‘Tis the season to be busy. And the neighborhood is included in that sentiment. Leading into holiday week, there’s no shortage of events and activities for the whole family.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20
HOLIDAY MOVEMENT & MUSIC CLASS
No age is too young to get acquainted with iconic holiday tunes (well, maybe there is an age limit for “Baby It’s Cold Outside”), so The Dance Space is hosting a holiday movement and music class for tots ages 1 to 3 with live festive music from Jazz Baby starting at 10:30 a.m.
The event is free with RSVP here.
WINTER WONDERLAND PARTY
The kid-friendly fun continues from 3 to 5 p.m. at Twinkle Play Space during their Winter Wonderland Party. The soirée will feature balloon sculpting, magic, arts and crafts, music and dancing, face painting, pizza, and more to ring in the season.
Tickets are $39.19 (including fees) for non-members (includes one adult and one child) and available here.
ROAST OF THE HOLIDAYS
Are you a holiday hater? We’re holding space for that, too. Head to Cafe Balearica’s basement for Tremendous Comedy’s raucous roast of the holidays from a number of accomplished comics with chestnuts to burn starting at 7:30 p.m. Maybe this is that roast beast the Grinch was talking about.
Tickets are $23.18 (including fees) and available here.
HOLIDAY SALON
If you want to celebrate the season like Hemingway (i.e. with a drink in hand near constantly), look no further than a Holiday Salon at Black Spring Books from 8 to 11:30 p.m. Fin de Siècle promises to be a night of literary debauchery in a cozy atmosphere soundtracked by jazz and featuring seasonal treats and drinks. There will also be a silent auction of special art prints, first-edition books, and more for the art snob in your life. (Or, if you’re not the bidding type, there are plenty of curated options to peruse and purchase.)
Tickets are $12.51 (including fees) and available here.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21
NEEDLE FELTED PETS
We know that the neighborhood has absolutely no shortage of pet parents. So why not celebrate that fact with a unique memento? Or, alternatively, make a fun gift for the animal lover in your life? Brooklyn Craft Company is hosting a needle felted pet workshop from 12:30 to 3 p.m. designed to teach the basics of needle felting and its tools, how to form raw wool fibers into shapes, and how to replicate animals of your choice. Bring photos for additional guidance!
Registration is $55 and includes all necessary tools and materials; reserve your spot here.
PLANTER MAKING
If felt Fido isn’t the artsy weekend project you’re into, you can also make a ceramic pinch pot planter at Owlee Café & Studio from 2 to 4 p.m. The hands-on, beginner-friendly class will teach the basics of pot pinching and shaping clay by hand for ultimate artistic freedom. The class will include 2-3 lbs of clay and sculpting tools, resulting in plant pots that ultimately will be fired and glazed after class to be picked up in a few weeks.
Registration is $97.88 (including fees) and available here.
SACRED RAGE RELEASE WORKSHOP
Have things you’re trying to leave in 2024? Angst you’ve been dying to get out? Probably! If yes, don’t miss Yoga Space NYC‘s Sacred Rage Release emotional detox from 3:30 to 5:15 p.m. The healing-based workshop is designed to let go of emotional burdens and unreleased stress and set you up for a refreshed new year. Led by guide Ani Djirdjirian, the session will combine somatic movement, visualization, and voice activation (shouting is encouraged) in a safe community atmosphere. Dress comfortably and bring water!
Registration is $55 and available here.
SOLSTICE CELEBRATION
Saturday is the winter solstice — the shortest day and longest night of the year, and considered by many cultures to represent our connection to nature and its rhythms — so celebrate accordingly at Held Space during a group ceremony from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. The event will start with a short yoga practice followed by solstice rituals, guided journaling, and more. BYOCandle.
Registration is $25 and you can RSVP here.
MOVIE MUSIC TRIVIA
Calling all film buffs, soundtrack savants, and regulars over at r/Oscarrace. Head to The Gutter‘s back Spare Room at 6 p.m. to test your knowledge of movie-based tunes during a game of The Shuffle, a music trivia game show. The game will feature five rounds hosted by comedian and producers Jesse Roth and artist, event curator, and tarot card reader Lily Ngaruiya.
Tickets are $7.18 (including fees) and available here.
SATURDAY & SUNDAY
CREST-MAS POP-UP
Does the news about Crest‘s old building being turned into an 11-story rental building have you in a funk? If so, revisit the iconic shop’s unmistakable essence during Crest-Mas from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. at Union Pool. The pop-up will include fun cocktails and special Crest merch like hats, beanies, art, shirts, and more for the nostalgic neighbor in your life (and, of course, yourself).
No need to RSVP, just show up!
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22
HOLIDAY MUSIC & MOVEMENT
If you can’t take time out of your Friday morning to take your kiddo to a holiday movement and music sesh, or if they’re over 3 years old, Ferox Ninja Park has a similar but different opportunity on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. Newborns to five year olds will enjoy a mini show led by Elsa of Frozen fame herself including a singalong, dancing, and sign language lesson, followed by open play in the gym.
Registration is $45 and available here.
HANA MAKGEOLLI TOUR & TASTING
Grab a cup of cheer during a tour and tasting at artisanal Korean brewery Hana Makgeolli at 11:30 a.m. The brewery, which utilizes traditional Korean methods of natural fermentation for creating sool (a type of rice wine), grew from a home-brewing project among founder and brewer Alice Jun and friends. Now, they host regular guided flight samplings in their tasting room and tours of the brewing facility. During the tour, the production team will also explain the history of sool and walk through their wine-making process.
Tickets are $35 and available here.
BORED IN THE CITY MEETUP
Though there’s clearly a lot going on this weekend, if you’re still bored and hoping to meet and mingle with new people, you’re in luck. Stop by OH MERCY (formerly Littleneck Outpost) from 1 to 3 p.m. for a simple, no frills, community-led coffee meetup that won’t break the bank.
The event is free to attend, but you can RSVP here.
FINANCIAL PLANNING WORKSHOP
Though not the sexiest way to spend your pre-holiday weekend, if you’re looking to head into the new year on stronger financial footing, or simply just trying to right your bank account after holiday spending, here’s an event for you. From 2 to 3 p.m., join a Money Matters workshop led by financial expert Rojon Spence from Primerica at Owlee Café & Studio. Spence and the workshop will guide attendees to a more financially confident 2025 through practical strategies via interactive budgeting workshops, actionable advice, and networking opportunities.
The workshop is free and you can RSVP here.
NATE COSBY COMIC SIGNING
What’s better than a signed comic book? A signed comic book and a celebrity dog sighting. Nate Cosby, comic book and graphic novel writer and creator, will be at Hey Kids Comics! from 3 to 5 p.m. to sign copies of his Gargoyles Winter Special with a special appearance from Lance, the bull terrier and co-star of the comic. There will also be free comics for kids, festive treats, and more books available for purchase from a number of other authors.
The signing is free and no RSVP is needed.
DISCO X JOURNEY HOLIDAY PARTY
Leave the ugly sweaters at home and don your finest all-black disco glam for a holiday party for the ages curated by DJ Spinna at Good Room as part of his Journey series. From 6 p.m. all the way to 1 a.m., Spinna will be curating disco and dance classics from his extensive personal collection to keep spirits bright.
Tickets are $15 and available here.