10 Holiday Events Happening in Brooklyn
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas … and with Christmas (and Hanukkah!) comes a plethora of events to help you get into the holiday spirit, if that’s what you’re into. Read on for 10 festive events taking place in Brooklyn in the coming weeks.
Arkham: A Dark Holiday Celebration
Is a darker holiday more your vibe? Join BIZARRE Bushwick on Nov. 30 starting at 10:30 p.m. to open the week of Krampusnacht, the half-demon who punishes naughty children during the Christmas season.
Arkham: A Dark Holiday Celebration will feature goth, industrial, post-punk, dark ‘80s and more. Let your inner darkness out with absinthe cocktails and get your fortune told by Devil Dice Tarot. No cover.
BIZARRE Bushwick, 12 Jefferson St., Bushwick
10th-Annual Latke Festival
The 10th-Annual Latke Festival is being held at the Brooklyn Museum on Dec. 3 from 6 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. More than two dozen varieties of potato pancakes from chefs around New York will be available for tasting, and participants get to help pick the best of the bunch.
Tickets start at $75 and the lower level includes unlimited latke and food tastings, along with beer, wine, cocktails and nonalcoholic beverages.
Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Pkwy., Prospect Park
DUMBO Holiday Tree Lighting
Head to the Pearl Street Triangle for the annual DUMBO Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony on Dec. 6. The event takes place between 4 p.m.-7 p.m., but the tree is lit at 6 p.m. sharp. Hot cocoa and treats will be served.
The occasion is also an opportunity to give back: If you’d like, take an unwrapped toy for a child ages 0 to 14 for the Big Brooklyn Holiday Toy Drive.
Pearl Street Triangle, 155 Water St., DUMBO
Harry and the Potters’ 9th-Annual Yule Ball
If you’re a Harry Potter fan, celebrate the holiday season like the witch or wizard you are at Harry and the Potters’ 9th-Annual Yule Ball at the Bell House on Dec. 15. Punk band Harry and the Potters have played hundreds of Harry Potter-themed shows over the years and were even named one of the best live shows of 2005 by Pitchfork. They’ll be joined by the Whomping Willows, Tonks and the Aurors and the Swedish Shortsnouts to round out the night. Tickets are $22 and doors open at 5 p.m. for a 5:30 p.m. start.
The Bell House, 149 7th St., Gowanus
The Mad Hatter’s G&T Party: Xmas Special
Head down the rabbit hole to experience Winter in Wonderland at the Mad Hatter’s G&T Party. Get started with a complimentary cocktail, then create three crazy molecular cocktails, all inside a cottage perched on top of a double-decker bus in East Williamsburg. Tickets also include snacks.
The two-hour event is taking place on multiple dates throughout October. Find exact dates and times here. Tickets start at $40.
Mad Hatter’s Bus pop-up, 173 Morgan Ave., East Williamsburg
Credit: @jules_of_nyc/Instagram
Wandering Winter Solstice Concert
Celebrate the winter solstice on Dec. 21 -- the shortest day of the year -- with Make Music New York at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Franz Schubert’s 1828 song cycle Winterreise will be performed with the help of the crowd (via hand-held radios). The performance will migrate through different parts of the grounds, giving you the opportunity to visit recently restored sections of the garden. Find out more here.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 990 Washington Ave., Prospect Park
Dyker Heights Christmas Lights Tour
One of the most popular holiday attractions in Brooklyn is the Dyker Heights christmas lights tour, and for good reason: tens of thousands of bulbs will transport you to a magical Christmas wonderland throughout the month of December.
Plan to visit between mid-December and Christmas to get the full experience, and remember that many of the homeowners turn their lights off around 9 p.m. Here’s all the info you’ll need.
11th to 13th aves. (Dyker Heights Blvd) from 83rd to 86th streets, Dyker Heights
8th-Annual House of YES Xmas Spectacular
House of Yes has a host of festive events planned for Dec. 18-23 at the 8th-Annual House of YES Xmas Spectacular. Get ready to dance the night away in a holiday fever dream the likes of which only House of Yes could imagine, including Christmas trees, dancing presents, Santas and more. Tickets start at $30.
In the mood for more on Christmas Eve? RSVP for free for a limited time for the Misfit Christmas on Dec. 24. House of Yes saved their best holiday shenanigans for last and have planned a blowout with cookies and milk, spiked hot cocoa, chinese food and movies, snow, runaway reindeer and more.
House of Yes, 2 Wyckoff Ave., Bushwick
Starry Night: A Night of Stargazing and Drinks
Head to Parklife on Dec. 18 from 8 p.m.-10 p.m. for Starry Night: A Night of Stargazing and Drinks. Expect to see the moon (of course), Orion and hopefully the Orion Nebula with a local astronomer and enjoy some drink specials while you gaze.
Parklife, 636 Degraw St., Boerum Hill
