5pm-1am (thru 12/17): the brooklyn night bazaar returns with independent merchants and food vendors, plus performances by the hold steady, fucked up, midnight magic, titus andronicus, lcd soundsystem’s james murphy (dj set), more. 149 kent ave (williamsburg), free, $10-22 for bands. 7pm: chow down on roasted pig and sixpoint beer at a fundraiser for ecostation: ny, featuring live music and a silent auction. brooklyn fire proof, $20 sugg. don.
10pm: bring a mix cd and your dancing shoes to the annual kiss + tell holiday party and mix cd swap. 70 n. 6th st. (williamsburg), $10.
SATURDAY
5pm: wear your best dress robes + knock back a few butterbeers at the harry potter yule ball with the potter puppet pals and live bands harry + the potters, draco + the malfoys, more. bell house, $18
6:30pm: no gelt, no glory! get your twirling fingers in shape for the annual major league spin the dreidel tournament at the knitting factory. featuring hanukkah gone metal with gods of fire, the young new yorkers’ chorus, more. knitting factory, $10 adv, $15 door.
8pm: join the folks from overflow magazine, brooklyn craft central, and brooklyn creative league in building a gingerbread house with the help of gin + ginger punch, a dj spinning hip hop, disco, and funk, plus comedy from kurt braunohler, brooke van poppelen, and nick turner. littlefield, $6 or $5 with a can of food or gingerbread house ingredient.
8pm: the string orchestra of brooklyn and the ghostlight choir perform the music of bach, haydn and poulenc at st. ann and the holy trinity church, 157 montague st (brooklyn heights). $15 admission includes a free reception following the concert.
SUNDAY
3pm: sample homemade cookies from 30 competitors and pick your fave (starting off with an hour of free bourbon-spiked eggnog will make it really hard to remember) at the annual cookie takedown. bell house, $15.
4-8pm: play to win prizes and help raise funds for the badass brooklyn foster dog rescue group at williamsburg’s full circle bar: proceeds from $1 skeeball, $5 bingo, and drink specials all go towards the cause. free admission.
ALL WEEKEND
11am-7pm: 50+vendors fill the brooklyn lyceum‘s annual holiday marketplace. bonus: gift bags for the first 50 folks 11am-12pm and 6-7pm each day. free admission.
12-6pm: brooklyn craft central’s fourth annual holiday craft market brings 65 designers to littlefield (100% different designers each day), plus food trucks and booze from the bar. free admission.
check out the insane dyker heights christmas light displays in the area between 80th + 86th st and 10th + 13th ave.