Who doesn’t love a free public event?
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Public initiatives large and small, from concerts to bird walking tours to cardio classes, not only give locals a way to get active but also create a sense of community.
They breathe life into a city, in other words.
I’m from Saint Louis, a city that hosts free concerts under the Gateway Arch each summer. Those performances bring the whole city together for a few hours. We sing, we dance, we drink, we shout conversations over the music, and go home with a warm feeling.
And while most public events are designed for locals, that’s not always the case.
I’ve brought out-of-towners to the Saint Louis concert series anytime they’re around for a big performance—it’s a great introduction to life in the Lou.
The same is true in New Orleans, a city that tends to offer free public concerts for jazz, blues, and other popular genres. If you’ve spent time in the Big Easy, you’ve probably stumbled across some type of free concert hosted by one of the city’s art councils and organizations.
Aside from STL and NOLA, where else can you find long (and enviable) lists of free public events in the US? Let’s count down the top US cities with tons of free events.
Best cities with free events
New York City
New York City… for cheap? That’s right. While New York City is a playground for the wealthy and hyper-rich, the majority of locals are living ordinary lives—and they’re interested in free events. Tourists can join the fun around the city in a range of ways.
The easiest way to join a free event is via NYC Parks. Their events calendar includes educational, fitness, social, cultural, and artistic pursuits. What’s cool about NYC’s free events is how professional they are.
With nine million residents, many of NYC’s free events are led by qualified and passionate professionals who want to share their expertise with the public.
Aside from NYC Parks’ long list of free events, you can also use NYC For Free to track other giveaways, pop-ups, and special offers. Just be warned—their list is exhaustive, so you might be event-hunting for a while.
Los Angeles
Similar to New York City, Los Angeles has a solid population—and one that’s interested in creativity, expression, and empowerment. Plus, with nearly year-round sunny weather, you can find great opportunities to have fun even in the depths of winter.
Unfortunately, you’ll need to shop around a few different sites to find Los Angeles’ best free events. Do LA has a great Free Events page where they list the coolest events, classes, shows, and workshops throughout the city.
Aside from Do LA, you can also search for free events on Eventbrite using their free filter. Just keep in mind that Eventbrite also posts sales, so some offers might not be entirely free. Lastly, use TimeOut’s monthly free event breakdown to mark your calendars with LA’s coolest free public events.
Houston
Houston might be one of the US’s most underrated big cities. I recently covered why Houston is worth visiting for those who like a little city-slicking—and the number one reason is the sheer volume of free public events. (The city even offers a free boat tour of Port Houston.)
Visit Houston maintains a list of free events for visitors to take part in. You can explore the best free events that weekend or dig into perma-free experiences. What makes these offer stand out is the range. There are popular arts exhibitions to explore, open-air markets, admission to bird sanctuaries, drawing classes, and so much more.
Just like Los Angeles’ DoLA, you can explore the Do 713 list of free events in Houston. (Do is a company that covers free events in US cities, usually with their area code included. They also have an NYC page, if you’re interested.) Do 713’s list usually showcases smaller, grassroots events.
Twin Cities
With two cities banding together, you’ll have plenty to do in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota. Just be warned—spring and summer are busy when it comes to free events, as most aren’t available in winter. So put on your sunscreen and buckle up.
The best place to find the latest free events in the Twin Cities area is via Meet Minneapolis. Their events calendar has a filter for free events. That being said, most events are very, very affordable (around $10), so check out any paid events that catch your eye.
Explore Minnesota has another great list that you can dive into. Once again, there’s a search bar where you can input ‘free’ to filter the results. Lastly, you can learn about local events from the Twin Cities ‘the Scene’ page—but there’s no filter for free, so you’ll need to type ‘free’ into the search bar to help filter the results.
