Weekly roundup (August 20)

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August 20, 2025 | Issue #120

NYC FOR FREE WEEKLY ROUNDUP


Note from Rebeka:

This week: tennis is taking over NYC for the US Open, with a ton of free pop-ups and events (all listed on nycforfree.co/tennis-2025), plus a variety of pop-ups, from a K-Beauty pop-up at the Korean Cultural Center to a women’s health and empowerment day with O Positiv, to a Cracker Barrel roadside Americana takeover! 

– Rebeka

UPCOMING EVENTS (THIS WEEK):

🎾 US Open Fan Week (August 20 - 23): Watch the US Open for FREE during the US Open Fan Week. Check out practices, interviews, enjoy free brand activations and so much more.

πŸ—Cracker Barrel NYC Pop-Up (August 21):  Gansevoort Plaza will transform into a slice of roadside Americana, with homestyle bites, line dancing, games, & a free Jordan Davis concert!

🧴 K-BEAUTY BOOST NYC 2025 (August 22 - 26, excl. August 24): Nurilounge’s signature K-Beauty Boost experience is coming to the Korean Cultural Center. Enjoy giveaways, and immersive activations from your favorite K-Beauty and wellness brands

πŸ’¦ O Positiv Wet Girl Summer (August 23): Join O Positiv for a free pop-up celebrating women’s health, pleasure, and empowerment featuring live DJs, treats, cheeky merch and more! 

🐠SeaGlass Carousel 10 Year Anniversary (August 20): Celebrate 10 years of SeaGlass Carousel with free rides for the first 100 visitors, activities & more!

πŸ“šSalon 94 Summer Book Giveaway (August 20 - 22): Salon 94 is having a Summer Book Giveaway. Stop by for free art books, magazines and more!

πŸ•Two Boots x Yerba Madre (August 20): Celebrate the rebranding of Yerba Madre with live music, free tasting of their new summery flavors, giveaways, and swag.

🎾 Seaport Racquet Club (August 20 - September 7): Step into the Seaport Racquet Club, an immersive experience that brings the spirit of the game to life in the heart of the city. 

🎾 Brookfield Place Open (August 20 - 28): Volley, serve and swing your way into the 10th annual Brookfield Place Open. While advance reservations are sold out, walk-ins are often accommodated.

πŸ§˜β€β™€οΈWTC Wellness Wednesdays (August 20): WTC is hosting a range of free fitness and wellness classes through September. This week: ElevΓ© Sculpt 

πŸ“ CityPicklePalooza in Union Square (August 21): Join CityPickle and Major League Pickleball in bringing New Yorkers together to celebrate America’s fastest growing sport at this day-long celebration of free pickleball and more!

πŸ›οΈ Prep Rally at MUJI (August 21 - 23): Kick off the new semester by celebrating at MUJI with a complimentary candy bar, a yearbook style photobooth, store discounts, calligraphy and more!

β˜•οΈLavazza CafΓ¨ (August 21): Lavazza is bringing a tennis-themed CafΓ© pop-up to Casa Magazines.

πŸ₯€Coco’s Corner Store with Naked Smoothies (August 21 - 22): Coco Gauff launched her first-ever smoothie, and Naked Smoothies is celebrating with an immersive bodega-style pop-up.

🫧Garnier Micellar Museum (August 21): Step inside the Garnier Micellar Museum: test your luck at the claw machine, grab travel-size and sample-size products and more!

πŸ§‡ Choice Hotels National Waffle Day (August 21): Enjoy a multi-sensory pop-up experience where guests can unwind, relax, and dine on warm waffles ahead of National Waffle Day. 

🍻 Campbell’s Chunky x Pabst Blue Ribbon Pop-Up Dive Bar Event (August 21): Campbell’s Chunky is partnering with PBR to launch two new beer-infused soups for the boldest appetites. Enjoy free soup samples and PBR.

🎼 Metropolitan Opera HD Summer Festival (August 22 - September 1): The Met’s 16th Summer HD Festival features free performances from the company’s Live in HD series of cinema transmissions.

✨ CΓ©cred New Collection Pop-Up (August 23): Be the first to preview CΓ©cred’s newest collection: shop through an immersive exhibit, gifts with purchase, and more. Location drops Friday!

πŸš΄πŸ»β€β™‚οΈ Summer Streets (August 23): Explore over 400 blocks of car-free fun, fitness, and live entertainment with free Citi Bike. This is the last week of Summer Streets, in Brooklyn and the Bronx

πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ Japan Village Summer Festival (August 23): Summer Fest is back at Japan Village! Enjoy games, Japanese food, drinks, local vendors, and fun for all ages!

πŸš— Jeep 4x4 City Camp (August 22 - 23): Jeep is bringing a larger-than-life experience to Domino Square, with lawn games, live music sets, nostalgia zones, food trucks and more!

πŸ“ Courtside on the Hudson, Powered by ASICS (August 23): ASICS will be taking over the Hudson River Park Tennis Courts, giving  fans a chance to show off their own on court skills.

🍺 Our serve. Limited Edition Heineken 0.0 (August 23 - September 7): Stop by various spots in Grand Central all week for a grab & go sampling of limited-edition Heineken 0.0 L0VE.L0VE cans.

⚾️ NYC for FREE Yankees Hamilton Night (August 25): Join NYC For Free and the New York Yankees for a fun-filled day at Yankee Stadium with performances from original cast members, giveaways and more. Group tickets start at $26. Last chance to get them!

ON THE RADAR:

🍸Grey Goose The Last Serve Bar (August 27 - 29): GREY GOOSE invites you to an  immersive pop-up that captures the essence of the tennis season. Enjoy ​​sample-sized Grey Goose Cocktails, including the iconic Grey Goose Honey Deuce and Espresso Martini.

πŸ•―οΈCafΓ© Candier (August 27): You’re invited to an evening of sweet scents and even sweeter vibes at CafΓ© Candier! 

🎢Instacart’s Summer of β€˜99: Live with Third Eye Blind Concert (September 4): Instacart is hosting a free, one-night-only Third Eye Blind concert in NYC with full-on 1999 nostalgia.

MISC, RECURRING & DEALSο»Ώ:

🎭 Free Shakespeare in the Park (August 20 – September 14): The Public Theater’s free Shakespeare in the Park is back at the newly revitalized Delacorte Theater! There are FIVE ways to access free tickets on the day of each performance.

πŸ™‡πŸ½β€β™€οΈ Get $225 for a Focus Group: Earn $225 in rewards to help to shape the future of technology! Sign up for a 3 hour in-person study in Midtown Manhattan and get $225 for your time and participation. Check out a video here on the $225 Challenge.

🍽️ Nora Health: There’s a new app in NYC where you can get paid to eat healthy. Get $15 cash back for your first meal at your favorite healthy eateries with code NYCFORFREE, and up to 20% cash back after that!

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Weekly roundup (August 27)

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Weekly roundup (August 13)