#NoSpendNovember: 10 Best Free Things Going Down in NYC This November

If the heat in your apartment is anything like mine, it woke you up at 3am this morning with a loud HISSSS it's November, b*tch!

What is with these old ass radiators? My radiator looks like a prop from AHS: Titanic (OMG THEY SHOULD DO THAT!)

Where was I?

Oh yeah, it's November and this is New York City where giant Shrek balloons walk the Earth but once a year!!

You want to know the best things going down for free this month?

From pumpkins to parades, here's what's good in your neighborhood.


1. Ice Skating in Bryant Park (Opens November 1st)

Got skates? Well lace 'em up because at Bryant Park's Winter Village, if you bring your own ice skates you skate for free! They of course offer skate rentals (as well as skate sharpening, lockers, bag check, and a snack bar) but we're all about those freebies! 

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Once you're off the ice, check out the nearby holiday shops to find some hot cocoa, stat! Winter Village is located in Bryant Park, between 40th and 42nd Streets & Fifth and Sixth Avenues.


2. Pumpkin SMASH! (November 2nd - 5th)

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Ever wonder what to do with that Halloween pumpkin after October 31st? The good folks at GrowNYC are smarter than you or I and did all the leg work, so not to worry!

Not only is smashing a pumpkin SUPER fun because um...YES! This is also a great way to make sure your fav October decor doesn't become November's landfill!

Pumpkin Smash is held at various locations throughout Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn.


3. Comic Arts Brooklyn (November 5th)

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Did you not enter the Battle Royale style fray to get NYCC tickets this year? Did you not GAF about NYCC this year because you don't care about The Walking Dead? We feel you.

Comic Arts Brooklyn, now in its 4th year, is back to showcase some actual independent and alternative comics and not the Marvel cinematic universe. Organized by the comic shop Desert Island, Comic Arts Brooklyn draws thousands of comics fans.

There will be over 100 exhibitors selling alternative graphic novels, self-released comic books, small press zines, original art, and more. You can check out their full exhibitor list and schedule of events at their website.

This free festival runs from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. at the Mt. Carmel Gymnasium at 12 Havemeyer Street.


4. New York City Marathon (November 6th)

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I am not suggesting you run the New York City Marathon! Unless you're registered and all that, in which case I say Good Marathon to you! May your shins splint not!

The New York City Marathon is 26.2 miles long and will be completed by runners from all over the world! And you can be a part of it!

Those runners will be doing something pretty incredible on November 6th, and the thousands of supporters cheering them on is one of the things that makes the marathon so special.

So grab some friends, bring a homemade sign, and pour some spiked coffee in your favorite thermos: it's Marathon time, baby. Click here to find the best spot for you to watch the NYC Marathon!


5. VOTE (November 8th)

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That's all. Just vote. Vote yer little butts off.


6. NVR Sleep - West Coast Connection


spoiled Creative Director Rodney Hazard is back at it again this month with NVR Sleep - West Coast Connection. What can you expect? 5 hours of dance, drink, and good vibes. Or, you know, everything you've come to expect from NVR Sleep.

We know you remember the reggae dancehall party, the 90s R&B party, the Afrobeats party, and October's decidedly epic Southern Swang party. Well get ready for the West Coast Connection.

Oh, and, as always, it’s free. Completely free. All you’ve got to do is RSVP right here.


7. "Cenizas + Origen" - Closing ceremony (November 12th)


Mexican artist and sculptor Diego Anaya’s latest exhibition, “Cenizas + Origen” (Ashes + Origin), focuses on cycles of life, death , migration, identity, belonging, and the ability we all possess to fall and rise again.

His body of work explores identity, our roots, and stories that are passed down through generations. Anaya dedicates the exhibition to all the people who are far from their motherland and dream of going back home, as well as those who stay behind or died along the way.

If you missed the exhibition’s opening reception at the Brooklyn Arts Fellowship Gallery at 210 24th Street in Brooklyn, well, you missed out.

But! You can still catch the official closing reception―at the same place!―November 12th, from 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.


8. Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (November 25th)

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Spending Turkey Day in the city this year? Well, guess who just got a chance to experience the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade up close and personal!? (You!) Line up at Macy's in Herald Square or grab a spot along Central Park West before those balloons hit 72nd Street. 

You'll see marching bands from all over the country as well as some big time celebs waving from the floats! Bonus points if you go see the balloons get inflated the evening before (behind the Museum of Natural History)!


9. Winter's Eve at Lincoln Square (November 28th)

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Does live music from Sharon Jones sound good to you? How about some food tastings? Let's just throw in a tree lighting for good measure and I'd say you've got a MAJESTIC EVENING on your hands! 

This year's Winter's Eve will feature treats from the Upper West Side's finest restaurants and tunes from the likes of the aforementioned Ms. Jones as well as DJ D-Nice, The Loston Harris Trio and more.

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Winter's Eve at Lincoln Square takes place from Columbus Circle to 68rd Street and Broadway.


10. Tree Lighting Ceremony (November 30th)


You've probably finished up the last of your Thanksgiving leftovers and bought something large and frivolous on Black Friday– we know what that means. It's officially Christmas time! Or... non-denominational large tree with lights time.

ICYMI, this year's Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree will be a Norway spruce from someone's backyard in Oneonta.

From 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. there will be the usual live performances, and thousands of New Yorkers crowded into Rockefeller Plaza as the tree will be lit for the first time.

If the crowd isn't your thing or you tried to go to the Macy's parade and now have PTSD, you have until January 7th, 2017 to visit The Tree at a less hectic time.

[Feature Image Courtesy FreeToursByFoot.com] 

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