Union Square Partnership announces summer lineup of free pickleball, outdoor movies and more
Get ready to spend your summer square in the middle of the action—literally. The Union Square Partnership just dropped its full 2025 lineup of free outdoor events, and whether you're into movies, music, comedy or competitive paddle sports, this year's programming has something for everyone.
The fun kicks off May 29 with the return of the Union Square Night Market by Urbanspace, a buzzy open-air food fest featuring 35 rotating vendors like Tosh's Patties and TNT Pineapple Bowls. The market runs Thursdays and Fridays through June, then again in late summer and early fall.
Looking for laughs? Comedy in the Square, presented with NYLaughs and The Stand Comedy Club, brings a full evening of stand-up to the North Plaza on June 5. It's part of a district-wide weekend comedy fest, and yes, heckling pigeons are free of charge.
Lunchtime jazz, courtesy of The New School, takes over the Center Lawn most Thursdays in June through August, while Torch & Crown Beer Garden serves up beers, burgers and Sunday jazz (plus Monday trivia) all summer long.
Meanwhile, Movies in the Square returns July 24–August 14 with a pitch-perfect lineup: The Muppets Take Manhattan, Men in Black, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three and 13 Going on 30. Arrive early with a blanket for pre-show fun, and stay late for the stars, both on screen and overhead.
August 21 is your one shot to play (or watch) pickleball in the park as CityPickle returns with pros, clinics and courts set up for a full day of serves and smashes in the North Plaza.
And for the first time ever, a Sing for Hope Piano will make a cameo in Union Square from June 10 to 30, inviting anyone to sit down and play. After its stint in the park, the piano will be donated to a New York City public school.
'Union Square Partnership is proud to present another unforgettable season of programming, running now through the fall, in Union Square Park,' said Julie Stein, executive director of Union Square Partnership. 'Union Square has it all—dining, movies and music—all within one of the city's most convenient locations.'
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