We've rounded up exhibitions, performances, film festivals and festivals in New York and New Jersey from the weekend of Oct. 10 through Oct. 18. Four of the five have no admission fee.
As mid-October arrives, outdoor events and indoor exhibitions are crowding into the same week. Here are five events in New York and New Jersey from this weekend through next weekend. Four of them have no admission fee.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art has been presenting "Krasner and Pollock: Past Continuous" in Gallery 899 since Oct. 4. With more than 120 works by Lee Krasner and Jackson Pollock, it is the first exhibition to place the full careers of the two artists side by side, and the first large-scale showing of either artist in New York in more than 20 years. It runs through Jan. 31, 2027. No separate ticket is required; it is included with general admission ($30 for adults, $17 for students), and New York State residents and students from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut can pay what they wish. The museum is closed on Wednesdays and open until 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. For details, visit nyandnj.com/event/krasner-pollock-met-2026.
In the plaza outside the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), the outdoor play "Prelude" will be performed free of charge for three days, Oct. 13 through 15. Written by Charles L. Mee and directed by Anne Bogart, it is produced by the company Avant Garde Arts. Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. each evening at 300 Ashland Place. Admission is first come, first served, and an RSVP does not guarantee a seat, so it is best to arrive early. The venue is close to the Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center subway station. nyandnj.com/event/bam-prelude-2026-10.
The Korean Cultural Center New York will hold the first New York Korean Independent Film Festival from Oct. 15 through Oct. 25 at its 32nd Street screening room (122 E 32nd St). The festival will show 10 feature films and five short films, and more than 10 directors, producers and other guests will attend in person for audience Q&As. It opens at 7 p.m. on the 15th with director Gam Jeong-won's "Star and Sand," and at 4 p.m. on the 17th a panel talk, "Seoul × New York: Independent Film Today," will be held. All screenings are free but require advance reservations, and Korean dialogue has English subtitles. nyandnj.com/event/nykiff-2026-10.
In New Jersey, the Rose Squared Fall Art Show will take place on Oct. 17 and 18 at Brookdale Park in Bloomfield. More than 150 juried artists will bring ceramics, glass, woodwork, textiles and photography, and both admission and parking are free. Hours on both days are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the show goes on rain or shine. Payment methods vary from booth to booth, so it is a good idea to bring some cash. nyandnj.com/event/rose-squared-brookdale-2026-10.
The same weekend, the 40th Cranberry Festival will be held in Chatsworth, in the Pine Barrens of southern New Jersey. On Oct. 17 and 18, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., 150 craft booths and 15 food booths will line the village streets, with live music both days. There is no admission fee. Public transportation is hard to come by, so a car is effectively the only way to get there, and cell signal is weak, making card payments unreliable, so bring cash. nyandnj.com/event/chatsworth-cranberry-festival-2026.
The event schedule is continually updated at nyandnj.com/events.