5 Coolest Things to Do in NYC This Weekend

NEW YORK, NY — Unseasonably warm, ain't it? And yet, despite the mild temperatures, the holidays are upon us in earnest and the shopping must get done. Why not make a whole day of it, and add a little culture to your schedule? If nothing else, it'll help you forget about the sweat beading in the small of your back as you sip that hot cocoa. So come party with the Patch Culture Hound this weekend, at any of these five cool NYC events — in every price taste and range.

FOOD52 HOLIDAY MARKET

Where: Food52, 122 West 26th Street, 8th Floor [map]

When: Friday (12/2), Saturday (12/3), and Sunday (12/4) from noon to 8 p.m.

What: Combine shopping with something a little more culturally nutritious at the Food52 Holiday Market, taking place all weekend long. Browse the Chelsea-based cooking company's test kitchen for that perfect stocking-stuffer, and stick around for the periodic tastings and seminars. Hone your knife skills, try some artisanal sweets, or sample a fancy cocktail later in the day. For more information and to register, go here.

How much: FREE! (Advanced registration is required.)

RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK

Where: Film Forum, West Village [map]

When: Sunday (12/4) at 11 a.m.

What: If you're forever saying "they sure don't make 'em like they used to" in an effort to get the kids to forgo the Pokémons and the Annoying Oranges for something — anything! — a little more substantial, here's your chance to blow their little, idiotic minds. Enter the Film Forum Jr. series, wherein the West Village mainstay screens all-ages classics from yesteryear. This Sunday, pack the ankle-biters on the 1 train and head on down to West Houston Street to catch the epic Raiders of the Lost Ark, with Karen Allen at her fetching, Nazi-hunting hottest and Harrison Ford being, well, a giant, tanned studmuffin with a bullwhip. See? Fun for the whole family!

For more information and tickets, go here.

How much: Tickets are $8.

ZviDANCE: ON THE ROAD

Where: BAM, Atlantic Ave., Brooklyn [map]

When: Friday (12/2) and Saturday (12/3) at 7:30 p.m.

What: Israel-born, New York-based choreographer Zvi Gotheiner presents his multimedia-rich paean to the restless 60's with the full-length dance piece On the Road at Brooklyn Academy of Music, this weekend only. Set to an original score by Jukka Rintamäki and featuring video footage from artist Josh Higgason, the piece retraces the rambling route of Jack Kerouac's Beat Generation bible in a work program notes describe as "a meditation on youth, freedom, and the call of the open road." For more information and tickets, go here, although you will likely have to call BAM directly at 718.636.4100 to arrange your seats.

How much: Tickets are $25

GOLEM: ROCK-KLEZMER HANNUKAH SHOW

Where: Goldstein Performing Arts Center at Kingsborough Community College, Manhattan Beach [map]

When: Sunday (12/4) at 3 p.m.

What: Hannukah may fall late this year, but you can still tanz your way into the holiday early thanks to New York-based band Golem, who bring their brand of klezmer-rock to the campus of Kingsborough College this Sunday afternoon. Getting to the Manhattan Beach campus is a bit of a haul from, let's say, Midtown, but with tunes like these waiting for you, it's well worth the trip.

How much: Tickets are $30

50 NEW SONGS FROM THE MAGNETIC FIELDS

Where: BAM, Atlantic Ave., Brooklyn [map]

When: Friday (12/2) at 7:30 p.m. (program A); Saturday (12/3) at 7:30 p.m. (program B)

What: Celebrating his half-century birthday, uber-prolific song scribe Stephin Merritt has written a new album "50 Song Memoir," which he and his band Magnetic Fields will present cover-to-cover over two nights this weekend at Brooklyn Academy of Music. The album, due out in March, leans heavily on Merritt's trademark literary wit and off-kilter worldview, featuring titles like "Be True to Your Bar" and "How I Failed Ethics." Tickets were sold out long ago, but there are plenty of after-market options if you're willing to part with some dough. For more information direct from the venue, go here. To purchase after-market tickets, try Stubhub or VividSeats.

How much: At the time of this writing, tickets could be had for $70 and up.

Submit your event to arts@patch.com to be considered for the B4B NYC weekly roundup.