BRIC’s House Party on Saturday is an all-ages, all-day affair of art making, performance, DJs, and dance lessons. Photo: Abigail Clark
We’ve got a warm-ish weekend ahead of us, or at least a sunny one, which will make all your holiday party-going and market-hopping that much more fun. On Saturday, head to Crown Heights for the South Franklin Ave. Holiday Stroll, where you can drink free wine at shops like Owl & Thistle, decoupage ornaments at Reclaimed Home and order food specials at Ital Kitchen, which we highly recommend visiting. On Sunday there are two quirky holiday markets to choose from—at The Diamond you can get your picture taken with Santa and Jesus after you shop for gifts from local makers, and the Punk Rock Heavy Metal Flea Market features a motley crew of vendors alongside band photos of The Clash, Judas Priest and more rock ‘n rollers.
Still not in the holiday spirit? Maybe a charitable open bar, or a day-long house party will do the trick. Here are seven more ways to brighten up your week:
Thursday, Dec. 11: Whether or not you celebrate Christmas, its significance as a time for new toys is not lost on kids, and the Big Brooklyn Toy Drive makes it easy to give to local children in need who would love to unwrap a shiny new thing this season. Not only are there nearly 20 places where you can drop a new, unwrapped toy, game or stuffed animal by Dec. 15, you can also bring one worth at least $20 to Verboten in Williamsburg tonight and be treated to a two-hour Belvedere and Jameson-sponsored open bar from 7-9pm, food to soak it up with, a DJ and raffles for prizes like a one-year pass for the East River Ferry, $100 to spend at Nitehawk Cinema, and four tickets to any Brooklyn Bowl show.–N.D.
Friday, Dec. 12: If you’re looking to get into the drunken holiday spirit this weekend, head to Union Hall this Friday at 9:30pm where SecretFormula—the same group behind Nitehawk’s famed “Spoons, Toons & Booze” parties—are hosting a raucous Xmas singalong fete. Enthusiastic revelers are invited to sing along with the likes of Mariah Carey, Bing Crosby and N*SYNC while enjoying free milk and cookies, holiday-themed drink specials, a “most naughty” contest and plenty of photo-ops with St. Nick. There will also be a contest for the worst Christmas sweater and the best Santa costume, so come ready to belt it out in your most eye-catching digs. $10 tickets to the 21+ event can be purchased here.–N.R.
