Dinosaur Jr. and holiday markets galore: 20 things to do this weekend

By Joshua Encinias

If you think it’s too early for the holidays, this weekend Brooklyn has plenty of alternatives to the winter markets and visits from Sinterklaas — but we’ve got plenty of those, too.

On Thursday, The Center for Brooklyn History brings together three Brooklyn-based miniaturists who cast our home in tiny and intricate ways. A night of comedy comes to The Bell House to raise money for the Gowanus Canal Conservancy.

Christmas lights return to Dyker Heights on Friday with on-foot and car-based guided tours. Of course, you could always walk around for free. Dinosaur Jr. kicks off a seven night residency at the Musical Hall of Williamsburg to celebrate their album “Where You Been” turning dirty 30.

Sinterklaas (Ol’ St. Nick) visits the Wyckoff Farmhouse Museum on Saturday for a free day of activities, and multi-instrumentalist Sen Morimoto headlines Elsewhere’s Zone One on Saturday night. And Fort Greene Park lights their tree on Sunday afternoon with events for the entire family.

Thursday, November 30

Bed-Stuy’s Winter Wonderland Market
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 boost the community. Marcy Plaza, 1368 Fulton Street.

Brooklyn miniaturist pop-up
6:30 p.m.
Danny Cortes, Aaron Kinard and Jack Giambanco are all longtime Brooklynites and self-taught artists with a passion for making miniatures of iconic Brooklyn locations in stunningly intricate detail. Come to the Center for Brooklyn History for a conversation about their craft, Brooklyn and how they found themselves in this world of tiny art. Following the program, meet the artists and enjoy a pop-up exhibit of their work. 128 Pierrepont Street.

A night of comedy to benefit the Gowanus Canal Conservancy
7:30 p.m.
The Bell House hosts a night of comedy in support of Gowanus Canal Conservancy, a local non-profit, in their efforts to advocate and care for ecologically sustainable parks and public spaces in the Gowanus lowlands while empowering a community of stewards. The night features comedians Kumail Nanjian, Eugene Mirman, Marie Faustin, Brian Bahe, Ophira Eisenberg and science communicator Tom Lum for a benefit show of comedy and fun to celebrate the animals local to Gowanus. 149 7th Street. Tickets are $25.

The Hold Steady’s Massive Nights
8 p.m.
It’s time for The Hold Steady’s annual Massive Nights at Brooklyn Bowl, happening every night through Saturday. Massive Nights began in 2016, and it’s become a highlight of the early holiday season. The band says to expect “songs, drinks, friends, sing-alongs and everything else that makes these nights Massive.” 21+. 61 Wythe Avenue. Tickets are $55.

Friday, December 1

Dyker Heights Christmas light tours
Various times
Dyker Heights turns into an over-the-top homage to Christmas this time of year lights, life-sized Santas, sleighs, snowmen and Christmas carols blasting from loudspeakers. Tours by foot, bus and even limos are available in English and Spanish and are offered at various price points.

The Old First Nursery School tree sale
9 a.m. to 6 p.m., every weekend through 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 and reopen 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 buying locally.

Freelance Isn’t Free Fundraiser
6 p.m.
The first annual Freelance Isn’t Free Fundraiser is bringing the greatest minds from New York’s freelancing community together with policymakers, brands and thought-leaders in order to support the Freelancers Union’s biggest event of the year. The event supports continued advocacy for the Freelancing Isn’t Free Act (FIFA) across the country, a groundbreaking act protecting freelancers from non-payment passed in New York, California, Illinois, and now they are working on passing this for NY State. 251 Bushwick Avenue. General admission tickets are $65.

Music at Pioneer Works
Doors at 7 p.m., show at 8, Friday and Saturday
Before Pioneer Works closes for major renovations in the first half of 2024, Pioneer Works will be offering up an exciting slate of music events. The arts org will kick off December with two back-to-back shows, starting with a split bill from prolific drummer and composer Makaya McCraven and Chicago music collective Resavoir on December 1. Then on December 2 Pioneer Works hosts a celebration of the 10th anniversary of influential French record label Latency with another exciting split bill: experimental electronic music pioneer Moritz von Oswald and cellist, producer and poet Kelsey Lu will light up their main hall. 159 Pioneer Street. $33.78 for Friday’s show; $40.96 for Saturday.

The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show
8 p.m.
You better watch out, you better not cry, because The Queens of Christmas are coming back to Kings Theatre with a brand new edition of the internationally acclaimed The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show. Another holiday season brings another year of fabulous spectacle, whip-smart comedy, brand new songs and annual favorites. Join drag queens sugary DeLa and spicy Jinkx for an evening to lift your spirits and make you howl with laughter. 1027 Flatbush Avenue. Tickets begin at $100.

Dinosaur Jr. at Music Hall of Williamsburg
9 p.m. on Friday
In celebration of the 30th anniversary of Dinosaur Jr.’s landmark album “Where You Been,” the iconic band — with its original line up of J Mascis, Lou Barlow and Murph — will perform the album in its entirety over a 7-night residency at Music Hall of Williamsburg (December 1-3, 5-8). The shows will feature a smattering of guests and friends to sit in each night to celebrate this music along with a set comprising the trio’s thunderous catalog each night. 66 North Sixth Street. Ticket prices vary.

Saturday, December 2

Elisabeth Subrin presents: Maria Schneider, 1983 + Shulie
Saturday and Sunday
Brooklyn-based artist and filmmaker Elisabeth Subrin will be in attendance at Metrograph on both Saturday and Sunday to present two of her most celebrated hybrid non-fiction films. The films push the limits of on-screen biography with portraits of actress Maria Schneider and the feminist writer Shulamith Firestone. 7 Ludlow Street. Tickets are $17.

Sen Morimoto plays Elsewhere
7 p.m.
Sen Morimoto is a Chicago-based artist who grew up in the northeast and played little dive bars and house shows in Brooklyn as a kid. Everything comes full circle on Saturday in celebration of his third album “Diagnosis” when Morimoto headlines a show at Elsewhere – Zone One, one of Brooklyn’s most prestigious stages for up-and-coming artists. Jwords opens. 599 Johnson Avenue. Tickets are $25.

Wallabout Wonderland Holiday Market
Saturday and Sunday at noon
More than 200 Yard-based businesses, local vendors and community partners will offer handmade and eclectic one-of-a-kind gifts at the annual Wallabout Wonderland Holiday Market at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The event will spotlight a wide array of locally made products, from home goods to clothing and accessories, art and wellness products, there is something for everyone. Building 293, Brooklyn Navy Yard, at Assembly Road and Gee Avenue. Visitors must use the Cymer Street Gate to enter. Free.

St. Nicholas Day at Wyckoff Farmhouse Museum
2 to 4 p.m.
The Wyckoff Farmhouse Museum celebrates its 22nd Annual Sinterklaas-St. Nicholas Day Celebration on Saturday afternoon. St. Nicholas arrives on horseback around 2:30 p.m. to tell the traditional tale of The Bakers Dozen and children will be invited to sign his Red Book. Sip hot cider, try your hand at colonial games, create a holiday pomander, decorate a Dutch clog for Sinterklaas and dress the tree for the tree lighting that will close the day as the sun goes down. 5816 Clarendon Road. Free.

Sunday, December 3

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.

‘Waiting for Godot’ extended
Performed now through December 17
Since their first appearance in a tiny Paris theatre in 1953, Samuel Beckett’s iconic down-and-outs Vladimir and Estragon have rarely been off the stage. Theatre for a New Audience is home to this staging of “Waiting for Godot,” with Michael Shannon as Estragon and Paul Sparks as Vladimir. The play has extended its run to December 17, so there’s still time. 262 Ashland Place. Tickets start at $97.

NYC Holiday Half
9:30 a.m.
The NYC Holiday Half Marathon, 10K and 5K welcomes runners to pace 13.1 Miles on one of the United States’ most historic riverfronts. The start and finish is at the American Veteran Memorial Pier. Free pictures and video will be available on the Half’s results page. Participants receive something called a high-quality technical shirt and finisher commemorative medal. 100th Street at Fort Hamilton Parkway and John Warren Avenue.

Welcome Yule: Sing Lullaby
4 to 5:30 p.m.
The Dessoff Choir ushers in the holiday season on Sunday afternoon with music by Vicente Lusitano, Herbert Howells, R. Nathaniel Dett, Florence Price and Adolphus Hailstork, along with seasonal carols. 199 Carroll Street. Tickets range from $25 to $45.

Fort Greene Park tree lighting
4 to 5 p.m.
Fort Greene Park’s annual holiday tradition returns with free hot cocoa, live seasonal music, letter writing to Santa and tree lighting. Northwest corner of Fort Greene Park, near Myrtle Avenue and St. Edward’s Street. Brooklyn Pop-up will also be hosting a holiday bazaar at the lighting (as well as at the Brooklyn Museum all weekend, so you can get a jump on your shopping). Free.