For so many of us around the world, social distancing is our short-term responsibility to keep ourselves and each other safe. To avoid the further spread of Coronavirus, especially to those in our communities who are most at risk, it’s our duty to stay home as much as possible and maintain a safe distance from others.
To keep you and your loved ones entertained and engaged during this time, here are some virtual events and activities to enjoy for tonight and onward!
Attend the Greenwich International Film Festival
Be on the ground floor for the first virtual version of the Greenwich International Film Festival. This year’s theme is “Knowledge is Power” and you can buy your pass now to have access to the incredible lineup of 29 films from eight countries.
Stream Montreaux Jazz Festival Concerts
Jazz up your day with music from the Montreux Jazz Festival! They are offering a wide variety of FREE festival concerts. These include performances by Ray Charles, Johnny Cash, Nina Simone, Marvin Gaye, and Deep Purple.
Attend Cooking School Online
Start developing your culinary chops now, and you can do so for free with Milk Street Cooking School’s entire line of cooking classes. You can learn everything from knife skills and spice basics to perfecting vegetarian meals and the art of kitchen improv. My favorite class is Sweet Baking.
Share Storytime with Michelle Obama
Break up the day with the kids with a lunchtime story reading from former first lady Michelle Obama! Tune in to PBS Kids Mondays at noon for readings of popular picture books including The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
Tour a Museum
Take a virtual tour of the Guggenheim Museum in New York or the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul by using Google Arts & Culture’s collection, it features over 2,500 museums and galleries around the world.
Enjoy A Night Out (But, Actually, In!) at a Concert
This weekly concert series lets you enjoy performers across genres and you get to be on your comfy. The cost of the tickets—which ranges based on what you’re able to pay and supports the artists.
Take an Ivy League
There are all kinds of classes! Develop your photography skills or delve deeper into your passion for literature with FREE online classes from Ivy League institutions, available on Class Central.
Watch a Live Concert
Take advantage of hundreds of free online concerts, featuring performers like Miley Cyrus and Lady Gaga. Billboard has rounded up all of the best upcoming performances and keeps updating!
Attend a Talk with Hugh Jackman
Join the 92nd Street Y for a special virtual event, they have a Hugh Jackson event tonight, and they have classes about art from Rothko to Modern Art, and all kinds of Musicians!
Visit the Happiest Place on Earth, Disney World!
You can visit Disney World Virtually with this amazing YouTube Channel that boasts 360 degree footage from the park! You can even play the Hidden Mickey game.
Take a Computer Science Class
Work on your skills with one of these nine computer science classes through Coursera and receive a certificate to add to your LinkedIn profile. These FREE courses range from coding and programming to app-building and Google Cloud fundamentals.
Learn the Art of Calligraphy
You will learn the basics of modern calligraphy in this intro class, which is a much more free-form style of writing than traditional calligraphy. You can use this style to create cards, invitations, signs, and maybe letters during quarantine.
Take a Seat at the West End
The National Theatre of London is offering streaming theatrical productions, for free. Each Thursday night, a new production goes live on YouTube and is available for one week. Up next is “Antony & Cleopatra” starring Ralph Fiennes.
Attend a Wine Tasting
The Brooklyn Winery is bringing you virtual wine tasting series. During this interactive experience, two wines will be selected each week from the “virtual tasting 4-pack” (which you can buy beforehand) and a Somm will guide you through a one-of-a-kind tasting.
Become an Actor
Express yourself, master the art of cabaret, practice writing, and learn the creative process of artistic directors and playwrights when you take advantage of the New York Theatre Workshop’s virtual programming.
Let your inner Clown come out
Have you ever wanted to try your hand at comedy? Love SNL? The Upright Citizens Brigade Training Center has a full roster of improvisation and sketch comedy classes to explore where a lot of the SNL cast come from!
Research at the NYPL
Although the New York Public Library is closed, it has opened up many of its databases that can normally only be accessed in the library. You can access over 30 academic databases including archives of The New York Times and Wall Street Journal.
Document Your Experience
The New-York Historical Society documents history as it happens, and the moment we’re living in is certainly worth documenting. You can submit images, objects, and diary entries to be included in the collection from your time during COVID.
Learn at Home with Scholastic
Are you Homeschooling your kids? Scholastic has put together a “Learn at Home” program to keep them reading, thinking, and growing while they’re away from the classroom.
Are you a plant Lover?
Participate in one of the New York Botanical Garden’s online classes via Zoom and learn about the fundamentals of gardening, landscape design, fermenting vegetables, and more.
Attend a Virtual Dance Party
Are you missing all the nightlife? Time to get up and start dancing! My favorite happens every Saturday called Daybreaker, featuring a yoga class and then an epic THEMED dance party.
Take a trip to the Opera
Watch the FREE nightly operas streaming from the Met Opera in New York City. Experience high art at its finest and enjoy the performances of some of the leading singers in the world.
Become an Art Historian
The Museum of Modern Art is offering FREE art courses that allow you to hear from artists, curators, and designers and get an exclusive up-close look at the exhibits and pieces inside the museum’s collection, there is so much to discover
Learn with History @ Home
The New-York Historical Society offers online history classes covering grades K-12. The classes happen in real time and include historical documents, artifacts, and virtual exhibitions for your kids to enjoy!
Explore 60,000 FREE eBooks
The first digital library, Project Gutenberg contains over 60,000 free eBooks, including many of the greats. Grab a new title or start a book club!
Learn a New Skill with 92Y
Whether you want to learn to draw, knit, sculpt, or play guitar, there’s an online class from 92Y that will help. I’ve been trying to knit and found it so helpful!
Take a Virtual Cooking Class
Enjoy a Cook Space cooking class via Zoom. You’ll get to learn about all of the ingredients, hang out with classmates, and enjoy a delicious meal at the end.
An Evening at Radio City
Experience a Radio City Music Hall performance by Tony winner Ben Platt—known for his roles in Dear Evan Hansen & The Politician on Netflix mid May
Lincoln Center at Home
You can enjoy the incredible art of Lincoln Center at Home, which offers musical performances, dance, and live workshops to help you perfect your own performance skills.
Be the Queen of Trivia
Test your knowledge across a range of subjects with this live trivia event held on Instagram Live. You can play solo or enlist friends and family members to join your team.
