1. Pump up the jams and bring your instrument to Sad Song Happy Hour, a rare chance to see incredible artists perform by themselves in an intimate setting, then join up with them in an open jam (Friday, Mirror in the Woods, FREE)
2. Humor your sweet tooth at Sweet Shoppe: A Guerilla Science + Immersive Pop-up, a concept candy store at a Willy Wonka-inspired apothecary where the secret life of sugar is offered in a broad range of immersive and sensory experiences. (Fri-Sun, One Brooklyn Bridge Park, FREE)
3. Conjure an ex hex at I Used To Love Us, a pop-up gallery exhibit showcasing the work of nine artists who’ve created pieces based on household objects that remind them of their ex-lovers. (Fri-Sat, The Bishop, FREE)
4. Be naughty and do something nice at Titts for Totts, an opportunity to help make a difference for a needy family this holiday season. Founded by producer, performer, and creator of the Magick City Sirens, Jezabelle Von Jane, this charity has been aiding families for nine years. (Friday, The Muse, $15)
Shop smarter at Artists & Fleas. Browse handcrafted goods and exclusive designs while enjoying pad thai cones from Warung Roadside and seasonal cider from Descendant Cider Co. (Friday, Artists & Fleas Brooklyn) {sponsored}
5. Experience it all at the Oroboros Art Show, with an art and variety show featuring cuddle puddles, live painting, projections, science, puppets, song and dance, tribal synchronization, group therapy, laughter, ecstatic forgiveness, and more. (Friday, Hybrid Movement Company, $12)
________
6. Ring in the season with the Renegade Craft Fair, featuring unique handmade items from hundreds of makers, DIY workshops, immersive special features, food & drink, festive music, and more. (Sat-Sun, Industry City, FREE)
7. Snag some rad gifts at FAD Market a roving Fashion, Art and Design pop-up marketplace. Stroll through and meet over 40 thoughtfully selected independent designer makers showcasing handcrafted jewelry, apparel, bath and body care, tableware, and home furnishings. (Sat-Sun, Brooklyn Historical Society, FREE)
8. Experience the old and the new with a Walking Tour of the Brooklyn Cultural District. Learn how this concentration of venues and people is shifting the cultural landscape of the borough and the city while you discover the surprising historical core: a flourishing Fulton Street arts center of more than a century ago. (Saturday, Rockwell Place Community Garden, FREE)
9. Find weird and wonderful things as Oddities Holiday Flea Market returns with three floors of vendors selling medical history ephemera, anatomical curiosities, natural history items, osteological specimens, taxidermy, jewelry, one of a kind art, bizarre flair, and more. (Sat-Sun, Brooklyn Bazaar, $5)
10. Get thrifty at Saint Vitus Holiday Market for the biggest array of vintage, new, and handmade wares, neat weird stuff, drink specials and friendship over two days of fun and excitement. (Sat-Sun, Saint Vitus Bar, FREE)
11. Shop from local artists at Art Folx Holiday Market for a day of shopping, live music, and good times. There’ll be art prints, zines, handcrafted jewelry & wearable art, mixed media hand embroideries, ceramic wares, enamel pins, crystals, alchemical delights and more. (Saturday, Lantern Hall, FREE)
12. See if you’ve got game at DBA Arcade Presents: Indie Games and Art Showcase. Check out a new crop of games and digital art presented by Death By Audio Arcade, featuring the DIY games Salmon Roll, Super Sharp Birds, Sower, Marimba Automaton and more. (Saturday, Cloud City, $5)
13. Guard your guilty pleasures at Defend Your Movie LIVE where each week someone is invited to defend a movie that they love, but the catch is that they are the only one who loves it. (Saturday, Union Hall, $10)
14. Buy a winning ticket to Rock Lottery 8, where 25 musicians meet at 10am and are organized into five random groups, and then have 12 hours to create a band name and three to five original songs and perform what they’ve created that evening in front of a waiting audience, with 100 percent of proceeds going to charity. (Saturday, Knitting Factory, $20)
15. Be thirsty for throwback at A Hip Hop Party Named Saturdays: The Golden Age with all the boom bap and new jack you can handle, served up to you nice & smooth. Eric B & Rakim, Tribe, Beasties, Public Enemy, Arrested Development, De La Soul, and maybe Christopher Wallace if the mood is right. (Saturday, The Starliner, FREE)
________
16. Act like a kid again at Kid Flix, which includes the best short films from New York International Children’s Film Festival, the largest film festival for kids and teens. (Sunday, Made In NY Media Center, $10)
17. Find your vintage visage at Goldmine Holiday Pop-up Market where Miss Scorpio teams up with fellow dress-up addicts and craft-makers for some closet-cleaning and handmade clothing & accessory shopping. Think one-of-a-kind vintage, feathers and fascinators, unique jewelry, and lots and lots of sparkles. (Sunday, Gemini & Scorpio Loft, FREE)
18. Girls to the front at Babes All Rock Fest, a music festival designed to shine a light on the music being created by women in NYC where every band on the lineup is led by female-identifying individuals. (Sunday, Baby’s All Right, $20)
19. Kava good time at Kava and Color, combining the healing power of plant medicine with the power of creativity. This month the Real Art Therapists of NY invite you to gift yourself this unique ritual experience and enjoy a holiday afternoon coloring and relaxing. (Sunday, Brooklyn Kava, FREE)
20. Order chips with your salsa at Williamsburg Salsa Orchestra, an 11-piece Latin band which plays dynamic arrangements of indie rock tunes , taking the art of salsa to new places while remaining within the classic, deeply funky tradition. (Sunday, Brooklyn Bowl, $5)
Want more? Check out our full events calendar and add your own event today!
Wouldn’t you love to have all these events in your inbox? Subscribe!