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There may be no such thing as a free lunch, but throughout the summer in the Big Apple, you won’t need cash to catch the Metropolitan Opera, the New York Philharmonic, pop stars like Bruce Springsteen and Missy Elliot, theater and outdoor movies. Believe it—entertainment is on the house in New York City’s great parks.

New York City has one of the largest civic-supported parks systems in the country and summer is when all these green spaces snap alive after the long, cold winter. Never one to miss an opportunity to capitalize on a natural event, the New York City Parks Department sponsors hundreds of free cultural events between May and September every year throughout the five boroughs, in partnership with public and private organizations such as JP Morgan Chase, the National Endowment For the Arts and Toyota. The events are a great opportunity to enjoy all sorts of music, theater and movies, whether you’re into Puccini, Shakespeare or Neil Diamond, without breaking the bank. The individual events are too numerous to list—in all the city sponsors more than 300 events every year—so here’s a rundown of the kind of events you can expect in the major parks:

Central Park, Manhattan

The crown jewel of the city’s parks hosts the largest number of public performances throughout the summertime. It is here that you can catch The Metropolitan Opera’s productions on the Great Lawn with the setting sun as a backdrop. Past performances have included Puccini’s Tosca and Saint-Saen’s Samson et Dalila. Be sure to get to the Lawn early, as the space fills up quickly—each production attracts more than 20,000 people. It’s also a good idea to bring a blanket, some food and water and other picnic supplies. A fireworks display marks the end of the performance.

Central Park is also home to Summerstage, the popular counterpart to the season’s highbrow concerts. As with the opera, it’s advisable to get to the Rumsey Playfield well in advance as space can get extremely limited—especially when expectations are high; previous talent has included rock ’n’ rollers The Killers or the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, jazz vocalist Cassandra Wilson, David Byrne and bluesman John Legend. As many of the Summerstage shows are held during the daytime, make sure you take along plenty of bottled water and wear cool clothing. NYC summers can be very hot and humid. Come prepared and avoid getting overheated dancing to the music. Note that not all Summerstage events are free—check the Summerstage website (see sidebar, right) for specific information.

Prospect Park, Brooklyn

Designed by Olmstead and Vaux, the same firm that created Central Park, Prospect Park, with its untamed beauty, is said to have been the duo’s favorite. Its Long Meadow and Bandshell are home to the most populous borough’s summer concerts and performances. The New York Philharmonic stops by the park on its tour of the five boroughs to perform such pieces as Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 and Lalo’s Symphonie Espagnole. Space is not as much of an issue as it is in Central Park, and Brooklynites revel in the rare opportunity to stretch out. As with the opera productions, there are fireworks at the end of the performances.

Prospect Park’s Bandshell is home to some of the most exciting of the summer concerts. Rickie Lee Jones, Hugh Masekela, The Del McCoury Band, Rufus Wainwright, Ben Folds and many others have graced the stage in the past. While space inside the official concert seating area is somewhat limited and fills up quickly, many attendees set up their blankets and picnic baskets just outside of the bowl, where the sightlines are just as good.

Hudson River Park, Manhattan

One of the newest additions to NYC’s already impressive parks system, Hudson River Park was created to make the most of one of the city’s most under-utilized natural resources—the waterfront. In the summertime, the park, which runs up the west side from the neighborhoods of Tribeca to Clinton Hill, hosts concerts, performances and outdoor film screenings. Past performers have included Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Patti Smith, McCoy Tyner and James Brown. You can also watch silver screen stars against the night sky throughout July and August when the park throws an outdoor film festival.

New York City Free Events Internet Guide

For a daily update of free events in NYC, check www.freenyc.net or see www.nycgovparks.org

Plays

Shakespeare in the Park
www.publictheater.org

Opera

NYC Grand Opera
www.newyorkgrandopera.org

Metropolitan Opera In the Park
www.metoperafamily.org

Naumburg Opera Series
www.naumburgconcerts.org

Concerts from rock to classical

Summerstage
www.summerstage.org

Today Show Concerts
www.rockefellercenter.com

River To River Festival
www.rivertorivernyc.com