Weekly roundup (November 26)

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November 26, 2025 | Issue #134

NYC FOR FREE WEEKLY ROUNDUP

Note from Rebeka:

Happy almost Thanksgiving! I am thankful for the NYC for FREE community and hope you all have a great holiday weekend with family and friends. Enjoy some Black Friday / Small Business Saturday pop-ups this weekend and plan for a ton of holiday events in NYC next week!

– Rebeka

FEATURED EVENTS (THIS WEEK):

🎈Macy's Thanksgiving Eve Balloon Inflation (November 26): Watch the iconic balloons and floats come to life on the Upper West Side, the day before the Parade.

🦃 99th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (November 27): Watch this annual Thanksgiving tradition in person, with 34 balloons, 28 floats, 26 performers and more, from the Upper West Side down to Herald Square.

🏠Wayflyer House of Black Friday (November 28 - December 2): Step into Wayflyer's dream house of 70+ brands and enjoy interactive elements like a free morning coffee station, free 10-minute chair massages, free workshops & classes and more!

🛍️ Pop-Up Collective NYC Holiday Market (November 28 - December 28): Pop-Up Collective NYC is a holiday marketplace bringing together small brands, artists, and makers in the city. On opening weekend, enjoy music, shopping, workshops, plus a holiday ornament & candle giveaway!

💄Entropy Kindergarten NYC Pop-Up (November 28 - 30):  This is Entropy’s first NYC Pop-Up and its all about makeup as play. Shop and try your luck at a gacha lucky draw: win liptints, blush shades & more!

💗PINK x LoveShackFancy Holiday Drop Pop-Up (December 2): Step into a playful and whimsical winter village with hot chocolate, an interactive gifting station, and an early preview of the new holiday collection.

MORE EVENTS (THIS WEEK):

🥁Marching Bands at the Seaport Museum  (November 26)

🏃🏻‍♀️ Central Park Run Club Turkey Trot (November 27)

🦃 King Souvlaki Thanksgiving (November 27)

🛍️ Square x Cash App Small Business Saturday (November 29)

🎄Park Slope Tree Lighting (November 29)

⚽️ New York City FC Watch Party (November 29)

🖼️ Mucinex Clear & Cool 3D Mural Experience (December 1 - 7)

🎄Bryant Park Tree Lighting (December 2)

🎄Tavern on the Green's Tree Lighting (December 2)

🎄Seaport Holiday Tree Lighting (December 2)

🍁Genesis House CHROMA: Tales Between Hues (through December 14)

🌟Holiday Under the Stars: Columbus Circle (through Jan 4)

✨Saks Fifth Avenue Holiday Light Show 2025 (through January 4)

🚂New York Transit Museum Holiday Train Show (through February 2026)

😆PAC-MAN Celebrates 45th Anniversary (through January 18)

ON THE RADAR:

🎄 Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting (December 3): After being wrapped with more than 50,000 multi-colored, energy efficient LED lights and crowned with a Swarovski star, the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree will be lit during the live broadcast “Christmas in Rockefeller Center” on December 3.

🍽️ A Very ALDI Holiday Pop-Up (December 3): ALDI is transforming a NYC hot spot into a tinsel-drenched ALDI wonderland with appetizers, seasonal favorites, desserts and drinks. More tickets drop December 1!

🍪 McCormick x Milk Bar: National Cookie Day (December 4): Join McCormick and Milk Bar on National Cookie Day with free giveaways of the limited-edition Eggnog English Toffee Cookie, plus McCormick is having a free speakeasy, The Cookie Confidential (RSVPs drop Dec 1!)

🎁 Target Wonder Drop (December 5 - 7):  Join Target at Target Wonder Drop, a larger-than-life holiday spectacle with shopping, giveaways, games and brand activations from LEGO, Hasbro, and Dove.

MISC, RECURRING & DEALS:

✨ Testing Opportunities: There are 6 testing opportunities you can sign up for starting on Tuesday! Earn a $50 beauty gift card for your participation (and yes, you can sign up for multiple tests!) Opportunities include: Mushroom Coffee, Hand Cream, Cushion Foundation, Eye Cream, Lipstick, and Supergreens.

🎻Candlelight Concerts are 10-20% off on Fever for Black Friday, from Adele to Fleetwood Mac & more!

🤑 Rakuten: Get Cash Back during the holidays by shopping at stores like Nike, Bloomingdales, lululemon & more (often 10%+). Plus, new users can get $50 after using the Rakuten app or browser extension to make your first purchase of $50+. Sign up here.

🙇🏽‍♀️ 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.