Opening: Cafe By The Girls; Weekend Holiday Markets, Photos with Santa, Party Like It's 1999, Herbal Gift Giving, Healthy Holiday Cooking Class, and a Quiet Reading Party
Park Slope's first weekly newsletter since 2021!
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Welcome to Park Slope’s weekly newsletter, Park Slope Pulse. We spend hours curating the most important news and events each week ✨ for free ✨ to save you time sifting through listings and articles! Park Slope Pulse gives you the first insights to make plans or start conversations.
Here’s what’s happening this week:
Opening: Cafe by the Girls will open at 203 Seventh Avenue between 2nd and 3rd streets in the former Blue Bottle Coffee location. Stay tuned for an opening date!
The city’s proposal to rezone Atlantic Avenue, called the Atlantic Avenue Mixed-Use Plan, has raised concerns among residents in Prospect Heights and Crown Heights [BK Reader].
The 15th Annual Park Slope Tree Lighting, held on Small Business Saturday, drew large crowds and encouraged attendees to shop local [Yahoo]. Through December 23rd, kids can mail letter or postcards to Santa in @theother5th’s special mailbox secured to a tree fence on 5th Ave and 4th street.
Looking for ways to get into the holiday spirit? Check out our Park Slope Holiday Guide here. We update it frequently, so check back for the latest event listings!
— Mychal
Stocking Stuffers & Extended Hours at Annie’s Blue Ribbon General Store
Stocking stuffers add that extra touch of magic to the holidays, and we’ve got something for everyone! From fun trinkets to heartfelt treasures, Annie’s Blue Ribbon General Store is your go-to spot for small surprises that bring big smiles.
And great news: we’ll have extended hours the weeks of December 10th and 17th, staying open until 8 PM on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday to help you cross off your holiday shopping list!
Visit us at 232 5th Ave, Brooklyn (between President & Carroll St)
Or online at www.blueribbongeneralstore.com
[To get featured here as a Sponsor, email info@parkslopeliving for more info]
Our Top Picks
Events with an asterisk* tend to sell out- reserve tickets early!
Thursday, December 5th (Today):
Shoot Amazing B-Roll @ Brooklyn Public Library (Central Location) , 11am-1pm: Expand your filmmaking toolkit by learning easy and effective tips for capturing beautiful B-Roll footage for your documentary project or narrative film.. FREE.
Eastern European Cuisine Cooking Class @ The Common Brooklyn, 6-9pm: Join The Common for their final class of the year! This popular immersive cooking & dining experience includes three hours of hands-on cooking under Chef instruction in a professional restaurant kitchen. Enjoy hors d'oeuvres, wine, the dinner you’ve prepared, and coffee or tea to end the meal. Great for beginners and seasoned cooks alike! $95.
Weekend Holiday Markets:
FAD Holiday Market @ Three Locations (Saturday & Sunday 11am-6pm): Starting this weekend and running through December 22nd, FAD Market pop-ups will be held at three separate locations in Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill, and Dumbo. Named one of The Best Holiday Markets in NYC by TimeOut, Fashion-Art-Design Markets embrace diversity with a rotating roster of creative makers from all backgrounds who represent the talent of the city and beyond. Shop unique handcrafted art, jewelry, apparel, bath and body care, tableware, and home furnishings & indulge in locally crafted food and drinks. FREE.
Wallabout Wonderland @ Brooklyn Navy Yard (Saturday & Sunday, 12-5pm): Shop handmade jewelry, one-of-a-kind home décor pieces, and rare fashion finds from local artisans and designers at the 7th edition of this holiday market. Featuring 200+ vendors in art, design, beauty, personal care, unique gifts, and fashion—plus tasty eats! FREE.
Winter Wonderland Market @ Sunset Park Waterfront (Friday 3-7pm, Saturday & Sunday 10-5pm): South Brooklyn Mutual Aid’s first-ever Winter Wonderland Market will feature 30+ local vendors plus food, drink, family-friendly activities, and entertainment that showcases the incredible diversity of Brooklyn’s immigrant communities. A portion of proceeds will support the South Brooklyn Sanctuary and their vital immigration legal services. FREE entry.
Saturday, December 7th:
ALCOVE x Stuf Storage Holiday Workshop Corner @ Alcove, 9am-12pm [Sponsored]: Celebrate the holidays and the openings of two new (local mom-owned!) Park Slope businesses! Stop in for a kid-friendly holiday craft workshop, breakfast bites, warm beverages, and fun deals and giveaways. Check out ALCOVE's productivity pods (reserve one to take calls & tackle your to-do list!) and learn about Stuf's new self-storage location at 550 5th Ave! FREE.
Photos with Santa @ Old Stone House, 10:30am: Park Slope Parents and Park Slope Fifth Avenue BID host this popular photo opp with Santa. Photographer Marc Goldberg will make his professional photos available on his website for purchase, and attendees are welcome to snap their own photos as well. $33.85.
Holiday Shop @ PS 321, 10am-5pm: Find a gift for everyone on your list! The PS 321 Holiday Shop will feature over 90 local artisans selling jewelry, soap, ceramics, home decor, and more! Plus, enjoy a holiday bake sale, caroling, and a craft room for the kids. FREE.
Herbal Gift Giving @ Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 10am & 1pm*: Learn to make original botanical remedies for family and friends in this holiday-themed class. Explore recipes for herbal presents including an herbal oxymel with pine needles, a sweet treat with hawthorn powder, herbal ketchup, and even a salve for cuts and wounds. Each student will make two remedies in class for at-home use. $47 ($43 for members) + $20 materials fee.
Party Like It’s 1999: All I Want For Christmas is Mariah Edition @ The Bell House, 7pm: Head to The Bell House to pay tribute to the singer of the best Christmas song of all time! This event will feature the classic holiday tune as well as blocks from the Mariah Carey catalog. Join DJ Steve Reynolds for Brooklyn’s best 90s and 00s party with a mix of your favorite pop, R&B, rock, hip-hop, and dance tunes. 21+. FREE.
Brooklyn Conservatory Community Orchestra Winter Concert @ Brooklyn Museum, 3-5pm: Led by Music Director Dorothy Savitch, the BCCO returns to the Brooklyn Museum for a winter concert anchored by Tchaikovsky’s towering Symphony No. 5 in E Minor. The afternoon’s program will also include a performance of Wagner’s “Siegfried Idyll” and Vivaldi’s Oboe Concerto in A Minor RV461, featuring the oboist Alison Mari. $25 for adults/ $15 for kids (includes admission to the museum).
Sunday, December 8th:
Eenda-Lunaapeewahkiing Indigenous Culture Fair @ Prospect Park Picnic House, 11am-5pm: Celebrate Indigenous Culture in Prospect Park! The Prospect Park Alliance, the Eenda-Lunaapeewahkiing Collective and the American Indian Community House present this curated event of Lenape and other Indigenous performances and vendors. Experience Indigenous music, dance, food, corn husk making workshops, and crafts on the ancestral homelands of the Lenape peoples. FREE.
Tuesday, December 10th:
Life Drawing @ Old Stone House, 7-9:30pm*: Artists of all skill levels (including beginners) are welcome to join for this evening drawing session with a professional life model. $15.71.
Wednesday, December 11th*:
Healthy Holiday Cooking Class @ Farm.One, 7pm: Get into the festive spirit with this hands-on class! Led by Chef Stephanie Wright, Ayurvedic chef, health counselor and herbalist, this class is perfect for those who want to serve delightful, nourishing, and allergy-friendly dishes that everyone can enjoy. Menu highlights include Butternut Squash & Brussels Sprout Quinoa Flatbread, Maple Dijon Rosemary Sweet Potato Fries, and Moroccan Golden Beet Millet Salad. $125.
Book ahead for this popular event: 🗓️
BYOB: A Quiet Reading Party @ The Center for Fiction— Tuesday, December 17th, 6pm: It’s the introvert’s delight— being alone together with books that are impossible put down. Get cozy with a drink for this quiet reading party, and afterward, attendees are invited to engage in some not-so-small talk about big stories with fellow readers. Doors open at 5:30pm. Admission includes a cocktail or mocktail. $20.
*NEW* Submit an event to be considered for this weekly events roundup!
Note that a limited number of events are selected for this newsletter, and event listing promotions are available to guarantee the inclusion of your event (email us for more info).
Did we miss anything? Add in comments below. 👇
Slope Steal of the Week 💰:
We find the best deals happening in the neighborhood so you don’t have to!
Mark Down Mondays @ Giovanni’s Brooklyn Eats
This popular Italian eatery in South Slope is offering half price bottles of wine with both dine-in and takeout meals on Monday nights!
Visit Giovanni’s Brooklyn Eats at 1666 8th Avenue between Prospect Ave and 17th Street.
Local Business Buzz: ✨
BK Chalet @ The Saloon at Brooklyn Clover Club
December 1st- February 28th
On December 1st, this critically-acclaimed cocktail bar in Cobble Hill transformed into a cozy ski chalet pop-up featuring winter decor, hot drinks, cocktails, & apres ski vibes for your holiday and winter partying needs! FREE entry.
Weekly Ways to Give Back🎗️
Make holiday cards for trans youth @ Old Stone House
Saturday, December 7th, 1:30-4:30pm:
Write messages of love and support to trans youth at this event organized by POGEK (Parents of Gender-Expansive Kids) at P.S.39. Completed cards will be distributed to LGBTQ+ organizations outside New York State that work directly with trans youth. Cards, pens, markers, and other writing materials will be provided, as well as guidance on how to craft messages of love and support during challenging times
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