Sinatra, Kelly and Miller, On the Town & in Times Square!

After you roll out of bed today, gentle reader, head to Times Square to watch...a movie?

That's right! The Times Square Alliance is closing off Times Square to motorized traffic and opening up Times Square to you from 42nd St to 47th St. The Alliance has been setting out beach chairs all morning so you have a place to sit back and relax to watch this quintessentially New York film.

FREE MOVIE in TIMES SQUARE!

What: FREE public airing of the Oscar winning 1949 film “On the Town” starting Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly.*

When: Memorial Day, May 25th at NOON.

Where: Broadway & 47th Street

Why: In celebration of Memorial Day Weekend, the opening of the new “Green Light for Midtown” Pedestrian Plazas and the last day of Fleet Week in NYC.

FREE RIBS!!!

Also Virgil’s Real Barbecue from Noon until 2pm in front of Times Square Information Center (7th Ave between 46th & 47th St) to enjoy a sampling of Virgil’s Ribs – while supplies last.


*Made possible by Turner Classic Movies and Clear Channel Spectacolor.

TOMORROW MORNING: Tai Chi at Bryant Park

Rise and shine you sleepy head!

Why don't you roll out of bed tomorrow morning and center your mind before the start of your day with...

Tai Chi in Bryant Park

Class begins at 7:30AM, lasts an hour and is held at the Fountain Terrace.

Classes are for all ages and experience levels,
so there is no excuse not to start pushing hands.

Best of all, it's FREE!

NOTE: Classes are held rain or shine.

Can't make it tomorrow?

• FREE Tai Chi is held in Bryant Park every Tuesday and Thursday morning for the rest of the summer.

Tai Chi and Eternal Spring are instructed by members of the Tai Chi Chuan Center.

TODAY: 9th Ave International Food Festival

Since the days of old (well, actually in this instance 1973) street fairs have been a way for local vendors to hock their wares everything from a fresh chicken (with it's head just cut off) to a pint of Mead.

Nowadays things are a bit different, but not completely so. You can still get street meat (fully cooked, of course), but there are also offerings of suckling pig and quail stuffed with fresh Greek spices and feta cheese, mango barbecue wings, and jambalaya. Well, at least at this delectable street fair.

Welcome to a day of amazing food, fun and frivolity (and of course, the regular funnel cake and I LOVE NY T-Shirt vendors). There will also be live music and performances scattered throughout the festival (from Irish maidens to belly dancers).

9th Ave International Food Festival

9th Ave from 37th to 57th St
FREE to attend
(food prices from $1 UP)
9:30AM-6:30PM

For more information click here.

Bryant Park Summer Movies in the Park: Films Just Announced!

For all of you following bryantparknyc on Twitter, you not only got clues to guess the films for the 2009 HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival the last few days, but found out hours ago what the new films were before the titles were released on the Bryant Park Website.

So what is the Bryant Park Summer Film Festival?

The BPFilm Fest is FREE Outdoor Classic Movie Screenings in Bryant Park every Monday night during the summer (starting June 15th and ending August 17th). The lawn opens at 5PM for picnicking and the films start at dusk (usually 8 or 9pm).

So dust off your blanket and your picnic basket, rouse up some friends (and a couple of bottles of 3 Buck Chuck, even though technically alcohol isn't allowed in the Park) and make sure to spend your Monday Evenings this Summer watching FREE Movies in the middle of Manhattan. Trust me. It's an experience you will never forget!

2009 Bryant Park Movie Schedule

June
~Mon 15~
The Sting
~Mon 22~
Breaking Away
~Mon 29~
Gold Diggers of 1933

July
~Mon 6~
Dog Day Afternoon
~Mon 13~
How Green Was My Valley
~Mon 20~
Harold and Maude
~Mon 27~
The Defiant Ones

August
~Mon 3~
Kramer vs. Kramer
~Mon 10~
The Magnificent Seven
~Mon 17~
Close Encounters of the Third Kind

PILLOW FIGHT! TODAY!

Need to let out some of that Madoff aggression? Steaming mad at the fat cats getting fatter as your bills, health care and credit card interest rates raise even higher? Angry that you didn't receive a bailout check or a corporate bonus on the taxpayer's dime? Well, why not.......

FIGHT IT OUT!

Not with sticks and stones or even fists and bones, but with

PILLOWS!

That's right folks! Its NYC's 4th annual (the world's 2nd annual)

Pillow Fight Day!

Head down to Wall Street & Broad St. at 3PM TODAY with your soft pillow and be prepare to swing, swang, swung your way to good ol' fashioned stress relief. OVER 12,000 people have responded *YES* on Facebook alone!!! Plus if your adrenaline is still pumping you can head to the Afterparty in Brooklyn (details below).

You can confirm your attendance via FACEBOOK or you can just show up!

Best of all...this community is FREE (well, just bring your pillow...)

*DETAILS BELOW*

Rules: Please follow these guidelines to ensure a safe and fun pillow fight for everybody!
+ Soft pillows only! + Swing lightly, many people will be swinging at once. + Do not swing at people without pillows or with cameras. + Remove glasses beforehand! + Do not abandon your pillow at the location. + Dress in business suits, demand your bailout check.

Cleanup: Please reduce your use of feathers. As the pillow fight grows in size, so does the mess. By participating, you are pledging to clean up twice the mess you made :)

Afterparty: http://tinyurl.com/whack09

Panorama from the 2008 Newmindspace pillow fight: http://tinyurl.com/pillowpanorama

Join the NYC mailing list at http://www.newmindspace.com

For info e-mail love@newmindspace.com

Subway: Take 2,3,4,5 to Wall St.

or J,M,Z to Broad St.

or R,W to Rector St.

St. Patty's Day, FREE Style

Happy (almost) St. Patrick's Day

sassaliciously cheap readers!

I hope you are all starting tomorrow morning with Kegs and Eggs or at least some Lucky Charms swimming in Guinness. I know I am! (I know. Such a departure from the ditz flakes I usually have every morning, but one must celebrate!)

And then, why not head to the St. Patrick's Day Parade on 5th Ave and take part in the day where every Blow-in's an Irishman at heart! Best of all...it's FREE!!!

Who: "You, ya Gee-Eyed Git!"
What: Watchin' the World's Largest Parade
The NYC St. Patty's Day Parade
Where: 5th Ave from 44th St to 86th St
When: Tomorrow March 17, 2009
Why: It's FREE and...inevitably leads to Bevvies and much gawkin'
Time: 11AM to 4:30-5:00pm

Worth the note: Bring your flask of whiskey, but make sure yer little Green man's hidden from view. New York's Finest will be out in full force and patrollin' the parade route. Public drinkin' of liquor (even if it is considered the milk of the Irishman) is against the law and thee Paddywagon will be there to haul ye to thee Tombs (minus the Guinness). Also, while cock mangers may be hard to come by, don't drain da snake in the street.

WEEKEND GUIDE: Winter Jam 2009!

Miss the Red Bull Snowscrapers Snowboarding Invitational tonight

and still feelin' that outdoorsy, adventurous, Winter spirit?

Then stop by East River Park in the heart of Manhattan for
WINTER JAM 2009

Saturday February 7th, 2009
11:00AM-4:00PM

You can cross-country ski, snowshoe,
go ice climbing and sled down a 70 foot snow flume!

Feelin' like you need to warm up a bit, grab some viddles
and listen to some tunes?

Then head into the Pride of NY Warming Tent, browse the Winter Market
and hear some great snowtunes from Apollo Run, Dujeous and more!

Best of all this event is FREE!

For more information: Winter Jam's website

THIS WEEKEND: Chinese Lunar New Year Parade!

I know, I know. It's only hump day, but having suffered from a case of the "Mondays" all week I can't help but think about the weekend.

This weekend is the perfect weekend to put down those Netflixs and head to Chinatown. "Why Elle*?" you may ask. Because the 10th Annual Lunar New Year Parade is taking place. Best of all it is FREE!!! So grab your best buds and your camera. This is one of the reasons why living in NYC is so amazing.

10th Annual Lunar New Year Parade

Sunday February 1st, 2009

Noon-3pm

Parade route: Starts at Mott St, Chatham Square,

East Broadway, Allen St, Grand St, Chrystie St, NYC

Description: The spectacle features elaborate floats, marching bands, lion and dragon dances galore, Asian musicians, magicians, acrobats and procession by local organizations. Over 5,000 people are expected to march in the parade- From gonyc.com

There are a bunch of other events going on as well, so visit ExploreChinatown for more information on events and Chinatown itself.

Become the next J.K. Rowling w/ FREE Writing Classes!

That's right! You can become richer than the Queen of England, by dipping that pen in some ink and getting to work (well more likely, tapping away on your MacBook, but a gal likes to dream that this is a more Shakespearean society).

The Gotham Writers' Workshops is offering free introductory courses to some of their popular courses today and tomorrow night all over Manhattan. Registration is required so SIGN UP now!

Have you already filled up your dance card for this week?

There are more FREE Writing classes available at local bookstores in Manhattan sponsored by GWW. Just check out their Community Events page where they list all of their Free Classes. Best of all, pre-registration is not required! Just show up and get your write on!