The Blankman List: Things to Do in NYC, December 2023

The Blankman List is a monthly curated list of things to do in New York City. It showcases the full range of what there is to do, for residents and tourists alike.

I especially seek out artistic and cultural events like concerts, plays, and art exhibits, along with anything that is high-quality, notable, and/or free. There is at least one event for every day of the month, and no borough or event type is off limits.

As both a holiday gift to all of my readers and a chance to get back to my roots of doing this just for fun, for one month only the December list is completely free. To those looking for more Blankman Lists in 2024, please consider upgrading. And to those of you who have already paid for a subscription, I thank you sincerely. I do not take your support for granted. You are the reason I am able to continue this project.

Disclaimer: before going anywhere, please confirm the date, time, cost, and location using the listed website. Any event is at risk of being rescheduled, relocated, sold out, at capacity, or canceled. I try to vet quality and describe accurately, but I may misjudge. Costs are rounded to the nearest dollar and may change.

Friday, December 1

• Dr. Durval Cesetti Discusses Rare Piano Music by Brazilian Composers

  • Lecture and recital of Brazilian piano music; 3:30–5 pm

  • Free (registration required by Nov 30)

  • Third North Piano Studies Facility, Room C205

  • 75 3rd Ave N (East Village, Manhattan)

• A Father of Musick

  • Viol consort (i.e., early music string ensemble) music; 7:30 pm

  • $25 general admission / $10 students and seniors

  • Saint Ignatius of Antioch Episcopal Church

  • 552 West End Ave (Upper West Side, Manhattan; enter on W 87th St)

Saturday, December 2

• New Wet Kojak

  • Indie rock reunion show; 6:30 pm (New Wet Kojak Bandcamp)

  • $33

  • Saint Vitus Bar

  • 1120 Manhattan Ave (Greenpoint, Brooklyn)

• Basquiat x Warhol

  • Neo-expressionist art exhibition; 11 am–5:30 pm; Nov 1–Jan 7

  • $21 adult / $15 students (reservations required)

  • The Brant Foundation Art Study Center

  • 421 E 6th St (East Village, Manhattan)

• The Book of HOV: A Celebration of the Life and Work of Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter

  • Installation with art and objects pertaining to the life and work of JAY-Z; 9 am–6 pm; through Dec 4

  • Free

  • Brooklyn Public Library, Central Library

  • 10 Grand Army Plaza (Prospect Heights, Brooklyn)

Sunday, December 3

• Black Writers Showcase: Volume 2

  • Cabaret performance of musical theater songs by Black writers; 9:30 pm (9 pm doors)

  • $15–$60 entry + $25 food and drink minimum

  • 54 Below

  • 254 W 54th St. Cellar (Midtown, Manhattan)

• Gay in the Garden

  • Queer-centered communal garden care; 1–3 pm

  • Free

  • The Greenhouse and Education Center at Denny Farrell Riverbank State Park

  • 679 Riverside Dr, Greenhouse (West Harlem, Manhattan)

• Daisy Castro

  • Violin-based “Gypsy jazz”; 10 pm–12 am (Daisy Castro videos)

  • $20 suggested

  • Barbès

  • 376 9th St (Park Slope, Brooklyn)

Monday, December 4

• Short(er) Slavic Novels Book Club: The Funeral Party by Ludmila Ulitskaya

  • Book club meeting devoted to English-language translation of The Funeral Party; 6:30 pm

  • Free

  • McNally Jackson Downtown Brooklyn

  • 445 Gold St (Downtown Brooklyn; in City Point BKLYN)

• 50 Years of Ms. – More Than a Magazine: A Movement

  • Feminist-themed moderated book discussion; 6:30–8 pm

  • Free or $45 (price includes book)

  • The Temple Emanu-El Streicker Center

  • 1 E 65th St (Lenox Hill, Manhattan)

Tuesday, December 5

• August Wilson: A Life with Patti Hartigan

  • Theater-themed book talk; 7:30–8:30 pm

  • $33 (includes book)

  • Drama Book Shop

  • 266 W 39th St (Midtown, Manhattan)

• Dinosaur Jr. - Celebrating 30 Years of “Where You Been”

  • Alternative rock concert; 8 pm (7 pm doors); Dec 1–8

  • $53

  • Music Hall of Williamsburg

  • 66 N 6th St (Williamsburg, Brooklyn)

Wednesday, December 6

• the feels: an evening for single-identifying humans

  • Evidence-based singles mixer; 6:30–9:30 pm

  • $80–$90 (includes unlimited wine and light bites)

  • The Knife Factory

  • 347 Maujer St (East Williamsburg)

• Team RIVER Volunteering

  • Volunteer work cleaning, restoring, and maintaining park; 9:30 am–12:30 pm; every Wednesday and Saturday through December 9

  • Free

  • Icahn Stadium in Randall’s Island Park

  • 10 Central Rd (Randall’s Island, Manhattan)

Thursday, December 7

• Unconventional Wisdom

  • All-female 17th century Italian convent music; 7 pm

  • $15–$60

  • St. Paul’s Chapel at Trinity Wall Street

  • 209 Broadway (Financial District, Manhattan)

Friday, December 8

• LCD Soundsystem Tri-Boro Tour

  • Electronic rock concert; 8 pm (7 pm doors); Nov 16–Dec 10 at different venues across NYC

  • $166

  • Knockdown Center

  • 52-19 Flushing Ave (Flushing, Queens)

• Banda Real: Debut Oficial

  • Dominican Spanish-language merengue dance party; 9 pm–4 am

  • $23

  • Salsa Con Fuego

  • 2297 Cedar Ave (University Heights, The Bronx)

Saturday, December 9

• Hard Job, Changing Modes, Oof, Desert Memorial

  • Indie rock concert; 3 pm

  • Free

  • Gold Sounds Bar

  • 44 Wilson Ave (Bushwick, Brooklyn)

• Walking Tour: Madison Avenue, High Fashion, and Historic Preservation

  • Architecture of shopping district walking tour; 1–2 pm

  • $30

  • Meet at the Madison Avenue BID [Business Improvement District] offices

  • 29 E 61st St, 3rd floor (Lenox Hill, Manhattan)

• Tracy Morgan

  • Stand-up comedy; 8 pm

  • $48–$133

  • Lehman Center for the Performing Arts, Lehman College

  • 250 Bedford Park Blvd W (Jerome Park, The Bronx)

• Whiskies of the World

  • Curated whiskey tasting; 6:45–9:30 pm

  • $99 (includes whiskey, light bites, and souvenir glass)

  • The Weylin

  • 175 Broadway (Williamsburg, Brooklyn)

Sunday, December 10

• Walking Tour: Early Sacred Sites of the Lower East Side

  • Historical walking tour of Manhattan religious sites; 1:30 pm

  • $25 adults / $20 students and seniors

  • Museum at Eldridge Street

  • 12 Elridge St (Lower East Side, Manhattan)

• Running of the Bulls 5K

  • 5K running race partly sponsored by Cash Cow NYC, a streetwear clothing brand; 9–10:30 am

  • $30–$50 (price depends on day of sign-up)

  • Van Cortlandt Park (see website for race map)

  • Broadway and Van Cortlandt Park S (The Bronx)

• Tour The Historic Conference House

  • Historical American Revolution-era tour; 12–4 pm; Saturday and Sunday through December 10

  • $5

  • Conference House Museum

  • 298 Satterlee St (Conference House Park, Staten Island)

Monday, December 11

• WOODZ WORLD TOUR ‘OO-LI and’

  • Korean hip hop concert; 7:30 pm (6 pm doors) (WOODZ Spotify)

  • $82–$272

  • Kings Theatre

  • 1027 Flatbush Ave (Flatbush, Brooklyn)

Tuesday, December 12

• Sylvia Snowden: Shell, Glimpses

  • Contemporary expressionist art exhibition; 11 am–6 pm; Nov 9–Dec 15

  • Free (30-minute exhibition viewing appointment required)

  • Franklin Parrasch Gallery

  • 19 E 66th St (Upper East Side, Manhattan)

• The New York Jewels Auction Viewing

  • Viewing of precious gems and jewels in advance of auction; 10 am–6 pm; viewing is Dec 10–Dec 12 (auction is Dec 13)

  • Free

  • Phillips

  • 432 Park Ave (Midtown East, Manhattan)

Wednesday, December 13

• Gallery Tour: Narrative Threads

  • Guided Nordic multimedia art tour; 5:30–6 pm; every other Wednesday through Feb 7

  • Free

  • Scandinavia House

  • 58 Park Ave (Murray Hill, Manhattan; meet in the gallery elevator lobby)

Thursday, December 14

• Lúnasa: An Irish Solstice Celebration

  • Irish music concert in celebration of the Celtic harvest festival; 7:30 pm

  • $49–$64

  • Loreto Theater, Sheen Center for Thought and Culture

  • 18 Bleecker St (Bowery, Manhattan)

• Nice One! Comedy at Culture Lab LIC

  • Stand-up comedy; 8–9:30 pm; twice a month on Thursday evening

  • Free (donations accepted)

  • Culture Lab LIC at The Plaxall Gallery

  • 5-25 46th Avenue (Long Island City, Queens)

• Ramona & the Holy Smokes with Caller Sargent Seedoo

  • Honky tonk country music and dancing; 8–10 pm (dance lessons at 8 pm; music starts at 8:30 pm)

  • $17

  • Jalopy Theatre

  • 315 Columbia Street (Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn)

Artwork by British-Indian contemporary artist Anish Kapoor; photo credit: Lisson Gallery

Friday, December 15

• Anish Kapoor

  • Contemporary art exhibition; 10 am–6 pm; Nov 2–Dec 16

  • Free

  • Lisson Gallery

  • 504 & 508 W 24th St (Chelsea, Manhattan)

Saturday, December 16

• Christmas in Nickyland 2023: The Return

  • Holiday-themed Off-Off-Broadway cabaret theater; 7:30 pm; Dec 16 & 17

  • Pay what you can: $10–$70

  • The Club, La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club

  • 74A East 4th St (Bowery, Manhattan)

• Poog Live: Kate Berlant & Jacqueline Novak

  • Holiday-themed live comedy podcast recording; 10 pm (9 pm doors); Dec 16–17 (Poog podcast)

  • $45–$60

  • Murmrr Theatre

  • 17 Eastern Pkwy (Prospect Heights, Brooklyn)

Sunday, December 17

• Byrd Celebration: Choir of Saint Ignatius of Antioch Episcopal Church

  • English Renaissance-era plainchant, hymns, and choral music; 5 pm

  • Free

  • Saint Ignatius of Antioch Episcopal Church

  • 552 West End Ave (Upper West Side, Manhattan)

• Astoria Holiday Market

  • Artisan market including baked and vintage goods; 12–6 pm; Dec 10 & 17

  • Free entry

  • Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden

  • 29-19 24th Ave (Astoria, Queens)

Monday, December 18

• Rongrong Liang, Piano

  • Conservatory student piano recital; 5:30 pm

  • Free (no tickets required)

  • Morse Hall, The Juilliard School

  • 155 W. 65th St (Lincoln Square, Manhattan)

Tuesday, December 19

• Permabanned: Neil Durst’s Short Film Showcase

  • Disconcerting short film screenings; 8 pm (7 pm doors)

  • $12

  • Littlefield

  • 635 Sackett St (Boerum Hill, Brooklyn)

• Vitor Gonçalves Trio

  • Brazilian-influenced piano-based jazz; sets at 7:30 & 9 pm (Vitor Gonçalves videos)

  • $35

  • Mezzrow

  • 163 W 10th St (West Village, Manhattan)

Wednesday, December 20

• Differ We Must: How Lincoln Succeeded in a Divided America

  • Moderated talk about Abraham Lincoln; 6:30–7:30 pm

  • $35

  • The Robert H. Smith Auditorium at the New-York Historical Society

  • 170 Central Park W (Upper West Side, Manhattan)

• Brice Marden: Let the Painting Make You

  • Expressionist art exhibit; 10 am–6 pm; through Dec 22

  • Free

  • Gagosian Madison Avenue

  • 980 Madison Ave (Upper East Side, Manhattan)

Thursday, December 21

• Reanimator Academy

  • Horror film screening followed by Zoom Q&A with director and after party; 9:30 pm

  • $18

  • Nitehawk Cinema Williamsburg

  • 136 Metropolitan Ave (Williamsburg, Brooklyn)

Friday, December 22

• Christmas Vegan Cooking Class

  • Class on making vegan Christmas dinner

  • $60 (includes materials and drink)

  • CB Health & Wellness Center

  • 305 E 119th St (East Harlem, Manhattan)

Saturday, December 23

• Pasta Workshop at Il Pastaio di Eataly

  • Pasta-making workshop with food and drink provided; 10:30–11:30 am; part of recurring cooking classes at Eataly

  • $85 (includes antipasto, pasta dish, and one glass of wine or beer)

  • Il Pastaio (part of Eataly)

  • 210 5th Ave (Flatiron, Manhattan)

• Brooklyn Nets vs. Detroit Pistons

  • National Basketball Association game; 7:30 pm (6 pm doors)

  • $65–$366+

  • Barclays Center

  • 620 Atlantic Ave (Prospect Heights, Brooklyn)

• Holiday Series 2023: The Grinch

  • Screening of 2018 animated film; 1–2:30 pm

  • $18

  • Regal UA Kaufman Astoria

  • 35-30 38th St (Astoria, Queens)

Sunday, December 24

• Union Square Holiday Market

  • Outdoor market with food and retail vendors; 11 am–4 pm; Nov 16–Dec 24

  • Free entry

  • Union Square

  • 14th St side of Union Square (Manhattan)

Monday, December 25

• Yiddish Princess Reunion!

  • Klezmer-influenced Yiddish-language rock concert; 9 pm (8:30 pm doors); part of Yiddish New York Dec 23–28

  • $25

  • Bowery Electric

  • 327 Bowery (Bowery, Manhattan)

• Carol Brunch

  • Queer holiday-themed film screening; 12:30 pm (Carol trailer)

  • $16 (full brunch menu available)

  • Alamo Drafthouse Lower Manhattan

  • 28 Liberty St (Financial District, Manhattan)

Tuesday, December 26

• WWE Live Holiday Tour

  • Professional wrestling event; 7:30 pm

  • $50–$284+

  • Madison Square Garden

  • 4 Pennsylvania Plaza (Midtown, Manhattan)

• Sandra Bernhard: Easy Listening

  • Staged musical performances at Off-Broadway theater; 7 pm (6 pm doors); Dec 26–31

  • $83 (+ 2 drink or 1 food item minimum)

  • The Public Theater

  • 425 Lafayette St (NoHo, Manhattan)

Wednesday, December 27

• High Line Tour: From Freight to Flowers

  • Walking history, design, and landscape tour; 10–10:45 am; every Wednesday and Saturday in November through April

  • Free

  • High Line

  • Meet on the High Line Gansevoort Street, at the top of the Gansevoort Street stairs (Meatpacking District, Manhattan)

Thursday, December 28

• The Red Rose

  • English- and Spanish-language musical theater (with titles) based on the life and writings of Jesús Colón; 8 pm; Nov 30–Jan 7

  • $25–$43

  • The Puerto Rican Traveling Theater

  • 304 W 47th St (Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan)

• Multicultural Sonic Evolution (MuSE): Shimauta Workshop Series (Vol. 4: “Goodbye Songs”)

  • Public workshop on music and culture from the Amami Islands, Japan; 5:30 pm

  • $20 (includes two drinks)

  • Uke Hut

  • 36-01 36th Ave (Long Island City, Queens)

• Dirty Thursday: Y2K

  • Dance party with classic jams from the 1990s and 2000s; 10 pm–4 am

  • Free before midnight with RSVP / $10 presale / $15 at door

  • House of Yes

  • 2 Wyckoff Ave (Bushwick, Brooklyn)

Friday, December 29

• Squaring the Circle by Sean W MacNeil – Closing Party

  • Graphite and paper drawing solo exhibition; 5–8 pm

  • Free

  • Brick Aux Gallery

  • 628 Metropolitan Ave (Williamsburg, Brooklyn)

Saturday, December 30

• Albert Marques: Homage to Wayne Shorter

  • Spanish-influenced piano-based jazz; 8–9:30 pm

  • $25

  • Soapbox Gallery

  • 636 Dean St (Prospect Heights, Brooklyn)

• Taylor’s Version – A Swiftie Dance Party

  • Dance party with DJ playing songs from every Taylor Swift era; 11:55 pm (11 pm doors)

  • $15–$20

  • (Le) Poisson Rouge

  • 158 Bleecker St (NoHo, Manhattan)

Sunday, December 31

• New Year’s Eve Party

  • Bar celebration in honor of new year; 11 pm–1 am

  • Free entry (food and drink menu available)

  • Sláinte New York City

  • 304 Bowery (Bowery, Manhattan)

• New Year’s Eve Celebration at Rainhas Churrascaria

  • Semi-formal Brazilian steakhouse celebration in honor of new year; 10 pm–2 am

  • $140 (includes salad bar, buffet, cuts of meats, unlimited sodas, 2 glasses of sangria, dessert, 1 glass of champagne, and coffee or tea)

  • Rainhas Churrascaria

  • 108-01 Northern Blvd (Corona, Queens)