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If your holiday spirit tends to skew more feelings than fa-la-la, there’s a new pop-up in Williamsburg that understands you on a deep, early-2000s level.
Emo Christmas, a seasonal takeover of Arlo Williamsburg’s Mirror Bar, is here to rescue the season from polite cheer with a festive dose of eyeliner, nostalgia and moody holiday energy.
The experience officially opens tomorrow, November 20, and runs through December 28, making for what’s essentially a Christmas party thrown by your old MySpace top eight.
Throughout the run, the hotel’s usually-glimmering bar transforms into a dimly lit shrine to pop-punk adolescence, complete with neon signs (“Taking Back Christmas”), black Christmas trees and a soundtrack built for sing-alongs.
Drinks are just as committed to the bit, including the centerpiece “Welcome to the Black Parade,” served (of course) in an ornament. The menu leans all the way into the mood with options like I’m Not Okay, Ocean Avenue Punch and Welcome Yule Call It.
Throughout the pop-up’s run, expect programming that runs the gamut from album-anniversary parties to band-themed nights and a grab bag of emo and pop-punk-era activities designed for anyone who once used lyrics as away messages.
Trivia nights and Friday late night parties round things out, with the latter priced at $27.25 (including fees... and including a Welcome Yule Call It cocktail). General admission for regular 90-minute sessions starts at $17.80, a price that includes entry and a Black Parade Ornament cocktail.
The whole thing is decidedly adult—sessions are 21 and up—but there’s a strong sense of play built into the installations and photo moments. Think moody lighting, tongue-in-cheek holiday signage and just enough theatrical angst to make your inner teen feel seen. It’s Christmas through a cracked black eyeliner lens and, honestly, it’s refreshing.