Madonna, menorahs, an MTA market and more: 18 things to do this weekend

By Joshua Encinias

The holiday season marches on with new seasonal events at House of Yes, Kings Theatre and the Akwaaba Mansion in the People’s Republic of Brooklyn this weekend.

Thursday is your last chance to see the borough’s largest menorah for the eighth and final night of Hanukkah. Madonna swings through Barclays Center tonight and again on Saturday for her fortieth-anniversary tour.

“The Brooklyn Nutcracker” comes to Kings Theatre on Saturday for two performances. Spectacle Theater brings the English tradition of holiday ghost stories to their storefront venue for a 13-hour marathon (you can pop in and out at any time). BEM’s Books and Bites Holiday Party comes to the Akwaaba Mansion.

The Brooklyn Museum has been collecting toys since November and on Sunday, parents and caretakers can receive Christmas gifts for the kiddos.

Holiday markets are in full swing but some end after this weekend. See our list below for times and locations across Brooklyn.

Thursday, December 14

Madonna at Barclays Center
Thursday and Saturday nights
Madonna’s “The Celebration Tour” comes to Barclays Center on Thursday and Saturday nights to commemorate the Material Girl’s 40 years as pop royalty. Snap on your cone bra and get ready to Vogue like it’s 1990. 620 Atlantic Avenue. Tickets start at $82.

‘Waiting for Godot’ extended by popular demand
Now through December 23
You have two more weekends to see one of Brooklyn’s best productions of 2023. Since their first appearance in a tiny Paris theatre in 1953, Samuel Beckett’s iconic down-and-outs Vladimir and Estragon from “Waiting for Godot” have rarely been off the stage. Theatre for a New Audience is home to this staging, with Michael Shannon as Estragon and Paul Sparks as Vladimir. 262 Ashland Place. Tickets start at $97.

MTA Memorabilia and Collectibles Pop-Up Shop
9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday and Friday
Obsessed with the subway (or know someone who is)? ” The MTA is hosting a pop-up at its rail yard in South Brooklyn. Visitors are invited to shop for “subway signs, grabholds and other rare transit collectibles,” according to a tweet by transit authority. Heads up: Though the event is free, attendees must email a signed waiver in advance or bring one to the event to gain admittance. You can download and fill out the document right here. Once you RSVP here, you’ll get more specifics about the event (though it does appear to be by the rail yard in Coney Island).

Winter Market in Bed-Stuy
12 to 5 p.m., Thursdays through Sundays until December 23
Bed-Stuy’s Winter Wonderland Market is back for a month of shopping, live entertainment, fashion showcases and live music from local DJs. This year’s market opens on Small Business Saturday to provide an extra boost to the community. Marcy Plaza, 1368 Fulton Street.

See Brooklyn’s largest menorah 
6 p.m.
Every year, Chabad of Park Slope lights Brooklyn’s largest menorah on all eight nights of Hanukkah at Grand Army Plaza. Thursday is the final night of the Festival of Lights, and you can expect live music, hot latkes and gifts for the kids. All ages. Grand Army Plaza in Prospect Park.

Friday, December 15

Last weekend for The Old First Nursery School tree sale
9 a.m. to 6 p.m., ends December 17
At The Old First Nursery School’s Tree Sale in Park Slope, you will be able to choose from trees of all sizes provided by a Brooklyn-based distributor — and 100 percent of proceeds go to The Old First Nursery School, the oldest cooperative nursery school in New York City. If a tree isn’t what you’re after, there are plenty of wreaths, garlands and mistletoe too. 729 Carroll Street.

The Makers Show Holiday Market at City Point
11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday through Sunday until December 17
Reopening December 20 through 23 for extended shopping days
For its fourth holiday season, The Makers Show Holiday Market will feature over 60 local vendors, dance parties for kids, cookie decorating and workshops like ugly sweater-making, with visits from Santa. The Makers Show is rooted in social justice with their commitment to promoting equity and community investment through local marketplaces. Enjoy the festive environment created by TMS and buy locally. 445 Albee Square West.

‘Incarnations’ with Empire City Men’s Chorus
8 p.m.
Empire City Men’s Chorus performs “Incarnations” at the Church of Ascension on Sunday evening. This gender-defying program of seasonal music re-imagined for tenor and bass voices includes several holiday works by queer-identifying composers. The Empire City Men’s Chorus was founded at the height of the AIDS crisis in New York to raise funds for medical-related costs for their community. 127 Kent Avenue. Tickets start at $20

Saturday, December 16

The Ghosts of British Television
12 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.
The oral tradition of telling ghost stories during Christmas peaked during the Victorian era with the rise of the printing press. Television helped revitalize the tradition in England, particularly during the 1970s and ’80s when broadcast companies would beam ghost stories into the public’s living rooms every December. And on Saturday, Spectacle Theater welcomes you to continue the tradition with an all-day marathon of British televised tales of the ghostly and macabre. 124 South 3rd Street. Day passes are available online for $25, and tickets for individual blocks are available at the door for $5.

BEM’s Books and Bites Holiday Party
12 to 7 p.m.
BEM | books & more will host a holiday hang at Akwaaba Mansion on Saturday afternoon. BEM is a digital literary home for the intersection of Black cultures and food, and at their party, you can shop for new releases and cherished classics alike over bites and drinks. 347 MacDonough Street. Free.

Holiday marionette show
12:30 and 2:30 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays through December 23
A Park Slope holiday tradition returns with performances of “The Steadfast Tin Soldier” at Puppet Works. The story is about a one-legged toy soldier who falls in love with a paper ballerina. The second show during their performance is “Nutcracker Sweets,” based on E.T.A. Hoffmann’s “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King,” which inspired “The Nutcracker” ballet. The show is suggested for ages 2 and up and lasts 55 minutes. Registration is strongly suggested as walk-in admission is not guaranteed. 338 Sixth Avenue (at 4th Street). Tickets are $10 for children and $11 for adults.

Red Hook Holiday Market
1 to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday
Find one-of-a-kind, handmade gifts for your loved ones this holiday season while supporting 50+ local artisans, makers and crafters at The Red Hook Holiday Market. Explore Red Hook’s culinary scene, sip at local bars and immerse yourself in the holiday buzz on Saturday and Sunday.

‘The Brooklyn Nutcracker’
Showtimes at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
“The Brooklyn Nutcracker,” coming to Kings Theatre on Saturday, reimagines the Russian holiday classic and blends ballet with hip-hop to create a new tradition for today’s Brooklyn. The production places the story in old Dutch Brooklyn (also known as the village of Breuckelen) and modern-day Flatbush Avenue. 1027 Flatbush Ave. Tickets begin at $39.

The House of Yes Xmas Spectacular
6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
House of Yes is throwing a party with all the great things about Christmas “plus all of the traumatic things.” The Xmas Spectacular welcomes you to party with your fellow elves, Santa and “paindeer” this Saturday night. So come out and have yourself a dirty little Advent at House of Yes this weekend. 21+. 2 Wyckoff Avenue. Tickets are $46.

Sunday, December 17

Ice Skating at Brooklyn Bridge Park
Open now through March 1
The first-ever ice rink beneath the Brooklyn Bridge is open to the public until March. Glide offers scenic views of Manhattan, food and drink selections, and a new spot for ice skating this holiday season and beyond. Discounts and free tickets are available for residents. See Glide’s website for details. Emily Warren Roebling Plaza 11201. Tickets are $10 for kids, $15 for adults

FAD Holiday Market
FAD Holiday is a pop-up market featuring local vendors from Brooklyn bringing together artists, designers and the public, creating a space for community engagement and cultural discovery. There are two locations in Dumbo and Boerum Hill. See their website for complete information for both markets.

Share the Toy: Brooklyn Museum’s Toy Giveaway
12 to 3 p.m.
The Brooklyn Museum collected toys for its fourth annual toy drive, and on Sunday, you can pick up gifts for your little ones while supplies last. After the giveaway, any remaining toys will be donated to local family shelters. The giveaway is located at the Martha A. and Robert S. Rubin Pavilion, 1st Floor. 200 Eastern Parkway. Free.

‘Nutcracker Rouge’ at Company XIV
4 and 9 p.m.
If The Brooklyn Nutcracker isn’t risque enough for you, Company XIV is back with the city’s best burlesque performers for their 13th anniversary season of “Nutcracker Rouge.” This year’s production features a lineup of talented starlets from New York’s nightlife circuit. 383 Troutman Street. Ticket prices vary.