5 Festive Things To Do In Brooklyn This Holigay Season

Head over to Ginger’s bar!

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What are you doing for the holidays, babes? I’m staying here and cozying up in Brooklyn for some cute chosen-family holiday time.

Us Brooklynites get so caught up in the hustle-and-bustle of life that we sometimes forget that we live in this amazing place where millions of people travel to every year. So why not take advantage of the ~amazingness~ that is NYC this holiday vacation?

That being said, I’ve rounded up some fun things for my fellow Brooklynites to do this holigay season.

Dyker Heights Christmas Lights

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I’ve always known this is a thing that happens every year in Brooklyn but I’ve never had the chance to go. It’s a beautiful display of Christmas lights, holiday kitsch, folk art and holiday festivities. Local residents in this primarily Italian neighborhood work to outdo each other every year with their fabulous displays. A slew of tourists and New Yorkers alike travel out to Dyker Heights to experience the glory of it all.

Pack a cute thermos filled with hot toddies or eggnog rum to have truly *lit* Christmas. This year, I definitely plan on going to Dyker Heights, taking all the Christmas light selfies and I hope to see you there!

Winter Markets

While a lot of the holiday markets start in November, there are still several that continue throughout the weekend of Christmas and into the New Year. They are the perfect spot for last minute gifts or to treat yourself to something special.

The Williamsburg Artists and Fleas happens every Saturday and Sunday throughout the holiday season. “Home to more than 100 individual sellers every weekend, Artists & Fleas has cultivated an international reputation amongst buyers, trend-spotters and creative entrepreneurs as a place to showcase and discover what’s new and exciting in fashion, vintage, art, design and more.”

There’s also the Brooklyn Flea and Holiday Market which is also happening every Saturday and Sunday for the holidays. I like this one in particular because they have amazingly delicious food vendors. “Brooklyn Flea has grown into one of New York City’s top attractions, operating flea markets every weekend of the year that feature hundreds of top vendors of furniture, vintage clothing, collectibles and antiques, as well as a tightly curated selection of jewelry, art, and crafts by local artisans and designers, plus delicious fresh food.”

You could also hit Silent Barn’s last minute Holiday Market happening tomorrow night. It will be half party and half market — with artistic vendors and creators selling their goods as well as live performances. This is ideal for all you list minute babes still looking to fill a stocking.

Head Over To Ginger’s Bar

Ginger’s is the last standing lesbian bar in Brooklyn and they continue to hold it down for us queer ladies. Every single night they offer a different event so you won’t just be there wallowing in a glass of whiskey, bored to tears. From their “Brooklyn Idol” on Thursdays to Bingo with Lucious Lola every Sunday — this lezzie joint will never disappoint.

No one should be alone for the holidays if they don’t want to be. After your market hopping and Christmas lights extravaganza, be sure to join all the ladies at Ginger’s for a cold one.

Go To The Movies

The quintessential New Yorker Christmas is Chinese food and a movie. This is your time to fulfill that true NYC vibe this year. My plan is to head over to my favorite movie spot in Brooklyn Videology Bar and Cinema for their screening of Amélie with Mulled Wine. They are offering a bevvy of different films and cute holiday options for people of all different interests. You could watch Elf and make gingerbread houses or attend their Moulin Rogue sing-along. Or, if you’re cozy at home — then order some Chinese food and snuggle up for one of these lesbian films on Netflix.

If you’re more in the mood for a recent Hollywood hit — the Nitehawk Cinema is the place for you. They offer fancy cocktails and delicious meals right in the service of your comfy movie theater chair!

Head To Your Favorite Places (That Are Usually Crowded With Damn Tourists)

You know how tourists fill up our city and just take over all the best spots? Yeah, same girl. Like, no shade tourist queers, but you make the lines to all our usual jaunts extra long and frustrating to wait in. So while y’all are at home for the holidays — we’ll be filling up our fave places while the lines are shorter.

Like Moe’s Doughs, for example, the place with the famous rainbow bagels. The line is always impossibly long and I just end up annoyed and leaving. You better bet that this weekend, I’ll be filling up on all their rainbow pastries (because I’m gay and I love the rainbow, duh).

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Parties Galore

If you’re more in the mood to get hype this holiday week, check out associate editor Dayna Troisi’s nightlife roundup of all the hottest places for queer women to check out before the New Year.

I definitely was a little melancholy about staying in the city for the holidays — it just felt weird at first. But now, I’m so excited for it. There’s so much festive fun to be had no matter where you are but especially in this magical, beautiful city of ours.


Corinne Kai is the Managing Editor and resident sex educator at GO Magazine. You can listen to her podcast Femme, Collectively just stalk her on Instagram


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