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Fri 27
Winter Antiques Show Park Avenue Armory; starts at noon; $25
History buffs can riffle through 70-plus booths of decorative housewares, furniture and tableaux at this vintage art and antiques fair, where you’ll find some luxurious and incredibly detailed paintings from the 18th and 19th centuries.
Winter Carnival at the Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park; starts at noon; free
Rooftop igloos are pretty cool, but an ice castle is way cooler (pun intended). Well, guess what? There will be a frozen fortress at Bryant Park Winter Village's upcoming Winter Carnival! The the formally weekend-only festival is now a nine-day, frosty celebration that is jam-packed with entertainment including free curling lessons, a silent disco, a cozy sweater pup meet-up, an outdoor winter brew house and more.
Wasabassco’s House of Deveraux Le Poisson Rouge; 8pm; $20–$40
Many NYC performers may claim to be glamazons, but none can touch Sydni Deveraux, the sequin-shaking burlesque bombshell with some of the longest legs in show business. The diva welcomes fellow muses from the fabulous Wasabassco troupe—including Nasty Canasta, Penny Wren, Nina LaVoix, Puss N Boots and more.
Flash Factory Fridays Flash Factory; 11pm; $20–$40
Reminiscent of the anything goes New York of the 70’s, this weekly rager features a full gallery of colorful attendees that includes Club Kids, models and famous faces like Zachary Quinto and Alexander Wang. This discotekka offers a new DJ set every Friday with some of the world’s best house and techno DJs taking residence.
Nationals: An Amateur Comedy Dance Competition Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre; midnight; $5
Hosts Dara Katz and Betsy Kenney have recruited some of the city’s most mediocre dance crews to face off for eternal glory (and retribution for being picked on at middle school dances). Big-name guest judges preside over the Cabbage Patches, Whips, Nae Naes and Stanky Legs. Beware of sprains.
Sat 28
Winter Jam at Central Park; 11am; free
Amid all the flight delays and slushy streets, we may sometimes forget that winter in New York is supposed to be awesome. The parks look beautiful under a blanket of snow, and think about it: When does the air ever feel cleaner than on a crisp winter day? The Parks Department reminds us why we should love the colder months with Winter Jam, its annual winter sports festival in Central Park. This year, attendees can participate in artic golf, watch a live ice sculpting, play flag football and shuffleboard. (Or they can just sip hot chocolate and enjoy the outdoors.)
Casino Royale House of Yes; 10pm; $15–$25, free before 11pm
Live out your Sharon Stone Casino glamour fantasy at this night of high-stakes debauchery. Try your hand at blackjack, roulette and more in three arenas: Las Vegas, Atlantic City and Monte Carlo, Monaco. Between games, mingle with Elvis impersonators and magicians, and even witness go-go dancing worthy of Showgirls.
“Kill Bill Vol. 1: Quentin Tarantino as Mash-Up DJ” Brooklyn Boulders; 6pm; $25
Comic book and TV scholar Geoff Klock shows how and why Tarantino borrows from D-list cinema, and he discusses the value of trash culture in movies.
Chinatown Lunar New Year Firecracker Ceremony Sara D. Roosevelt Park; 11am; free
Celebrate the Year of the Rooster at two key neighborhood fetes organized by the Better Chinatown Society. During the New Year's Day Firecracker Ceremony (Jan 28), hundreds of thousands of the sparkly explosives will be set off to ward off bad spirits for the year, then a cultural festival—with dance performances, Chinese food and more—takes over Sara D. Roosevelt Park. The Lunar new year parade (Feb 5) is also a can’t-miss event.
8Players location TBA; 8pm; $75
Show up to a mysterious bar in the clothes and consciousness of a pre-assigned character inspired by movies like Scream and The Stepford Wives for this spellbinding immersive experience, at which you face off with seven strangers in a scandalous private performance. Though the high-camp stories are set—themes include “’50s queer bar,” “Kuntsman Brush: girls boarding school, “’70s Satanic Suburbs” and “’90s teen horror”—you have to improvise your reactions through many delicious twists and turns.
Best of Brooklyn Food and Beer Festival Industry City; noon; $29
Forget your healthy eating goals, and dig into endless bites of your greasiest favorites from Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, Doughnut Plant, Miti Miti and other neighborhood favorites. Wash it all down with endless refills from Brooklyn Brewery, Coney Island Brewing Co. and more. Bring your own bib.
Sun 29
Madison Street to Madison Avenue Lunar New Year Celebration; 11am; free
Celebrate the Lunar New Year all-day-long during this action-packed festival full of musical performances, shopping discounts from local stores and family entertainment from Madison Street to Madison Ave. Make sure to check out the lineup online—we imagine there will be plenty of lion dancers, calligraphy demos and traditional Chinese face-changing.
The New York Times Travel Show Javits Center; 11am; day pass $20
Ignite your year of global adventures at this Goliath of a travel expo, which features more than 500 exhibitors sharing tips of the trade. Check out regional performances at five cultural stages, try Japanese okonomiyaki pancakes and Costa Rican coffee at the Taste of the World area, and snag deals on flights, hotels and more.
Church of the Infinite You with Minister Jean Grae Union Hall; 3pm; $5
Jean Grae, the rapping, singing, preaching stand-up, invites you to bow down and worship at this twice-monthly motivational hootenanny, which features libations, snacks and plenty of music from Grae and the Intersectionals Choir. By the time Grae closes with her sermon, you’ll be praying for more.
Mister Sunday Shea Stadium; 3pm; $20
Avant-garde DJ-composers Justin Carter and Eamon Harkin share a flare for Detroit techno as well as underground house, disco and funk, which they bring to their long-running Mister Sunday series. For the monthly winter edition, the duo heads to Shea Stadium for an all-ages "intimate daytime jam."