Comedy, clean-ups and Christmas markets: 14 things to do this weekend

By Ethan Jakob Craft

There are only a couple of more weeks until Christmas, and you know what that means: SantaCon is back, baby! But you, dear reader, won’t find that particular super-spreader event on this weekend’s to-do list; you can exercise your Brooklyn privilege and stay on this side of the East River, because SantaCon is Manhattan’s sloppy problem.

Instead what you’ll find over the next few days are award-winning comedy shows, cultural celebrations and, because it’s December, no shortage of holiday pop-ups bringing eggnog and handmade housewares to just about every block of the borough.

Here’s what’s going down in Brooklyn this weekend:

Friday, December 10

The Makers Show
11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Featuring dozens of vendors—err, makers—the annual Makers Show holiday market is back this year with a host of independent artisans and local small businesses, many of which are woman-, BIPOC- or LGBTQ-owned. The seasonal pop-up, replete with a “hip” Santa, is happening all weekend long downtown at City Point, 445 Albee Square W. Entry is free.

390 Social Winter Market
All weekend, hours vary
390 Social, a new event venue in the middle of Park Slope, is hosting a holiday market through December 24 with a rotating lineup of local vendors. The market, which is produced by a group of BIPOC and female-led small businesses, will also feature live painting by artist Alex Reynoso throughout the weekend. 390 Fifth Avenue. Free to enter.

Ember Culture Fest 2021
4:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Join the students and staff of Ember Elementary School this weekend for its annual Afro-Indigenous celebration of dance performances, art displays and a community potluck. The free event is happening at the Quincy Street school in Bed-Stuy, though you don’t need to have a student enrolled there to stop by; pre-registration via Eventbrite is required, though.

Clusterf!ck Cabaret
Doors at 6:30 p.m., show at 7:30
If you’ll be attending “THE SEXIEST, TRIPPIEST, MOST OUTRAGEOUS CABARET IN THE UNIVERSE”—their words, not ours—this Friday, then get ready for a drag spectacle of dancing, singing and general vivaciousness. Tickets for this 21+ show at Bushwick’s House of Yes range from $30 to $40 depending on your seating preferences, and “looks” are encouraged. 2 Wyckoff Ave.

Fun Gutter
7 p.m.
What do you get when you cross a roster of award-winning comedians with a live punk band backing them up? Check out the Cobra Club on Wyckoff Avenue to find out, with Friday’s show featuring the comedic stylings of Hulu’s Dylan Adler and “We’re Having Gay Sex” podcast host Kate Sisk, among others, plus in-house rockets Fat Heaven. Tickets are $5.

Saturday, December 11

Community Day at the Book Hub
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
If you’re an educator or someone affiliated with a local community organization such as a church or food pantry, head over to the Brooklyn Book Bodega at the Navy Yard this Saturday to pick up as many used books as you can carry, free of charge. Pre-register online for a 45-minute slot and don’t forget to bring a bag or two to carry your haul.

Winter Wellness Bazaar
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Supply chain breakdown, shupply shmain shmakedown. Shop local goods created by Brooklyn vendors and attend wellness workshops. Their pitch: “Come for a moment of healing amidst this season and to support local artists for your holiday gifts!” Rice Studios, 56 Bogart St. Free to attend.

Clean up Brooklyn
10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
It’s the season of giving, so head out to Cypress Hills to give back to your borough this Saturday as part of an organized group clean-up put on by NYC H2O. Take your choice of two 90-minute shifts beautifying Atlantic Avenue at Euclid, one block south of the Crescent Street J and Z line stop; gloves, garbage bags and trash pickers will be provided on-site.

The Brooklyn Nutcracker
2 and 7 p.m.
A fusion of ballet, hip-hop and global dance genres, this performance at Kings Theater on Flatbush Avenue takes the stuffy old Nutcracker everyone has seen at least once and transforms it into a vibrant cultural display mirroring our home borough. There’s both a matinée and an evening show on Saturday, with tickets starting as low as $30 each.

Take in some stand-up comedy
7 to 8:30 p.m.
There are two kinds of people who would attend an all-ages comedy show at this hour: those who are going to bed immediately afterward, and those whose night is just getting started. No matter what your vibe is, swing by The Tiny Cupboard on Cooper Street, right next to the Chauncey Street J and Z line station, to get your fix of laughs at this top-reviewed show. Advance tickets are $10 online, or $20 at the door.

Sunday, December 12

Holiday Market at the Brooklyn Museum
11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Come by the Prospect Park museum’s first floor pavilion this Sunday for one-of-a-kind items from local artists, fashion designers, jewelers and more; stay for the holiday caroling and live DJ performances throughout the day. Though if you can’t make it, the Brooklyn Museum is also hosting this free marketplace next Sunday, Dec. 19, as well.

Brooklyn Baked & Fried
12 to 5 p.m.
A boneless fried chicken breast sandwiched between two hot waffles that come in your choice of buttermilk, red velvet, or cinnamon and apple—toppings optional. Need we say more? This chicken and waffles pop-up, which also offers standalone dessert waffles and fresh-brewed teas, is serving up delicious eats this Sunday at Greenpoint’s Talea Beer Co. on Richardson Street.

Make your own holiday wreath
1 to 2:30 p.m.
Get you and your front door into the holiday spirit with a DIY Christmas wreath session led by Brooklyn floral studio Florescent. The workshop is being hosted at Sycamore Bar + Flower Shop in Flatbush; tickets are $95, but that includes a wreath frame, greens, decorations and everything else you’ll need to craft one—including one adult drink at the bar.

Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra
6 to 7:30 p.m.
If you’re already hanging out near the Brooklyn Museum after shopping its holiday pop-up market, why not stick around to hear the Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra’s final performance of the year there? Dubbed “New York Celebration,” the concert bill includes music by the borough’s own Aaron Copland and tunes from wartime musical “On The Town.” General admission seats are $20 online, or $25 at the door.