holiday-themed movie screenings:

► tues 7:30pm: white christmas sing-along: leonard nimoy thalia theater at symphony space (uws). $17 general, $16 seniors. >>

► tues 9:15pm: silent night, deadly night (1984): nitehawk (williamsburg), $20. >>

► weds 7:15pm: pee-wee’s playhouse christmas special: nitehawk (williamsburg), $20. >>

► thurs 5pm: elf: outdoors at wollman rink (central park), free. >>

tuesday

tues 7pm: holiday card making collage party: get crafty at the windjammer’s holiday card-making party. supplies included, but also feel free to bring items to use/share. the windjammer (ridgewood), $5+ suggested donation. >>

tues 7pm (monthly): astronomy live: alien earths: lisa kaltenegger (astrophysicist and founding director of the carl sagan institute at cornell university) leads you through the search for life on exoplanets, dissecting the theoretical science behind alien earths, exploring how scientists use light from distant stars to identify potential biosignatures, and imagining what life might look like on worlds vastly different than our own. hayden planetarium space theater (uws), $20. >>

tues 7pm (monthly): astronomy on tap: ‘end of an era (+ the universe)’ edition: things are looking up at astronomy on tap, a night where astronomy enthusiasts gather at a local bar for talks by professional scientists and educators—plus themed games and other cosmic fun. before moving to dekalb market hall next month, the show says farewell to williamsburg’s pete’s candy store with a look at other endings (dinosaurs, the earth, and the universe). free admission. >>

tues 7pm (monthly): brooklyn books + booze: hear established and up-and-coming authors of different genres read from their current works every third tuesday of the month at barrow’s intense tasting room (industry city). tonight’s lineup features keith r.a. decandido, georgia day, c.s.e. cooney, and david gerrold. hosted by randee dawn. free admission. >>

tues 7pm (monthly): the broad squad: kendra cunningham presents a monthly comedy variety show featuring a female-fronted lineup and tarot readings. tonight’s lineup: mel deluca, rachel green, aston hollis, peter liu, danette rodriguez, and jess woodi. young ethel’s (south slope), free admission ($10 suggested donation). private tarot readings are $5/card. >>

tues 7:30pm: the ninth annual chanukahstravaganza: jewish native new yorker comedians lana schwartz and ilana michelle carmi are back with another celebration of chanukah, featuring songs, laughter, and gelt. all proceeds will benefit jews for racial + economic justice. brooklyn art haus (williamsburg), $17.85 with promo code ‘mazel’ (reg. $23.18). >>

tues 8pm (monthly): ditmas lit: a diverse range of fiction writers, storytellers, poets, and essayists share their work at the ditmas lit series, returning to the urbane arts club (ditmas park) with josh boardman (colossal), ry cook (asushunamir), xochitl gonzalez (anita de monte laughs last), anne-e. wood (new letters), and rachel lyon (self-portrait with boy). free admission. >>

sponsored

Ho ho ho, another year has passed, and that means it’s time for another No Office Holiday party! Presented by The New York Groove, a local, independent, journalist-owned, member-supported newsletter, this annual tradition melds all the fun and light chaos of an actual office party, without any of our actual bosses there. What could possibly be better?

If you answered “the redistribution of gifts and the dismantling of the Christmas industrial complex,” you’re in luck because this year’s theme is Red Christmas, and we’re here to tell you, Santifa Claus is headed our way, has been radicalized, and is not messing around. This party will also have:

• Flash tattoos from St. Kenia!
• Cover tunes from Imitation Crab!
• Drink specials!
• Raffle prizes, including the much-coveted ✨golden ticket✨ from Open House New York, which you can’t get anywhere else!
• A DJ! Dancing!
• Other stuff that’s a surprise and you’ll have to show up to find out!

The New York Groove Presents: The No Office Holiday Party
Wednesday, December 17 7:30pm doors
littlefield
635 Sackett Street, Brooklyn 11217
GET TICKETS

As always, New York Groove members at the True Believer level and above get in for free. If you aren’t a member yet, sign up today and you’ll be sent a free code.

wednesday

weds 5pm: lincoln square’s fourth annual winteramble:: the lincoln square bid celebrates the upcoming winter solstice with an illuminated neighborhood procession of frost giant puppets and icicle lanterns accompanied by the sounds of a thumb piano ensemble. workshops to build your own mini-lantern will be held between 3pm and 5pm. starts in front of 1886 broadway (between 62nd + 63rd streets) and meanders through the neighborhood until 6pm. free. >>

weds 7pm (monthly): adam wade: live in new york: 20-time moth story slam winner adam wade returns to under st. marks theater with a storytelling show featuring three to four different stories from his extensive catalog (no two shows will be the same) and a different special guest who’ll kick things off. under st. marks theater (east village), sliding scale admission. >>

weds 7pm: i’ll have the bisque! a benefit comedy show for abortion access: join improv troupe the bisque and guests for a comedy show to raise money for abortion access. ticket proceeds will support the brigid alliance, a nonprofit that provides logistical support to people who must travel long distances for abortion care. caveat (les), $13.61 with promo code ‘skint’ (reg. $18.76-20). >>

weds 7:30pm: we have fun: a stand-up show: hosts zach sims and dan wilbur team up to bring the fun-ny to young ethel’s (south slope), with stand-up by isabel hagen (fallon), nat towsen (fallon), freddy g (npr), chloe matonis, and lucy sandwick. free admission. >>

sponsored: weds 7:30pm doors: the new york groove presents: the no office holiday party (red christmas edition): the new york groove, a local, independent, journalist-owned, member-supported newsletter, presents its annual no office holiday party! this annual tradition melds all the fun and light chaos of an actual office party, but without any of our actual bosses there. expect a pop punk cover band, flash tattoos, raffles, drink specials, and more. littlefield (gowanus), $15 adv, $20 day of, free for members at the true believer level and above. >>

weds 8pm: the moth storyslam: the popular community-based open mic storytelling competition, where anyone can share a five-minute tale based on the evening’s theme to an attentive audience, returns to the bell house (gowanus). tonight’s theme: ‘that’s a wrap!’ $19.65. >>

weds 10pm: nyc college comedy night at ucb: four comedy teams from colleges all around the city take the upright citizen brigade’s stage for the first time. ucb (east village), $10 general, $5 with college id. >>

thursday

thurs thru 12/22: times square’s 2026 numerals arrive: get a sneak peek at the future as the giant times square ‘2026’ numerals make an appearance (at ground level) in duffy square before their big new year’s eve debut. >>

thurs 5pm (season ends today): broadway under the stars: enjoy intimate performances from broadway shows and conversations with the stars at the shops at columbus circle’s annual ‘broadway under the stars’ holiday series. tonight’s program features excerpts from operation mincemeat, the book of mormon, and chicago. the second floor stage at the shops at columbus circle (uws), free admission. >>

thurs 7pm: 45th annual ‘a city singing at christmas’: the choirs of st. patrick’s cathedral, glen cove high school, st. charles borromeo, and the young people’s chorus of new york join new york symphonic brass, organists, and metropolitan opera tenor stephen costello for an annual holiday concert filled with seasonal favorites. st. patrick’s cathedral (midtown), free admission. >>

thurs 7pm (monthly): facts machine: science, comedy + trivia: scientists and comedians share the stories behind their favorite facts, ‘conduct experiments’ (i.e. play drinking games), and test their knowledge with a trivia challenge at fact machine’s ‘the myrrh the merrier’ year-end show. hosted by scientists and pub trivia hosts em costa, noah guiberson, and rob frawley. caveat (les), $13.61 with promo code ‘theskint’ (reg. $24-$25). >>

thurs 7pm (monthly): golden spiral comedy show: at mindy raf and katie compa’s golden spiral comedy show, stand-up set lengths follow the fibonacci sequence (5, 8, 13, and 21 minutes each). tonight’s show at whiskey cellar nyc (east village) features liz glazer (fallon), jess salomon (fallon), quin lamar (showtime), and rachel kanaston (crowd work show). advance ticket purchase includes a raffle ticket for a free drink. a limited number of tickets are available for $7.18 with promo code ‘skintspiral’ (reg. $10.38+). >>

thurs 7pm: that 80s improv challenge: holiday + punk rock edition: three improv teams compete in a three -round gameshow, creating scenes inspired by holiday + punk rock videos from the 1980s. hosted by harmon leon. young ethel’s (park slope), free admission (donations welcome). >>

thurs 7pm + 9pm: the george lucas talk show: a show for star wars fans and non-fans alike returns to the ucb theater for another holiday special. comedian connor ratliff appears as star wars creator george lucas, and interviews guests like a ‘normal talk show.’ featuring kathleen turner, rachel zegler, and clark gregg (7pm), and mary beth barone, david patrick kelly, and kate micucci (9pm). upright citizens brigade theatre (east village), $20. >>

thurs 7:30pm (monthly): pete’s reading series: hear from literary icons and newcomers alike at this long-running reading series, hosted by temim fruchter and brian gresko. tonight’s event features maris kreizman (i want to burn this place down), zefyr lisowski (uncanny valley girls), megha majumdar (a guardian and a thief), and lauren morrow (little movements). pete’s candy store (williamsburg), free admission. >>

thurs 7:30pm: the new york nutcracker: set in a new york city apartment on christmas eve, the new york nutcracker blends burlesque, shadow puppetry, comedy, and dance. this holiday parody features pearls daily, peekaboo pointe, foreshadow, and more. david rubenstein atrium at lincoln center (uws), free admission. >>

thurs 8pm: afters: stories of so-called endings: from breakups to breakdowns, ‘afters’ is comedy storytelling show about the fresh starts that come from life’s endings, with each story backed by a three-piece band improvising a musical score to the twists and turns of the tale. stick around for live band karaoke after the show. hosted by julie piñero. salon on kingston (crown heights), $10. >>

thurs 8pm (monthly): a christmas carol + les misérables entirely from memory: watch as blindly-cast ten bones theatre company performers attempt to recreate a christmas carol and les misérables—without the aid of scripts or rehearsals. as chaos ensues, drinks are drunk while the players are challenged to incorporate lines written by the audience and create ‘deleted’ scenes. littlefield (gowanus), $12 adv, $14 day of. >>

thurs 8pm doors: landline comedy at wild east brewing co.: landline comedy serves up pints of hoppy humor straight from the barrel cellar at wild east brewing co. (gowanus). tonight’s lineup includes ali sultan (colbert), bassam shawl (don’t tell), salma zaky (cracked comedy), matt storrs (the moth), derek humphrey (nateland), and angel contreras. hosted by andre medrano. bonus: rsvp for a chance to win a free drink. free admission. >>

ongoing

our roundup of 40+ ongoing events: holiday markets, ice skating, art shows, and more. >>

stay safe and healthy
– the skint

Ho ho ho, another year has passed, and that means it’s time for another No Office Holiday party! Presented by The New York Groove, a local, independent, journalist-owned, member-supported newsletter, this annual tradition melds all the fun and light chaos of an actual office party, without any of our actual bosses there. What could possibly be better?

If you answered “the redistribution of gifts and the dismantling of the Christmas industrial complex,” you’re in luck because this year’s theme is Red Christmas, and we’re here to tell you, Santifa Claus is headed our way, has been radicalized, and is not messing around. This party will also have:

• Flash tattoos from St. Kenia!
• Cover tunes from Imitation Crab!
• Drink specials!
• Raffle prizes, including the much-coveted ✨golden ticket✨ from Open House New York, which you can’t get anywhere else!
• A DJ! Dancing!
• Other stuff that’s a surprise and you’ll have to show up to find out!

The New York Groove Presents: The No Office Holiday Party
Wednesday, December 17 7:30pm doors
littlefield
635 Sackett Street, Brooklyn 11217
GET TICKETS

As always, New York Groove members at the True Believer level and above get in for free. If you aren’t a member yet, sign up today and you’ll be sent a free code.

sponsored post

30 markets / pop-ups / shopping events (free admission, unless noted otherwise):

► fri 5-9pm: sustainable holiday night market: brooklyn roots collective (east williamsburg). >>

► fri-sun: brickhouse ceramic art center holiday craft show: brickhouse ceramic art center (lic). >>

► fri-sun: clay space members’ holiday market: clay space ceramic center (greenpoint). >>

► fri-sun: kawaii holiday market: ideal glass studios (greenwich village). >>

► fri-sun: not-a-normal holiday market: manhattan mall (midtown). $20 admission. >>

► sat 10am-6pm: pomexpo holiday yalda market: 45 w 25th st (flatiron). free admission (donations welcome). >>

► sat 10:30am-3pm: icp holiday market: international center of photography café (les). >>

► sat 11am-7pm: social justice holiday market + resource fair: mayday space (bushwick). >>

► sat 11am-11pm: brooklyn horror society + twisted spine books present: howl-iday market: the twisted spine (williamsburg). >>

► sat 12-7pm: pokémarket pop-up: alewife brewing (sunnyside). >>

► sat 12-8pm: queer holiday makers market + live gay bands: bohemian hall + beer garden (astoria), $10 suggested donation benefits astoria food pantry. >>

► sat 1-6pm: greenwood park’s holiday maker’s market: greenwood park (greenwood heights). >>

► sat 3-7pm (+ 12/20): harlem night market at marqueta: under the park avenue viaduct at 112th street. >>

► sat-sun (9am-4pm): til death holiday market: til death (bushwick). >>

► sat-sun (11am-5pm): renegade craft: metropolitan pavilion (chelsea). $5 suggested donation. >>

► sat-sun (sat 11am-4pm, sun 12-3pm): annual st. nicholas cookie walk: st. nicholas of myra orthodox church (east village). $20-40/box. >>

► sat-sun (11am-5:30pm): japan village holiday craft fair: japan village 2nd floor ‘loft’ (industry city). >>

► sat-sun (11am-6pm): aapi holiday ouri market: 100 sutton event space (greenpoint). >>

► sat-sun 11am-6pm (12/20-21): fad market holiday pop-up: 51 bergen street and st. paul’s church (boerum hill/cobble hill)

► sat-sun (11am-8pm): brooklyn film camera holiday market: brooklyn film camera’s backyard (east williamsburg). >>

► sat-sun (sat 11am-8pm, sun 11am-6pm): eater under wraps holiday market: soho lofts nyc (registration required). >>

► sat-sun (12-6pm): brooklyn pop-up x red hook holiday market: hook studios (red hook). >>

► sat-sun (12-7pm): textile arts center give back market: textile arts center (gowanus). >>

► sat-sun (sat 4-8pm, sun 12-5pm): greenwich house pottery ‘made in clay’ holiday sale: greenwich house pottery (west village). >>

► sun 10am-5pm (sundays thru 12/21): grand holiday bazaar at grand bazaar nyc: indoors and outdoors at 100 w 77th st at columbus ave (uws). >>

► sun 12-5pm: holiday art fair: hosted by comedians who are also artists: lifeworld (bushwick). >>

► sun 12-5pm: queens craft brigade makers market: q.e.d. (astoria). >>

► sun 12-6pm: astoria holiday market: bohemian hall + beer garden (astoria). >>

► sun 12-6pm: nyc resistor holiday market: nyc resistor hacker collective space (boerum hill). >>

► sun 12-7pm: sixth annual bushwick holiday makers market: 114 forrest st (bushwick). >>

► sun 12-7pm: pleased to meet you presents: the holiday market: rosa new york (williamsburg). >>

► sun 12-7pm: sunday funday yuletide market: footlight underground at the windjammer (ridgewood). >>

► sun 1-6pm: red hook holiday makers market: strong rope brewery (red hook). >>

sponsored

Sip, Savor, & Select Myrtle Avenue’s Favorite Holiday Cocktail!

‘Tis the Season – From cozy classics to bold new interpretations, Brooklyn’s Myrtle Avenue is stirring up holiday magic during its first-ever Sip the Season Holiday Cocktail Competition on Myrtle Avenue thru Dec. 14.

For a limited time only, sample specially crafted cocktails, each infused with festive flair and holiday flavor, then cast your vote to help select the top three cocktails for consideration by a panel of local judges who will determine Myrtle Avenue’s favorite holiday cocktail!

Participating Locations & Holidays Cocktails:
• Third Falcon’s Holiday Hot Toddy, 360 Myrtle Ave, Fort Greene
• LaRina Pastificio e Vino’s Mare di Miele, 387 Myrtle Ave, Fort Greene
• Doppelgänger’s Non Denominational, 415 Myrtle Ave, Clinton Hill
• Rosticceria Evelina’s Negroni al Panettone, 455 Myrtle Ave, Clinton Hill
• Lula Mae’s Oh Lula Tree, 472 Myrtle Ave, Clinton Hill
• The Emerson’s The Whited Air, 561 Myrtle Ave, Clinton Hill

View the cocktails and details here.

three film fests / series (various prices):

► thru 12/18: hitchcock + herrmann: north by northwest, vertigo, the birds, marnie, the wrong man, the man who knew too much, and psycho. film forum (south village). >>

► thru 12/24: carlo rambaldi: alien, barbarella, close encounters of the third kind, dune, e.t. the extra-terrestrial, king kong (1976), terrore nello spazio (planet of the vampires), and many more. museum of modern art (midtown). >>

► thru 2/16: the films of kathryn bigelow: a house of dynamite, near dark, point break, strange days, the hurt locker, zero dark thirty, and more. the paris theater (midtown). >>

friday

fri: krispy kreme day of dozens: on 12/12, krispy kreme celebrates its annual ‘day of dozens,’ when you can score a dozen glazed doughnuts for just $1 with the purchase of a dozen (or 16 minis) of any variety at participating locations. >>

fri 11am-5pm: z100’s jingle ball all-access lounge: iheartradio’s z100 annual jingle ball kicks off with an afternoon of free performances at hammerstein ballroom at manhattan center (midtown west), featuring a20 may, eddie benjamin, rachel chinouriri, audrey hobert, jade lemac, alexander stewart, and kevin woo. >>

fri 5-8pm: parsons fine arts bfa and mfa fall open studios: see what the students of parsons’ bfa and mfa programs have been creating all semester. 25 east 13th st and 39 west 13th street. >>

fri 5-8pm: sva print slam 23: school of visual arts’ risolab celebrates its 10th annual print slam with an exhibition and sale of works by students and risolab artists, as well as an exhibition of experimental uv riso ink printed works and a screening of riso animations. sva risolab (chelsea). free admission (rsvp required here). >>

fri 7pm (monthly): vocabaret: ‘presents’ edition: wordplay takes center stage at vocabaret, a monthly variety show for language lovers. four of nyc’s wittiest wordsmiths serve up slideshows, games, and other entertainment—all inspired by a new theme each month. hosted by tim donnelly, jerzy gwiazdowski, ally spier, and nikolai vanyo. caveat (les), $18.76 with promo code ‘caveatorb’ (reg. $24-25). >>

fri 7pm: bhaal babes burlesque presents: bad dragonborn: nerdlesque producers bhaal babes assemble a cast of warriors, mages, gods, and monsters for a raunchy and ridiculous burlesque tribute to the world of elder scrolls — with performances, gogo dancers, raffles, vendors, and more. littlefield (gowanus), $15 adv, $20 day of. >>

fri 7:30pm: chloe radcliffe: cheat: following a sold-out run at the edinburgh fringe festival, comedian and writer chloe radcliffe (fallon, comedy central) brings cheat, her hour-long solo show about a guilty secret that most people keep forever, to ars nova theater (hell’s kitchen). $15. >>

fri 7:30pm: ¡vaya! latin music series: orquesta broadway: cuban charanga band orquesta broadway returns to lincoln center’s david rubenstein atrium (uws) for an evening of music and dancing. free admission. >>

fri 8pm (monthly): a drinking game nyc: clue: a drinking game nyc comedy troupe lovingly (and drunkenly) reenacts an 80s/90s/00s movie and turns the whole thing into a drinking game. join them tonight as they stumble through die hard (1985) at the bell house (gowanus). $25.05. >>

fri 8pm: second annual joke funeral: a lineup of 30 comedians lay their beloved (or cursed) material to rest, performing jokes they’re officially retiring. hosted by eion falance and sean peecook. the gutter (williamsburg), 2 tickets for $5 for a limited time with promo code ‘theskint’ (reg. $10-15 each). >>

fri 8pm (monthly): boyz in the woods comedy: tawanda gona, joshua stokes, and jeff wright host this standup-meets-trivia show, where audience members can win free drinks by answering pop culture and hip-hop trivia questions between sets. featuring jonas jeannot, adam addis, kenice mobley, and darius dinkins. friends and lovers (crown heights), $12 adv, $15 door. >>

fri 8:30pm: bitches brew comedy show: this women-produced and-hosted comedy show conjures up big laughs in the back room of halyards (gowanus). tonight’s performers include usama siddiquee (colbert), carmen lagala (comedy central), ashton womack (the daily show), zach russell, dan toomey, and maggie crane. free admission (a tip jar will be passed around at the end of the show). >>

fri 9pm (+ 12/19 at q.e.d. astoria, 12/23 at the rat nyc): the drunk texts: a christmas carol: random access theatre’s annual intoxicated performances of a christmas carol are back with drinking games, carols, and drunk puppets. the rat nyc (dumbo), $12. >>

fri 11pm: the true meaning of catherine: a kate bush drag holiday special: the cast of catherine: a drag show brings christmas early to purgatory (bushwick), with two sets of wall-to-wall kate bush-inspired drag performances. $17 adv, $20 door. >>

saturday

sat + sun (12pm): the city speaks: language + slang of nyc: a walking tour meets street theater in this immersive performance of new york language, slang, and accents led by licensed nyc tour guide nic reale (in character as ‘the tour’) in the lower east side. $13 with promo code ‘bobakiki’ >>

sat + sun (various times): the muppet christmas carol: museum of the moving image screens the muppet christmas carol (full-length version), brian henson’s 1972 adaptation starring michael caine and music by paul williams. jim henson legacy president craig shemin will introduce the film 12/13-14. bonus: free doughnuts, hot cider, and coffee 11am-12:30pm in the lobby (while supplies last). $17.50 general, $12 seniors/students. >>

sat + sun (12-7pm): press play fair: pioneer works’s sixth press play, a weekend-long fair of books, records, art, ephemera, talks, and workshops, showcases over 130 artists, musicians, poets, writers, and exhibitors. pioneer works (red hook), $10 saturday, free sunday. >>

sat 10am-8pm: santacon: love it or hate it, santacon returns, leaving its trail of candy-cane chaos across manhattan. >>

sat 1pm: swole santa contest: watch a bunch of santas compete for the title of mr. swole santa 2025. hosted by comedian mary beth barone. outdoors at 93 n 15th st, williamsburg. >>

sat 4pm: boba gays: asian holi-gay spectacular: join comedians alex kim and kenny park yi for their fourth annual all-asian holiday comedy variety show, featuring kathleen kim, jenny tian, patricia dinglasan, and improv team the slaysians. caveat (les), $13.61 with promo code ‘bobaskint’ (reg. $18-20). >>

sat 4-9pm: cats: an art show inspired by cats: step into a fancy feast of feline-themed art, featuring works by 35 artists starting at $25. a portion of all proceeds will benefit whiskers-a-gogo, an all-volunteer, non-profit cat rescue serving north brooklyn. preview 4-6pm, official opening 6-9pm. cloud city (williamsburg), free admission. >>

sat 5pm: : metropolitan music community winter concert: kings county concert band, grand street community band, and brooklyn wind symphony present their first concert of the season, followed by a reception featuring the bushwick big band. grand street campus high school auditorium (east williamsburg), $10-20 general, free for students. >>

sat 7pm: airway: true stories from the emergency room: doctors from kings county hospital, maimonides, nyu, newyork-presbyterian brooklyn methodist, and doctors without borders take the mic and share stories from life behind the stethoscope at this medical-themed storytelling show. brooklyn public library – central library (prospect heights), free admission. >>

sat 7pm: infinite good times movie club: die hard holiday spectacular: infinite good times movie club returns with a screening of die hard at nyc resistor hacker collective space (boerum hill), including dj sets, arcade emulators, raffles, and an all-night open bar. $10-15 suggested donation. >>

sat 7:30pm: cemetery cinema presents metropolis: cemetery cinema returns to coney island usa with a screening of fritz lang’s restored metropolis (1927), featuring an original score and audience discussion. hosted by baron misuraca. bonus: free popcorn. $12. >>

sat 7:30pm: beats, rhymes + sights presents: pete rock: spotify’s xavier ‘x’ jernigan sits down with legendary record producer and dj pete rock (jay-z, nas, kendrick lamar, eminem) for tonight’s installment of lincoln center’s beats, rhymes + sights hip-hop conversation series. stick around afterward for an hour-long set spun by rock himself. lincoln center’s david rubenstein atrium (uws), free admission. >>

sat 8pm: bad movies night brooklyn: silent night, deadly night 5: sip a cold one and revel in the badness of silent night, deadly night 5: the toy maker (1991) at wild east brewing (gowanus). free admission. >>

sat 8:30pm: improvised holiday movie: snappy lines, snowball fights, and non-denominational celebrations… merry merry! improv group help me i’m drowning performs an hour-long holiday movie based on audience suggestions. brooklyn comedy collective pig pen (williamsburg), $10 adv, $15 day of. >>

sat 10pm: meat cats comedy presents: saturday sauce: whet your appetite for absurdity with britt migs and irina chelidze’s comedy show, serving up snackable stand-up by bassam shawl, nico carney, wally baram, katrina davis, nick viagas, and jessie ballard. union hall (park slope), $12 adv, $15 door. >>

sunday

sun thru 12/21 (various times): menorah lightings and celebrations: celebrate every night of chanukah at lighting ceremonies held at grand army plazas in manhattan (‘the world’s largest’) and brooklyn (‘brooklyn’s largest’) thru the 21st, and at the seaport (six feet tall and made of legos!) on sunday. free.

sun (various times): 126th annual christmas bird count: join bird lovers of all levels for a holiday tradition that’s been spotting, counting, and celebrating birds for over a century. this year’s counts are taking place in across manhattan, governors island, randall’s island, roosevelt island, and parts of northern nj. no experience required. free admission >>

sun 10am-5pm (sundays thru 12/28): holiday nostalgia train rides: next stop, 1930! once again, the mta is rolling out its restored 1930s-era subway cars for holiday trips back in time. every sunday this month, the train will make stops between 2nd avenue – houston street on the uptown f line and 96th street – 2nd avenue on the q line. ride for the price of a normal swipe/tap (no extra fare required). plus: on 12/14, the nyc vintage train underground swing + jazz festival takes over the 96th street q platform with vintage-style jazz bands and swing dancers. >>

sun 12-6pm: fifth avenue holiday open streets: fifth avenue’s busy shopping district closes to vehicular traffic from 48th to 57th streets, inviting all to stroll and take in the holiday decor, music performances, brand activations, and more. >>

sun 12:30pm: doxie holiday parade: cute canines in holiday outfits (and their humans) take to madison square park (flatiron) for a howliday parade. free admission. >>

sun 1pm: brooklyn cookie takedown: bakers from across nyc throw down at the brooklyn cookie takedown, serving up their best homemade treats for you to taste and judge. royal palms shuffleboard club (gowanus), $25. >>

sun 3:30pm: 52nd annual tuba christmas: get your brass over to rockefeller center, where hundreds of tuba and euphonium players of all ages and skill levels will blast out holiday classics under the tree. free admission. >>

sun 4-5pm: holiday tree lighting ceremony: tompkins square park (east village). >>

sun 5pm: some fun lines: johnathan appel (john oliver), chandler dean (mcsweeneys), and maeve dunigan (the new yorker) fill your sunday with satire and humor readings with some help from guest readers luke burns (the new yorker), camden garcia (stamptown), asher perlman (colbert), maria randazzo (john stewart), jen spyra (the onion), and chika (cosmopolitan). $13.61 with promo code ‘somefunskint’ (reg. $18 adv, $23 door). >>

sun 5pm doors: it’s a wonderful life at united palace: the majestic united palace (washington heights) hosts a special holiday screening of frank capra’s it’s a wonderful life, featuring pre-show caroling by students from statement arts accompanied by the robert morton ‘wonder’ organ, and an interview with tcm’s alicia malone and mary owen, daughter of star donna reed. $10. >>

sun 6pm: unsilent night: grab a boombox, bluetooth speaker, or anything that projects sound and become a part of phil kline’s annual moving sound sculpture, ‘unsilent night.’ the parade drifts from washington square park to tompkins square park, turning the west and east villages into a participatory concert of layered sound. free to join in. >>

sun 6pm (monthly): public victories: from running the dishwasher to running a marathon, four performers—and one audience member—share true stories of personal triumphs, big or small, at the public victories storytelling show. featuring andrea coleman, will purpura, joel boyd, and andrea allan. hosted by laura goehrke. young ethel’s (south slope), free admission (donations welcome). >>

sun 7pm: spell checc: a spelling bee gameshow (the 25th annual putnam county spelling bee edition: watch comedians butcher tough words from all sorts of categories while racking up (or losing) points for making each other crack up at this spelling bee packed with roasts, lifelines, and comedic chaos. the last speller standing wins bragging rights and a thrifted trophy from a random sporting event. hosted by jorge oyola and michael sanky, with guests kevin mchale and leana rae concepcion from broadway’s the 25th annual putnam county spelling bee. ucb (east village), $15. >>

sun 8pm (monthly) disasterpiece movie night: nukie: from the weird to the wondrous, disasterpiece unearths bad movies for a watch party complete with drinking games, trivia, pizza, and more. tonight: 1987 e.t. ripoff nukie. wonderville (bushwick), free admission. >>

monday

mon 4pm, 7:15pm: classics in black + white: some like it hot: village east and cinema 123 by angelika host a series of classic black + white screenings, continuing tonight with billy wilder’s some like it hot (1959), starring marilyn monroe, tony curtis, and jack lemmon. $19-22.

mon 7pm (monthly): and scene: anything could happen when actors and improvisors share the stage at ‘and scene,’ where the actors know their lines ahead of time and the improvisers make up their parts with no prior knowledge of the scenes. featuring michelle hurd (star trek: picard), dagmara dominczyk (succession), dusty lachowicz (night in shining suit), dhruv maheshwari (billions), brielle demirjian (the daily show), and more. $14.64 with promo code ‘andskint’ (reg. $24-25). >>

mon 7pm (+ 1/9): molière in the park – don juan: molière in the park is back with two staged readings of molière’s tragicomedy don juan, starring keshav moodliar and featuring a cello by johnathan moore. prospect park’s picnic house (mon) and brooklyn public library’s main branch (1/9/2025). free admission. >>

ongoing

our roundup of 40+ ongoing events: holiday markets, ice skating, art shows, and more. >>

stay safe and healthy
– the skint