Cheap$kate: The best FREE events in New York City this week

In a melding of audio and visual art, indie-classical group the NOW Ensemble will perform music by composer Judd Greenstein and others, interwoven with video work by filmmaker Joshua Frankel in this live multimedia concert. A screening of Frankel's short film, "Plan of the City," will be presented with NOW performing Greenstein's original score. (Tuesday, 8 p.m., FREE, Brookfield Place Winter Garden, 220 Vesey St., brookfieldplaceny.com)

'Tis the season for gift-giving, so head on down to Grand Central Terminal's annual Holiday Fair, kicking off Monday, to peruse the offerings of 76 hand-picked local artists and craftspeople. The locally handmade, sustainable products featured include art, clothing, handbags, jewelry and accessories, bath and body items, home goods, collectible toys and more. (Opens Monday through Dec. 24, Mon.-Sat., 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Sun., 11 a.m.-7 p.m., FREE, Grand Central Terminal Vanderbilt Hall, 89 E. 42 St., grandcentralterminal.com)

Stop by the Westin New York Grand Central this Wednesday evening for a cooking demo with recipes that incorporate superfoods, followed by tastings and a question-and-answer session with Chef Brian Weiler. The event is part of "Westin Wednesdays," a weekly interactive series of FREE culinary and wellness experiences for hotel guests and neighboring New Yorkers, running through 2014. (Wednesday, 4:30-5:30 p.m., FREE, Westin New York Grand Central lobby, 212 E. 42nd St., 212-490-8900, westinnewyorkgrandcentral.com)

Transport yourself to the New York Transit Museum this Wednesday evening for a chat hosted by transit blogger Ben Kabak, part of a series of one-on-one interviews with transit employees, innovators and "problem solvers." Kabak will converse with designer Randy Gregory II, creator of the online project "100 Ways to Improve the Subway," which offers 100 proposals -- ranging from subway car flooring suggestions to smell detectors -- with an inventive and practical approach to improve our subway system. And we all know it could certainly use some improvement. (Wednesday, 6:30-8 p.m., FREE, registration required, New York Transit Museum, corner of Boerum Place and Schermerhorn St., 718-694-1600, mta.info/mta/museum/index.html)

Is there a connection between baseball and music? There is when you think about it from the perspective of black Americans in the Jim Crow era. Stop by the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture this Wednesday evening for a discussion exploring the connections between black music and black baseball in the Jim Crow era and the intersections of the two. Guest speakers include Negro Leaguer Jim Robinson, Dr. Larry Hogan of Union County College and Dr. Robert Cvornyek of Rhode Island College, with live music by the Bill Saxton Trio. (Wednesday, 6:30-8 p.m., FREE, registration required, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Langston Hughes Auditorium, schomburgcenter.eventbrite.com)

Come saunter through a sea of literature at the Goddard Riverside Annual Book Fair, where best-sellers, new books, CDs, DVDs and more are offered for deep discounts. Entrance to the fair is FREE and purchases make great gifts for the holiday season, with proceeds going to help provide food and shelter for New Yorkers in need. (Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., FREE, Goddard Riverside Community Center, 593 Columbus Ave., goddard.org)