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Best Things To Do In NY This Weekend: Dec. 16 & 17

By Jessica Allen

Among your options for this weekend are catching the must-see art installation of the fall, participating in a musical tradition, and admiring everything a tuba can do. Read on for details.

Yayoi Kusama: Festival of Life
David Zwirner Gallery
533 West 19th St.
New York, NY 10011
(212) 727-2070
www.davidzwirner.com

If you like art, and you're on Instagram, then no doubt you've seen some of the amazing photos from the Yayoi Kusama exhibition currently on view at David Zwirner Gallery. The lines are almost as legendary as the works themselves—with some folks braving snow and cold for more than six hours just to get a glimpse of her distinctive paintings, installations, and sculptures, many bearing her signature polka dots. Now through Saturday, December 16, free.

Don't Open Till Christmas
Nitehawk Cinema
136 Metropolitan Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11249
(718) 782-8370
nitehawkcinema.com

Already tired of the holiday hoo-hah? A midnight screening of Don't Open Till Christmas may very well offer the mitigating antidote you're looking for. This "violent, strange, and oddly spiteful Christmas horror film" features a serial killer who dresses like Santa. If that floats your boat, head on over to Nitehawk, where you can order dinner and drinks to go with the feature. Friday, December 15, and Saturday, December 16, doors open at 11:45, tickets required.

Paul Winter's 38th Annual Winter Solstice Celebration
St. John the Divine
1047 Amsterdam Ave.
New York, NY 10025
(212) 316-7540
solsticeconcert.com

Paul Winter played his first solstice concert at St. John the Divine in 1980—several decades later, this concert has become a mid-December tradition. This year, the multimedia concert features the drummers and dancers of the Forces of Nature Dance Theatre, the Pletenitsa Balkan Choir, and gospel singer Theresa Thomason. An event to remember! Thursday, December 14, through Saturday, December 16, see schedule for details, tickets required.

Merry Tuba Christmas
The Rink at Rockefeller Center
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, NY 10020
www.rockefellercenter.com

Merry Tuba Christmas celebrates—you guessed it—both the tuba and the holiday. Hundreds of tuba players (and lovers) gather each December to "fill the plaza with the organ-line sound of low brass," with those watching tasked with singing along. It's a whole lot of loud fun, bringing together musicians of all ages from around the United States to gather beneath the tree and play their hearts out. Sunday, December 17, concert starts at 3:30 pm, free.

Unsilent Night
Starts at Washington Square Park
Fifth Avenue, Waverly Place, West Fourth Street, and Macdougal Street
New York, NY 10012
unsilentnight.com

At this flagship event, composer Phil Kline will lead a huge group of like-minded souls on a musical walk from Washington Square Park to Tompkins Square Park in the East Village, with similar walks taking place around the world. Everyone will be playing parts of a composition written by Kline on his/her smartphone, boombox, or other device. Sunday, December 17, 6 pm, free and really fun.

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