The second weekend of October 2026 is stacked with free things to do in NYC. Friday, October 9 through Sunday, October 11 brings Daybreaker's sunrise-to-sunset ALIVE festival to Brooklyn Bridge Park, the African Restaurant Week food and music festival in Bed-Stuy, Kréol Fest at MoCADA, and the NYC Fungus Festival at The Battery — all free.
Every pick below was checked against the organizer, venue or official event page. Several free events ask you to RSVP, so register ahead where noted.
At a glance
| Event | Day | Neighborhood | Time | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALIVE NYC by Daybreaker | Sat, Oct 10 | Brooklyn Heights / DUMBO | 6 AM–8 PM | Free (RSVP) |
| African Restaurant Week Festival | Fri–Sun, Oct 9–11 | Bed-Stuy | 12–7 PM daily | Free |
| Kréol Fest 2026: Lo Sakré | Fri–Sun, Oct 9–11 | Fort Greene | See daily program | Free (RSVP) |
| NYC Fungus Festival | Sun, Oct 11 | Battery Park | 11 AM–4 PM | Free |
| Back to the Future at Hudson Yards | Fri, Oct 9 | Hudson Yards | 6–8 PM | Free |
| Red Hook Open Studios | Sat–Sun, Oct 10–11 | Red Hook | 1–6 PM | Free |
| The Afro-Latineers | Sat, Oct 10 | Stuyvesant Square | 2–4 PM | Free |
| World Mental Health Day Festival | Sat, Oct 10 | Hudson Square | All day | Free |
| MSM Jazz Ensemble Overlook Concert | Sun, Oct 11 | Morningside Heights | 2–3:30 PM | Free |
ALL WEEKEND: FRIDAY–SUNDAY, OCTOBER 9–11
1. New York African Restaurant Week Festival
Time: 12:00–7:00 PM daily
Location: Restoration Plaza, 1368 Fulton Street, Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn
Admission: FREE — registration on Eventbrite; food and goods priced by vendor
Official link: African Restaurant Week · Free registration
The grand finale of New York African Restaurant Week: a three-day food market with vendors, live performances and Afrobeats, Amapiano and Soca. Shop, eat, dance — and come hungry.
2. Kréol Fest 2026: Lo Sakré
Time: Times vary by day — see the official daily program
Location: MoCADA Culture Lab II, 10 Lafayette Avenue, and Haiti Cultural Exchange, 35 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn
Admission: FREE — RSVP recommended; space is limited, first come, first served
Official link: Kréol Fest
The third Kréol Fest moves to MoCADA under the theme "Lo Sakré" (The Sacred), celebrating Creole cultures with an opening jam session, live performances, a marketplace, talks, workshops and a closing DJ set. Free and open to all ages.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9
3. Back to the Future at Hudson Yards Movie Nights
Time: 6:00–8:00 PM (doors open one hour before)
Location: The Big Screen, Public Square and Gardens, Hudson Yards
Admission: FREE — open seating; bring a blanket
Official link: Hudson Yards Movie Nights
Great Scott — a free screening of the 1985 classic on Hudson Yards' Big Screen, with complimentary popcorn from Wells Fargo while supplies last.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10
4. ALIVE NYC by Daybreaker
Time: 6:00 AM–8:00 PM
Location: Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 3
Admission: FREE with RSVP — first come, first served unless you have guaranteed access
Official link: Daybreaker
The pick of the weekend. Daybreaker's free, sober, all-ages sunrise-to-sunset festival — rescheduled from September — brings dancing, sunrise and sunset DJ sets, yoga, run club, sauna and cold plunge, art, a global food village and a kids zone. Dress in layers and bring a blanket for the Pier 3 lawn.
5. Red Hook Open Studios 2026
Time: 1:00–6:00 PM, Saturday and Sunday
Location: Artist studios across Red Hook, Brooklyn (map of participating artists on the official site)
Admission: FREE
Official link: Red Hook Open Studios
Red Hook's artists open their studios to the public for a weekend of art, a year after the waterfront fire that destroyed more than 100 studios. Pair it with the sculpture show at Red Hook Distillery (185 Van Dyke Street, through Oct 18).
6. The Afro-Latineers in Stuyvesant Square Park
Time: 2:00–4:00 PM
Location: Stuyvesant Square Park, West Park (Rutherford Place), Manhattan
Admission: FREE — open to all
Official link: Stuyvesant Park Neighborhood Association
Rescheduled from September's rainout: Paul "Sabor" Rivera's Afro-Latin jazz band plays a free Hispanic Heritage Month afternoon under the trees.
7. World Mental Health Day Festival
Time: All day (listed as 8:00 AM–6:00 PM) — check the official page for the session schedule
Location: Spring Studios, 50 Varick Street, Manhattan
Admission: FREE — register on the official page
Official link: Project Healthy Minds
Project Healthy Minds' fifth annual festival — billed as the world's largest World Mental Health Day event — with talks from Karl-Anthony Towns, Terry Crews and Jonathan Haidt, plus fitness classes, music and creative activities.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11
8. NYC Fungus Festival
Time: 11:00 AM–4:00 PM
Location: The Battery (State Street and Battery Place), Manhattan
Admission: FREE — registration recommended for updates and walk sign-ups
Official link: New York Mycological Society
The fourth NYMS Fungus Festival brings wild-mushroom ID tables, talks, mushroom walks, workshops, artists, food vendors and a Fungi Fashion Parade — bring a mushroom costume. Rain or shine.
9. Manhattan School of Music Jazz Ensemble Overlook Concert
Time: 2:00–3:30 PM
Location: 116th Street Overlook, Riverside Park (Riverside Drive at West 116th Street)
Admission: FREE — limited first-come seating; heavy rain cancels
Official link: Riverside Park Conservancy
Student musicians from Manhattan School of Music play traditional and contemporary jazz above the Hudson, part of Charlotte Mayerson's Overlook Concerts.
Plan your weekend
Browse every upcoming listing on our NYC events page, or see past weekend guides for more ideas.