This is the final weekend before Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa, so it’s time to get all your wild adventures out of the way before family time encroaches. To that end, we’ve gone heavy on the dance parties this week.
To start with, on Friday you can celebrate our lord and savior—no, not that one. Beyoncé is being feted at Brooklyn Bowl with the Beyoncé Ball. While Queen Bey won’t actually be there, DJs will be spinning “anthems from your favorite 21st-century divas.”
If that’s too mainstream for you, check out the “End of Forever” party at Baby’s All Right. It’s thrown by Music Website, a Brooklyn-based electronic-alternative record label that just a few months ago released the critically acclaimed album This Infinite by Vitesse X, who will be performing at the event.
On Saturday, you can prepare for the screening of No Direction Home that your dad is sure to take you to over the holidays by watching a special showing of the iconic 1967 Dylan doc Don’t Look Back at Nitehawk’s Prospect Park location. You’ll be able to view one of the best documentaries of the century in a great theater and sound smart at Christmas dinner.
If Bob Dylan is too normie for you, you can instead head to the House of Yes to see their Xmas Spectacular, which is sure to be nuts.
After all that partying, you’ll probably want some culture. So end the weekend on Sunday at Brighton Beach’s beautiful Oceania Theater, where you can watch the Grand Kyiv Ballet put on The Nutcracker. You’ll be doing good at the same time, because part of the ticket money is going to restore the Main Ballet Academy of Ukraine and repair the kids’ dormitory.
Friday, December 20
Beyoncé Ball at Brooklyn Bowl
11 p.m.
This diva-themed dance party promises music not only from Bey, but also Ariana, Gaga, Fergie, Cardi, Madonna, P!nk, Lana, Sia, Demi, and nearly every other mononymous pop icon you can think of. 61 Wythe Ave.
Yung Blasian’s album release party at the Living Gallery
7 p.m.
Yung Blasian is an up-and-coming artist who’s been pushing a hip-hop/hyperpop hybrid that’s been getting plenty of attention lately. His new album, Blasian Empire 3 (check it out here), is getting sent off into the world with a big event at the Living Gallery that will feature other local artists and some special guests. 1094 Broadway.
“End of Forever” Party at Baby’s All Right
11 p.m.
Williamsburg’s Baby’s All Right will host this year-end celebration put on by the local label Music Website. It will feature a mix of DJs and live performances by acts including CFCF and Music Website’s own Vitesse X. 146 Broadway.
‘Brooklyn Is…’ Exhibition Tour
3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Learn some local history so you can regale your out-of-town relatives with fascinating stories about the past of our beloved borough. Brooklyn Is… is “a multimedia exhibition that explores the neighborhoods and people of Brooklyn” put on by the Center for Brooklyn History. On Friday afternoon, you can get a free guided tour from the exhibit’s curator. 128 Pierrepont St.
Movies @ the Library: ‘The Wizard of Oz’
3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
You’ll inevitably be dragged to Wicked by someone during the holidays—maybe a younger sibling, your theater-kid cousin, or your bored mom who saw a “Holding space for ‘Defying Gravity’” meme and thought it was soooo funny. Get a leg up on them by seeing the original at the DeKalb Library—and for free, to boot. 790 Bushwick Ave.
Saturday, December 21
‘Don’t Look Back’ at Nitehawk Cinema, Prospect Park
11 a.m.
The Nitehawk Cinema’s Prospect Park location is showing arguably the greatest rock doc of all time: D.A. Pennebaker’s masterpiece Don’t Look Back. The movie captures Bob Dylan in a way no other film ever has, even the ones he’s written himself. It’s an absolutely essential film, and it’ll give you the means to appreciate how truly brilliant Cate Blanchett is when she does her spin on this era of Dylan in Todd Haynes’ fantastic I’m Not There. 188 Prospect Park W.
Brooklyn Museum’s Holiday Market With Brooklyn Pop-Up
11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Get your holiday shopping done the Brooklyn way, as the borough’s main museum teams up with Brooklyn Pop-Up to put together a shopping opportunity full of “one-of-a-kind, handmade items from local artisans and vendors.” 200 Eastern Parkway.
House of Yes Xmas Spectacular!
6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
The famous House of Yes is putting on a holiday extravaganza, and it promises to be “extra unhinged” as it examines both the great and the awful aspects of the season via circus and variety performances. 2 Wycoff Ave.
Calvert Vaux at 200: Prospect Park Tour
10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Frederick Law Olmstead is a name that will be familiar to many New Yorkers due to his role in both Central Park and Prospect Park. But did you know he had a partner? On this free tour, you can learn all about Calvert Vaux and see how his architectural style played out in the park structures we all know and love. Bartel-Pritchard Square (15th St. and Prospect Park W.)
Kes at the Brooklyn Paramount
7 p.m.
The long-running Trinidadian soca group Kes puts on one hell of a show, especially in Brooklyn, as you can see from this 2021 Coney Island gig. They’re bringing the sunny island vibes back to our wintry home with this show at the Brooklyn Paramount. 385 Flatbush Ave. Ext.
Sunday, December 22
Grinch Party for Kids: A Whoville Holiday Extravaganza
1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Industry City’s Think Talk Create is going all out for this event, which promises tons of holiday mayhem for the little ones. Best of all, there’s a drop-off option! 254 36th St.
Grand Kyiv Ballet’s ‘Nutcracker’ at the Oceania Theater
7 p.m.
We’ve already recommended The Hard Nut, a wacky, 1970s take on The Nutcracker. So it’s only right that we hit you with the original. And who better to see dancing to Tchaikovsky’s music than top Ukranian ballet dancers? 1029 Brighton Beach Ave.
Drag Karaoke at Midwood Flats
9 p.m.
If you’re going to sing drunkenly in front of a bunch of strangers, you should definitely add some drag into the mix. Located right on Flatbush Ave, steps from Prospect Park, Midwood Flats is a great bar that even offers adult happy-hour meals if you accidentally show up early. 577 Flatbush Ave.
Holidays on Atlantic Avenue
12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
It’s your last chance to take part in the annual weekend festivities that turn Atlantic Avenue into a holiday wonderland with decorated windows, special deals, and possibly even a visit from Santa himself. Atlantic Avenue from Fourth Avenue to Hicks Street.
Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
If you can’t make it to Italy for Christmas, Industry City has an alternative: full-scale reproductions of all of the frescoes in the Sistine Chapel. It’s the next-best thing to being there. 900 Third Ave.
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