1. Have a day at the ballet for Ukraine’s National Ballet Theater: The Nutcracker, which will transport you with a full-scale production and 40 Ukrainian ballet stars in glorious costumes. (Friday, Leon M. Goldstein Performing Arts Center, $34-39)
2. Get in the groove at BrooklynVegan Holiday Party and celebrate the holidays with Gang Gang Dance and Ela Minus performing, with members of the BV team DJing between sets, and first 50 people to enter get a free beer. (Friday, Brooklyn Brewery, $15)
3. Fill yourself with Christmas chaos at Jingle Boobs and ChestNuts a very vaudevillian Coney Christmas filled with titillating holiday-inspired performances of burlesque and magic. (Friday, Sideshows by the Seashore, $15)
4. See a sexy Festivus at Six Geeks A-Stripping, where you’ll be more than satiated watching the performers get busy as they perform a tribute to the things about the holiday season that really get them going. (Friday, Bizarre Bushwick, $10)
5. Trash is lit at Holiday Spec-trash-ular, a festive, irreverent comedy mashup featuring seasonally-appropriate material through gonzo sketches, stand-up and characters at a breakneck pace. (Friday, Union Hall, $10)
6. Who’s afraid of ghosts? Haunted Dungeon Paranormal Investigation, where on a tree-lined Park Slope street, unsuspecting pedestrians pass a location known for its dark, grim and morbid atmosphere, so tour the property before exploring each room for signs of paranormal activity. (Saturday, Brooklyn Paranormal Society, $5)
7. Run off the calories at the Ugly Sweater Holiday 5K Art Run and embark on a colorful an art run to see the best new murals and Brooklyn street art at a relaxed pace with stops for photos along the way. (Saturday, Urban Glass, $20)
8. Keep shopping at More Galore Pop-Up Market, and visit an exquisite selection of couture creations, one-of-a-kind vintage, handmade jewelry + accessories, festival wear and sparkles featuring NYC designers and artisans (Ed. note: our Events Editor will be selling photographs at this market!). (Saturday, The Floasis, FREE)
9. Sing a song at Holiday Caroling and spread the holiday spirit with an afternoon of caroling holiday classics, with sheet music to follow along, and treats like hot apple cider, hot chocolate and more to keep you warm. (Saturday, Fowler Square, FREE)
10. Immerse yourself at The Ultra Art Bash, bringing creative artists from all spectrums of the art world and give a platform to network, sell art and party at the same time, from rappers to poets and LED hoolahoopers. (Saturday, 1001 Irving Ave, $15)
11. Be enthralled at Arabic Nights: Dance-in-Cultural-Diplomacy, an award-winning dance spectacle that shows the varied and fascinating ethnic dances of the Middle East and North Africa through dance as a way of self-expression. (Saturday, Brooklyn Arts Exchange Theater, $20)
12. Don’t miss Christnips, a holiday themed variety show from BREAD is pulling out all the stops for an experience you won’t soon forget with a night of music, comedy, film and theatre. (Saturday, Cloud City, $15)
13. Go deep into sound at Ambient Church: 25th Anniversary of Kranky, an experiential event series bringing new ecologies to architecturally unique spaces through transcendent audio and visual performance, celebrating 25 years of the ambient label Kranky. (Saturday, St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church, $25)
14. Save yourself from a lonely Princemas with Housequake: Prince Party, an all-Prince party playing all Prince all night, including the hits, deep cuts, remixes, rarities, songs written for other artists, and more from Prince’s 35+ year career. (Saturday, The Bell House, $5)
15. Get classic at Retellings: A Charlie Brown Christmas, where you’ll be guided through the story of A Charlie Brown Christmas, while a cast of improvisers sweat out the small details, featuring all of your favorite Peanuts characters off cannon. (Saturday, The Brick Theater, $10)
________
16. Need to check a few gifts off of your list? Head to Holiday Handmade Cavalcade, offering a carefully crafted selection of vendors to make sure you have the greatest variety of handmade goods, including jewelry, greeting cards, art, beauty products, clothing, baby items, and more. (Sat-Sun, Brooklyn Historical Society, FREE)
17. Go classic at Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra: Seasonal Concert, and experience the joy of the season with the orchestra in this family-friendly concert that includes “Grand, Grand Overture,” “Tangazo,” and musical murder mystery “The Composer Is Dead.” (Sunday, Brooklyn Museum, $10-25)
18. The world is your cookie at the Cookie Takedown, where you’ll sample Brooklyn’s finest cookie recipes, so try them all and vote on the best homemade cookie in the whole borough. (Sunday, Lot 45, $25)
19. Enjoy a different kind of circus at Cartoon Carnival: Santa Land showcasing some of the weirdest classic Christmas cartoons on 16mm film with a cartoon historian, plus live musical accompaniment. (Sunday, Rubulad, $10)
20. Sketch your heart out at Déviante Drawing Salon: Mystikism at a sensory, magikal figure drawing salon. (Sunday, The Chanda Lair, $25)
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!