Winter calendar

Race

December | January | February

Eco Holiday Market Place
This isn’t your typical holiday bazaar of cheesy decorations and lame gifts. Everything sold at this carbon-neutral market is ethical and sustainable—even the gift-wrapping is eco-friendly. The indoor market will feature tons of free beauty samples and demos, such as a nontoxic Priti manicure with purchase of a polish. You’ll also score discounts on fashionable fare, like chic Charmone shoes, which are marked down from $325 to $129. Other earth-conscious goods include handcrafted jewelry from local designer Yania Creations and organic children’s clothing from PO. 2 Great Jones St between Broadway and Lafayette St (212-777-0707, greenfinds.com). Thu–Sun, through Dec 23.

1 Grand Central Kaleidoscope Light Show
The train station gets into the holiday spirit and transforms into a winter-wonderland stage, with brief shows playing every half hour on the half hour. Grand Central Terminal, Lexington Ave at 42nd St (212-340-2345, grandcentralterminal.com)

2 Housing Works Annual Holiday Sale
All nine Housing Works stores will be extending their hours (9am–9pm), to give people a chance to get in all of their holiday shopping. On hand will be holiday merchandise and small gift items, as well as Housing Works' usual stock of high-end clothing, furniture, housewares and accessories—all of which have been saved exclusively for this sale. Locations throughout the city; visit housingworks.org for info.

2 Theater: Orpheus X opens
Rinde Eckert's rock-infused version of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth finally comes to New York, with the darkly brilliant director Robert Woodruff intact. The Duke on 42nd Street, 229 West 42nd St between Seventh and Eighth Aves (646-223-3010, tfana.org)

2–4 Live show: Phish
The reunited, rejuvenated jam band holds court for three nights at the Garden; the shows might be sold out, but ticket prices are reasonable on StubHub and Craigslist. Madison Square Garden, Seventh Ave at 32nd St (212-307-7171, thegarden.com)

3 Opera: Les Contes d'Hoffmann
Director Bartlett Sher's new Metropolitan Opera production of Offenbach's tipsy, tuneful fantasy sets lyrical hero Joseph Calleja opposite three irresistible leading ladies: Anna Netrebko, Kate Lindsey and Ekaterina Gubanova. Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, Columbus Ave at 65th St (212-362-6000, metoperafamily.org/metopera). $50-$250.

3 “Night & Day” opens at the Museum at FIT
The exhibition covers 250 years of fashion history, focusing on definitions of daywear and nightwear and exploring how the rules about appropriate women’s dress have shifted. The Museum at FIT, Seventh Ave at 27th St (212-217-4558, fitnyc.edu). Through May 11.

4 Live show: Raphael Saadiq
This singer and producer gives old soul a smart, slightly contemporary tweak. Terminal 5, 610 W 56th St at Eleventh Ave (212-260-4700) $30.

5 Bowie Ball
A chance to repurpose your Halloween costume, perhaps? Expect glam-rock fashion and nonstop David Bowie hits at this party. (Le) Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker St at Thompson St (212-505-3474)

6 Mode Merr Holiday Spectacular Featuring Dirty Dolls Lingerie
The holiday edition of this kinkfest features live music, a sexy lingerie sale and burlesque performances from the likes of Delirium Tremens and the World Famous *BOB*. (Le) Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker St at Thompson St (212-505-3474)

6 Theater: Race opens
Take a black lawyer, a white lawyer, and a high-profile case that mixes sex, race and money and you've got writer-director David Mamet's latest satire. James Spader, David Alan Grier and Kerry Washington star. Barrymore Theatre, 243 W 47th St between Broadway and Eighth Ave (raceonbroadway.com). $59.50–$251.50.

7 John Ashbery
The nimble-minded master of poetic collages—and the first-ever mtvU poet laureate—reads from his latest poetry collection, Planisphere. 7pm. 11th Street Bar, 510 E 11th St between Aves A and B (212-982-3929)

8 "Evangelicalism and the Contemporary Intellectual"
The journal n+1 hosts a roundtable featuring Malcolm Gladwell, James Wood and Christine Smallwood. 8pm. New School, Tischman Auditorium, 66 W 12th St between Fifth and Sixth Aves (212-229-5488)

8–17 “The Next Director: So Young Kim and Bradley Rust”
Per its annual survey of cinema's Next Big Thing(s), BAM pays tribute to the first couple of neo-Neorealism (Treeless Mountain, The Exploding Girl). It couldn't have happened to a nicer pair of Brooklynites. BAM, 30 Lafayette Ave between Ashland Pl and St. Felix St, Fort Greene, Brooklyn (718-636-4100, bam.org). $TBA.

10 Anne Carson
Poet, art critic, essayist, scholar of ancient Greek: Anne Carson has many talents, and her public appearances tend to be both interdisciplinary and fascinating. 7pm. New York University, Lillian Vernon Center, 58 W 10th St between Fifth and Sixth Aves (212-998-8850)

11 Trinie Dalton
This young, smart and deeply imaginative writer reads from her brand-new modern fairy tale, Sweet Tomb, the follow-up to her indie classic Wide-Eyed. Outpost Lounge, 1014 Fulton St between Downing St and Irving Pl, Clinton Hill, Brooklyn (718-636-1260)

11 The Desk Set Presents…Biblioball 2009: Baby, It’s Cold Outside
Just because you read books doesn’t mean you don’t like to party. This shindig caters to the fun-loving bibliophiles out there with live music, trapeze artists, literary drinks specials and much more. The Bell House, 149 7th St between Second and Third Aves, Gowanus, Brooklyn (thebellhouseny.com). 8pm–4am.

11, 12 Live shows: The Fiery Furnaces
The prolific brother-sister combo plays a pair of shows behind one of its strongest albums, I’m Going Away. Dec 11 at 8pm: Music Hall of Williamsburg, 66 North 6th St between Kent and Wythe Aves (718-486-5400). $15. Dec 12 at 8pm: Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey St between Bowery and Chrystie St (boweryballroom.com). $15.

11 Film: Invictus opens
Finally: a rugby movie. But what god did we please to have it directed by Clint Eastwood and costar Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman?

12 Dances of Vice: Trouble in Toyland
The masters of opulent, old-fashioned nightlife throw a holiday spectacular. 9pm. Rebel, 251 W 30th St between Seventh and Eighth Aves (dancesofvice.com)

13 Theater: A Little Night Music opens
In its first Broadway revival, the beloved, witty and elegant Stephen Sondheim musical (based on a Bergman film) features a cast that includes Angela Lansbury and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Walter Kerr Theatre, 219 W 48th St between Broadway and Eighth Ave (212-239-6200, nightmusiconbroadway.com). $52–$137.

15 Live show: The Antlers
No, really—it’s not just the Christmas/reindeer connection! The Antlers were quite the toast of CMJ on account of their wistful, delicate tunes. Want proof? Check ’em out performing live in TONY’s office at timeoutnewyork/thevolume. Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey St between Bowery and Chrystie St (boweryballroom.com). $13.

16–20 Classical: Stifter's Dinge
Composer, director and conceptual artist Heiner Goebbels uses the vast Park Avenue Armory as the site for his latest creation, a dreamlike meditation on the unknown, featuring voices without speakers and pianos without players. Park Avenue Armory, 643 Park Ave between 66th and 67th Sts (212-616-3930, armoryonpark.org). $55.

16, 18, 19 Dance: Reggie Wilson/Fist & Heel Performance Group and Compagnie 1er Temps
In The Good Dance—dakar/Brooklyn, choreographers Reggie Wilson and Andréya Ouamba explore issues of identity and migration. BAM, 30 Lafayette Ave between Ashland Pl and St. Felix St, Fort Greene, Brooklyn (718-636-4100, bam.org). $20–$30.

17 New York Philharmonic: CONTACT!
The Phil's all-new contemporary-classical ensemble makes a big first splash, with a program featuring world premieres by Marc-André Dalbavie, Arlene Sierra, Lei Liang and Arthur Kampela. Metropolitan Museum of Art and Symphony Space, 11 W 53rd St between Fifth and Sixth Aves (212-708-9400, moma.org). $48.

18 Live show: Cannibal Corpse
If you check out only one death-metal gig this year, these Buffalo-bred legends are a great bet. Nokia Theatre Times Square, 1515 Broadway at 44th St (212-307-7171). $26–$29.

18 Film: Avatar opens
James Cameron spent a titanic amount on this 3-D sci-fi actioner about a blue-skinned race of aliens and the human soldiers who want to terminate them.

19, 20 Brooklyn Lyceum 2nd Annual Craft Party
Got some last-minute shopping to do? Instead of settling for something crappy, head to Brooklyn Lyceum to browse handmade wares from more than 60 local crafters. 227 Fourth Ave between President and Union Sts, Park Slope, Brooklyn (brooklynlyceum.com)

20–22 Cabaret: Meow Meow
The fabulously demented international chanteuse prowls into New York with a holiday show. Joe's Pub at the Public Theater, 425 Lafayette St between Astor Pl and E 4th St (212-539-8778, joespub.com). $25.

22 National Chorale’s Messiah Sing-In
If you’ve always dreamed of performing at Lincoln Center, join a chorus of nearly 3,000 audience members for a spirited sing-along. You’ll be led by four top-flight soloists and 17 of the city’s best conductors. Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center, 1941 Broadway at 65th St (212-875-5030, lincolncenter.org). $31–$101.

23 Film: Police, Adjective
The Romanian cine-revolution continues with the sophomore effort of Corneliu Porumboiu (12:08 East of Bucharest), about a cop, a stakeout and the power of words to asphyxiate free will.

24 Heebonism
This Heeb magazine blowout promises free vodka (8–9pm), a karaoke room and gift bags (last year, they included a Babeland vibrator). Survival tip: “Wear double pairs of socks for strip dreidel,” says Heeb publisher Josh Neuman. Fontana’s, 105 Eldridge St between Broome and Grand Sts (212-334-6740). 8pm–3am, $20, $25 at the door.

25 Film: Sherlock Holmes opens
What up, Holmes? Director Guy Ritchie is hit-and-miss, but we'll watch Robert Downey Jr. crack wise in just about anything.

25 Chinese & a Movie: Mel Brooks Double Feature Blazing Saddles, Spaceballs, an all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet, and booze? Count us in! 92Y Tribeca, 200 Hudson St between Desbrosses and Vestry Sts (212- 601-1000, 92ytribeca.org). 2pm. $25 in advance, $30 at the door.

31 New Year's Eve ball drop
Hide the flask in your shoe and jostle for position to see the Waterford Crystal ball make its descent. At least you know you won’t be lonely on NYE—about a million people show up each year for the festivities. One Times Square. Arrive early for optimal viewing.

31 New Year's Eve fireworks
Fireworks will light up the skies above Staten Island, Brooklyn, Central Park, New Jersey and various rooftops throughout the city. Head to the Brooklyn Bridge to see them all.

31 New Year’s Eve Emerald Nuts Midnight Run
Get your New Year’s resolutions off to a raring start at this annual four-mile race in Central Park. Expect music, fireworks and lots of crazy costumes. Central Park (nyrr.org). $45, members $40; before Dec 16 $35, members $30.

December | January | February

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