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.

🍗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

💦 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!

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

🍕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.

🧘‍♀️WTC Wellness Wednesdays (August 20): WTC is hosting a range of free fitness and wellness classes through September. This week: Elevé Sculpt 

🏓 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!

🛍️ 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!

☕️Lavazza Cafè (August 21): Lavazza is bringing a tennis-themed Café pop-up to Casa Magazines.

🥤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!

🧇 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.

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

🚴🏻‍♂️ 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

🇯🇵 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!

🚗 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!

🏓 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.

🕯️Café Candier (August 27): You’re invited to an evening of sweet scents and even sweeter vibes at Café Candier! 

🎶Instacart’s Summer of ‘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 & DEALS:

🎭 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.

🙇🏽‍♀️ 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!