaur party
9-10pm | $7 in advance
Fridays | Maha Rose: Online community Reiki
3-5pm | Free, donations appreciated, RSVP here
Saturdays Through June 27 | Dueling Pianos: Improvised pop classics
8pm | $5 through Nifty reader discount link
Saturdays Through June 27 | Confinement Online Film Festival (COFF) | $15-25 sliding scale in advance
Saturdays | Start your day on a high note with themed Daybreaker dance parties
11am-1pm | Free, RSVP here
Saturdays | Scott’s Pizza Tours: How to make the best pizza dough
1pm | $15 in advance
Saturdays | DJ D-NICE + friends Club Quarantine parties draw celebs & e-partygoers from around the world
5pm EDT start IG | Free here
Sundays Through September 6 | Virtually Mister Sunday parties ft. Justin Carter, Eamon Harkin & friends
5-9pm | Free here
Sundays | Free Joe Pug concerts
9pm YT | Stream free here
Sundays | Scott’s Pizza Tours: NYC’s best pizza makers teach you how to stretch dough
1pm | $15 in advance
Help Fight for Justice & Dismantle Systems of White Supremacy
Register to vote & apply for an absentee ballot (next NYC election is June 23)
Learn how to administer emergency first aid for tear gas, pepper spray, wounds & more in this free basic street medic guide PDF for protesters and this Amnesty International protest safety guide
Run for Something – donate, volunteer or run for office yourself
“Since launching in January 2017, Run for Something has recruited 50,000+ young people across all 50 states who want to run for local office. We provide a safety net for new and exciting progressive candidates — at all stages of their journey — to help them run efficient, grassroots & voter-contact driven campaigns and not feel alone in the process.”
Mutual Aid NYC – donate, volunteer & join a group of organizers
“Mutual Aid NYC is a multi-racial network of people and groups building support systems for people in the New York area during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.”
Communities United for Police Reform – donate, attend a rally & contact elected representatives (Safer NY Act)
“Communities United for Police Reform (CPR) is an unprecedented campaign that is working to end discriminatory policing in New York. We are advancing policies that protect the safety and rights of all New Yorkers to create true community safety. We are in the courts fighting to hold police accountable for violating New Yorkers’ constitutional rights. We are training communities to know their rights and to observe and document police abuse. We engage in strategic direct action, organizing and civic engagement to build the power of communities most impacted by abusive policing. And we are in Albany and at City Hall demanding law and policy changes that advance police accountability to improve safety for communities.”
COVID BAIL OUT NYC – donate & volunteer
“The COVID-19 virus is spreading faster in NYC jails than anywhere in the world. Help us post bail for medically vulnerable people held in New York City jails and provide comprehensive post-release support, such as shelter and food, for these individuals.”
Brooklyn Community Bail Fund – donate & contact elected representatives
“Our fight to dismantle the prison industrial complex includes freeing immigrants from the horrific conditions of ICE detention, working to end pretrial detention in New York, and strategically paying bail in cases where we believe it will have maximum impact toward systems change.”
The Audre Lorde Project – donate, become a member or join the Board
The Audre Lorde Project is a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Two Spirit, Trans and Gender Non Conforming People of Color center for community organizing, focusing on the New York City area. Through mobilization, education and capacity-building, we work for community wellness and progressive social and economic justice.
Brooklyn Movement Center – donate & become a member
“We build power and pursue self-determination in Bedford-Stuyvesant & Crown Heights by nurturing local leadership, waging campaigns and winning concrete improvements in people’s lives. Through our intersectional organizing, BMC centers a full range of issues and Black identity that define a whole community.”
The Liberty Fund – donate
“You can help fix a broken piece of NYC’s criminal justice system. Your donation will help The Liberty Fund adapt to sweeping criminal justice reform in New York with a proactive and practical response through our Charitable Bail Program and our ROR (Released On Recognizance) Program, both of which provide voluntary, person-centered, pretrial case management support.”
The Bronx Community Relief Effort – donate
“The Bronx Community Relief Effort was born in the South Bronx immediately after the Coronavirus hit New York City. The Effort aims to raise $10 million to support effective, on-the-ground operations that are focused on meeting the most essential needs of the Bronx community. This includes filling gaps in public financing and broader grant programs. Donations collected are distributed in real-time within the community to those in critical need.”
The Okra Project – donate
“A collective that seeks to address the global crisis faced by Black Trans people by bringing home cooked, healthy, and culturally specific meals and resources to Black Trans People wherever we can reach them.”
Equality for Flatbush – donate & volunteer
“Tenants, especially those who live in non-rent stabilized housing, homeowners and small business owners are at an unfair disadvantage because they do not have access to the same legal representation that landlords and developers do. And seems like the NYPD is above the law and can do whatever they want in our neighborhoods without impunity. Help Us Change This!”
Vera Institute of Justice – donate & explore their research
“We’re fighting for justice reform built on bedrock American values and grounded in action at the state and local level. We work with others who share our vision to tackle the most pressing injustices of our day—from the causes and consequences of mass incarceration, racial disparities, and the loss of public trust in law enforcement, to the unmet needs of the vulnerable, the marginalized, and those harmed by crime and violence.”
Black Lives Matter – donate & participate in local actions
“Black Lives Matter Foundation, Inc is a global organization in the US, UK, and Canada, whose mission is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes. By combating and countering acts of violence, creating space for Black imagination and innovation, and centering Black joy, we are winning immediate improvements in our lives.”
Equal Justice Initiative – donate & check out list of orgs in need of volunteers
“EJI is committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the U.S., challenging racial and economic injustice, and protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society.”
NAACP Legal Defense Fund – donate
“Through litigation, advocacy, and public education, LDF seeks structural changes to expand democracy, eliminate disparities, and achieve racial justice in a society that fulfills the promise of equality for all Americans. LDF also defends the gains and protections won over the past 75 years of civil rights struggle and works to improve the quality and diversity of judicial and executive appointments.”
Color of Change – donate & participate in online & in-person actions
“We design campaigns powerful enough to end practices that unfairly hold Black people back, and champion solutions that move us all forward. Until justice is real.”
We The Protesters – donate & take action
“Since 2015, we’ve built the most comprehensive database of police violence in the nation, used the data to identify effective policy solutions and supported movement organizers to enact these policies at every level of government.”
Innocence Project – donate
“We exonerate the innocent through DNA testing and reform the criminal justice system to prevent future injustice.”
The King Center – donate
“The King Center is dedicated to educating the world on the life, legacy and teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., inspiring new generations to carry forward his unfinished work, strengthen causes and empower changemakers who are continuing his efforts today.”
National Police Accountability Project (National Lawyers Guild) – donate
“NPAP was created as a non-profit to protect the human and civil rights of individuals in their encounters with law enforcement and detention facility personnel. The central mission of NPAP is to promote the accountability of law enforcement officers and their employers for violations of the Constitution and the laws of the United States.”
National Bail Out – donate
“A Black-led and Black-centered collective of abolitionist organizers, lawyers and activists building a community-based movement to support our folks and end systems of pretrial detention and ultimately mass incarceration. We are people who have been impacted by cages — either by being in them ourselves or witnessing our families and loved ones be encaged. We are queer, trans, young, elder, and immigrant.”
The Bail Project – donate
“The Bail Project™ National Revolving Bail Fund is a critical tool to prevent incarceration and combat racial and economic disparities in the bail system.”
Unicorn Riot – donate
“We have worked tirelessly to build a platform that focuses on primary source reporting and on-the-ground coverage. Our reporters go where the story is unfolding to bring you the voices of real people alongside crucial context and facts.”
For Freedoms – donate
“Through non-partisan nationwide programming, we use art as a vehicle for participation to deepen public discussions on civic issues and core values. We are a hub for artists, arts partners, and citizens who want to be more engaged in public life.”
African American Policy Forum – donate & #sayhername
“AAPF is an innovative think tank that connects academics, activists and policy-makers to promote efforts to dismantle structural inequality. We utilize new ideas and innovative perspectives to transform public discourse and policy. We promote frameworks and strategies that address a vision of racial justice that embraces the intersections of race, gender, class, and the array of barriers that disempower those who are marginalized in society.”
Black Theatre United – participate in actions
“BTU is partnering with theatre and educational organizations to advance diversity efforts and inclusionary practices. As we develop mentorship, scholarship and internship opportunities to support Black youth aspiring to careers in the theatre, we will engage resources to accurately assess past practices and policies to help build a more equitable theatrical community.”
Black History Matters
Weeksville Heritage Center, Brooklyn – donate & volunteer to teach art classes when they reopen
“Historic Weeksville became one of the largest free black communities of pre-Civil War America partly because it was a safe haven for Black people from white terror and dehumanization…. It was a place where people came together with a sense of shared responsibility and purpose, which compelled their involvement in the ongoing efforts for justice and equity that were prevalent at that time, including the abolition and black convention movements, voting rights campaigns and the Freedmen’s schools.”
African Burial Ground National Monument, Manhattan – volunteer or intern
“African Burial Ground is the oldest and largest known excavated burial ground in North America for both free and enslaved Africans. Ancestral remains guide us towards a better understanding and telling of colonial history and enslavement in New York.”
The Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts (MoCADA), Brooklyn – donate & volunteer when they reopen
“MoCADA incites dialogue on pressing social and political issues facing the African Diaspora and fosters a dynamic space for the creation and continuous evolution of culture.”
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manhattan – donate, volunteers may be needed when doors open post-COVID
“The Schomburg Center in Harlem (part of New York Public Library system) is one of the world’s leading cultural institutions devoted to the research, preservation, and exhibition of materials focused on African American, African Diaspora, and African experiences.”
The Africa Center, Manhattan – donate
“The Africa Center is transforming the world’s understanding of Africa, its Diaspora and the role of people of African descent in the world. Serving as the hub for the exchange of ideas around culture, business, and policy related to the continent, and in the spirit of collaboration and engagement with individuals and institutions who share the Center’s values, The Africa Center inspires enthusiasm, and advances thought and action around Africa’s global influence and impact on our collective and shared futures.”
The Louis Latimer House Museum, Queens – donate
“Lewis Howard Latimer (1848-1928), was an African-American inventor, electrical pioneer, and a son of fugitive slaves. With no access to formal education, Latimer taught himself mechanical drawing while in the Union Navy, and eventually became a chief draftsman, patent expert, and inventor. He played a critical role in the development of the telephone, and invented the carbon filament, a significant improvement in the production of the incandescent light bulb.”
Sandy Ground Historical Society, Staten Island – donate
“The Sandy Ground Historical Society Museum is a Program Site for the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. We conduct ongoing research and preserve the history of the Sandy Ground community and African American history.”
The Louis Armstrong House Museum, Queens
“The Louis Armstrong House Museum & Archives sustains and promotes the cultural, historical, and humanitarian legacy of Louis Armstrong by preserving and interpreting Armstrong’s house and grounds, collecting and sharing archival materials that document Armstrong’s life and legacy, and presenting public programs such as exhibits, concerts, lectures, and film screenings.”
Travel the World for Free (From Your Home)
Much more coming soon!
North America
New York Botanical Garden: Relaxing virtual journeys of an empty NYBG + get tips to keep your houseplants thriving (Bronx, New York, USA)
Enjoy Coney Island’s classic coasters from your couch with interactive 360° virtual reality rides (Brooklyn, New York, USA)
Nouguchi Museum: Architecture & sculpture exhibitions move online + Noguchi’s web catalogue raisonné (Queens, New York, USA)
The Jewish Museum: Audio & artist-led virtual tours (Manhattan, New York, USA)
Merchant’s House Museum: Virtual exhibits & tours (Manhattan, New York, USA)
View some of Frank Lloyd Wright’s most notable private & public sites in this PechaKucha series. (Across the USA)
The Broad Museum: Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirrored Room—The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away online + contemporary poetry & art talks (Los Angeles, California, USA)
The Art Institute of Chicago: Parts of El Greco: Ambition and Defiance moved online + interact with the Art Institute’s permanent collections and get inspired from art & writing prompts (Chicago, Illinois, USA)
Europe
The Louvre: Virtual exhibit tours, VR Mona Lisa & interactive magnification of notable works (Paris, France)
Oceania
Make your day by streaming adorbs koalas livin’ their lives & having “cuddle train” parties. Because, John Oliver jokes aside, they are some of the cutest animals alive. 🐨 (Queensland, Australia)
Go Global
Explore the world’s cultures & traditions and learn more about the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in this free online course series
More Things to Do in Quarantine
Coronavirus got you down? Try killin’ it in the free online “Fauci’s Revenge” game.
[IRL] Take a book and leave a book at a Little Free Library near you
La Blogothèque’s intimate videos make my heart sing, and they’re a great way to find new musical artists around the globe, too.
Listen to a bedtime story from Dolly Parton.