Holiday hours may vary—please check venue websites directly for the most up-to-date information.

King Country Metro, Sound Transit, and many other transit systems will offer free service on New Year’s Eve.

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COMEDY

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Self-described as the city’s “most-tolerated wizard grandpas,” Derek Sheen and Emmett Montgomery have been doing strange stuff on stage for a long-ass time. Friendship Dungeon is no exception: The feel-good, weirdo show at new-ish comedy cavern Comedy/Bar spotlights local laughers at their “oddest and best” and surprise guests from farther-flung locales. “You might meet puppets and other monsters that will teach you things you may not want to know,” the promotional materials tease. Bring it on. LC
(Comedy/Bar, Capitol Hill, $15)

PERFORMANCE

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As anti-LGBTQIA+ and anti-drag bills throughout the US continue to remind us that conservatives are garbage, why not ring in the new year by supporting Seattle’s only ongoing drag king show? The rotating lineup hasn’t yet been announced, but Kings is open to “kings, things, and beings,” so don whatever gay apparel you’ve got left from the week’s festivities and get ready for a dashing experience. LC
(Kremwerk, Downtown, $10-$20)

FILM

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Watching the four-part, almost seven-hour version of French director Abel Gance’s 1923 film La Roue (The Wheel) may be the most ambitious thing you attempt this year—but why not give it a spin in honor of the film’s centennial anniversary? The film follows a railwayman who adopts an orphaned infant, Norma, whom he eventually falls in love with. (Ew!) His biological son, Elie, also falls for Norma, and the pair share the curse of forbidden, and frankly grotesque, desire while poor Norma navigates a loveless marriage. It’s a plot straight out of a Greek tragedy, and if you’re the type of person to subject yourself to a 100-year-old melodrama on New Year’s Eve, you’ll love the dreamy cinematography, too. LC
(The Beacon, Columbia City, $15)

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“Rooooooxannnne!” Belt it out to Baz Luhrmann’s feverish, theatrical love story Moulin Rouge! at this New Year’s Eve screening and sing-along, which promises free “bling rings.” Best part? The show ends in time to shamble over to the Space Needle and catch the New Year’s Eve fireworks spectacle. LC
(SIFF Cinema Uptown, Uptown, $13-$14)

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“You’re tearing me apart, Lisa!” Say sayonara to 2023 at this screening of the worst film ever made. Listen, the plot’s not important, but you should prepare to spend 90 minutes with an unnerving masochist and a “drug-dealing manchild.” Compostable spoons will be provided for chucking in the air (Tommy Wiseau says that plastic is “very bad for you and your body.”) LC
(Central Cinema, Central District, $16)

LIVE MUSIC

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Say goodbye and good riddance to 2023 (it wasn’t my favorite, tbh) with an impressive lineup of local talent including garage rock trio Monsterwatch, grungy punk project So Pitted, and riff-driven rock outfit Anthers. It’d be wise to snag tickets ASAP; this annual NYE concert usually sells out! AV
(Sunset Tavern, Ballard, $15)

NEW YEAR’S EVE

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If you’re familiar with Seattle’s vintage vinyl nights, then you know that BOOTS!, Emerald City Soul Club, and WIG OUT are some of the best that the city has to offer. This New Year’s Eve, the party troupes are joining forces for their biggest shindig yet. Shake, rattle, and roll between two rooms as eight DJs spin a rare blend of rock and soul 45s. Plus, there will be go-go dancers, festive decor, and a champagne toast at midnight—it doesn’t get much better than that, folks. AV
(Belltown Yacht Club/Screwdriver Bar, Belltown, $20-$25)

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I mean, you could pay hundreds of dollars for one of those fancy schmancy New Year’s Eve galas…but who cares about ice sculptures and catered food anyhow? For a mere ten bucks, dance the night away inside an old train car with live DJs, a full bar, and yummy Chinese food served late into the night. AV
(Orient Express, SoDo, $9.97)

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At the stroke of midnight on January 1, the Greenwood aerial arts school Versatile Arts will take on a brand-new name, New Moon Movement Arts. Celebrate the transition alongside the flippers and spinners who make the 17-year-old organization great—their New Year’s Eve soiree will include (natch) impressive performances, plus dancing, a photo booth, and midnight bubbly. (By the way, if you’re in search of a new year’s resolution, Versatile Arts offers classes for newbies.) LC
(Versatile Arts, Phinney Ridge, $15-$20)

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The Kremwerk Complex’s annual New Year’s Eve party will fulfill all your fantasies about underground clubs shown in the movies (think: Party Monster or Gregg Araki’s Nowhere). They’re going above and beyond the typical “uns uns” music with three stages pumping out upbeat house, dark techno, unrepentant disco, and acid camp club tunes. Plus, Kremwerk gets the lighting right with enough strobes to make dancing not so embarrassing. Count me in. AV
(Kremwerk-Timbre Room-Cherry Complex, $5.67-$28.33)

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Nothing says welcome to the future like drones. This year’s new year celebration at the Space Needle will feature flying robots lighting the sky in impressively eerie synchronization (if you missed the All-Star Game drone show earlier this year, we can assure you it’s actually quite cool). Don’t fret, pyro-purists, the drone show is just counting down to the fireworks at midnight, so you’ll still get your fiery air and big booms. Party in person at Seattle Center or tune in live on KING 5. SL (Space Needle, Uptown, free)

FOOD & DRINK

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It’s a time-honored Southern tradition to eat copious black-eyed peas and greens, which represent coins and money, on New Year’s Eve for good fortune and prosperity in the coming year, and frankly, we could use all of the luck we can get right now. (Not to be superstitious, but the one time I failed to eat the black-eyed peas from my quarterly Rancho Gordo bean club subscription on New Year’s Eve, the pandemic happened…just saying.) The Central District community space Wa Na Wari is carrying on the custom with a vegan meal loaded with black-eyed peas and greens. Take it to go, or stay to enjoy a communal lunch. JB
(Wa Na Wari, Central District)

SPORTS & RECREATION

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Nothing jumpstarts the new year like an icy plunge in Lake Washington! Feel more awake than you’ve felt in years, whether you’re curing a New Year’s Eve hangover or are a regular swimmer in Washington’s second-largest lake. Lifeguards will be onsite, and a commemorative badge of courage will be given to those who are brave (or masochistic) enough to get in up to their necks. SL
(Matthews Beach Park, Matthews Beach, free)

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On a typical day, it costs $10 for a one-day pass or $30 for an annual pass to visit one of our many gorgeous state parks. If your budget is looking a little tight after the holiday season, take advantage of two entry fee-free days this month. Kick off the year with some movement out in nature on New Year’s Day, or later in the month on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The closest parks to Seattle proper are Bridle Trails in Kirkland and Saint Edward State Park on the northern shores of Lake Washington; both are about a 30-minute drive. SL
(Various locations, free)

FESTIVALS

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Trains seem to represent all things wintry and magical–maybe it’s the soothing chugga-chugga sounds, the plumes of smoke, or the romantic notion of snuggling up in a vintage train car à la Hercule Poirot. (Just me?) Indulge in some train magic at this model train festival, where regional railroad clubs will share their intricate room-sized layouts throughout the Washington State History Museum. Every floor of the museum will “come alive with trains,” including “Kitsap Live Steamers 7.5-inch gauge railroad engines” and the Mount Rainier N-Scale layout, which features miniature Washington scenery, plus train operators, train footage, and collectible train buttons at the admissions desk. LC
(Washington State History Museum, Tacoma, $14, Friday-Monday)

FILM

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If you’ve already peeped MOHAI’s new exhibition, Pulling Together: A Brief History of Rowing in Seattle, then you’re well aware that George Clooney has directed a flick about the University of Washington rowers, who were thrust into the spotlight while competing at the 1936 Olympics. (Spoiler: The “Miracle 9” won the gold medal in the eight-oared competition.) If you haven’t seen the exhibition yet, I recommend checking it out after a screening of The Boys in the Boat, which blends triumphant feels with Great Depression-era costuming. LC
(SIFF Cinema Uptown, Uptown, $13-$14, Friday-Monday)

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When a plucky bunch of puffer coat-wearing research scientists helps shelter a strange sled dog in remote Antarctica, they slowly learn that the pooch isn’t all that he seems. John Carpenter’s icy classic horror stars a young Kurt Russell battling it out against—ya guessed it—a cold-hearted, shape-shifting alien. (What better way to say hello to 2024 than by staring into a frosty abyss?) You can revel in The Thing’s bone-chilling special effects while toasty and warm in your theater seat during Central Cinema’s “The Other Carpenter” week of programming. LC
(Central Cinema, Central District, Friday-Saturday)

LIVE MUSIC

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If you’ve never stepped foot into Couth Buzzard Books Espresso Buono Cafe, then I highly suggest going for a visit. Not only do they sling used books and caffeinated beverages, but they also host a range of events in their cozy, light-filled shop. This weekend, they will bring 2023 to an end on a high note (literally) with a two-night jazz festival. Catch performances from Bruce Barnard Quartet and the Brad Papineau Experience (night one) followed by Tall Order and Soul Shack (night two). AV
(Couth Buzzard Books Espresso Buono Cafe, Greenwood, Donations encouraged, Friday-Saturday)

SPORTS & RECREATION

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The NHL Winter Classic is a little pricey for some hockey fans, so we recommend checking out the free fan village a block from the big match just north of Lumen Field. RSVP for entry and head over after Sunday’s Seahawks game or on New Year’s Day. You can check out the United by Hockey Mobile Museum, try your hand at shooting a puck, and get a picture with the Stanley Cup, which is the only major sports trophy not reproduced each year and has over 3,000 names engraved on it. SL
(Lumen Field Event Center, SoDo, free, Sunday-Monday)

VISUAL ART

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After peeping legendary Edo-period Japanese ukiyo-e artist Katsushika Hokusai’s woodblock prints, paintings, and illustrated books (yes, including Great Wave, plus a LEGO interpretation of it) on view at Seattle Art Museum, why not drop by SAM Gallery to scope out Japanese-inspired prints created by local artists? Printing the PNW features works by multimedia printmakers Kerstin Graudins and Nikki Jabbora-Barber, sea creature lover Jueun Shin, and Minami Wrigley, who blends intaglio and etching techniques to depict both the Pacific Northwest and Japan. LC
(SAM Gallery, Downtown, free, Friday–Sunday; closing)

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After winning the 2021 BAM Biennial: Architecture & Urban Design Award of Excellence, Satpreet Kahlon was granted the opportunity to present a solo exhibition at the museum, and the inscrutable shape of longing began to take shape. The Indian-born, US-raised artist explores how cultural and ancestral histories intermingle to inform the “messiness, contradictions, and nuances” of embodied life. Kahlon drew from her experiences of displacement and colonization’s aftermath to create a “multisensory constellation of video, image, and sound” in a web-like installation. I’m especially intrigued by Kahlon’s use of mirrored acrylic, which splinters and refracts archival footage of Panjabi folk rituals into “hundreds of tiny fragments reflected across the gallery.” LC
(Bellevue Arts Museum, Bellevue, $0-$15, Friday–Sunday; closing)

WINTER HOLIDAYS

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Every year, the diabetes research center JDRF Northwest invites local architecture firms to use their skills to craft an elaborate gingerbread structure for this holiday tradition that’s displayed at the Sheraton. For a sweet date with your sweetheart, check out the chocolate factory-themed gingerbread pieces, then grab some chocolate popcorn and go see Timothée Chalamet’s Wonka at the newly opened SIFF Cinema Downtown. SL
(Sheraton Hotel, Downtown, Donations encouraged, Friday-Monday)

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Celebrate Black heritage, unity, and culture at this Kwanzaa outdoor light experience created by local artist Tariq Sahali at Wa Na Wari, the beloved Central District community hub. There will be hot cocoa and sweets available every evening through Saturday—and don’t forget to stop back by on New Year’s Day for the annual tradition of black-eyed peas and greens! SL
(Wa Na Wari, Central District, free, Friday-Saturday)

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No holiday selfie is complete without a 13-foot illuminated reindeer, which is why Westlake Park’s installation of luminous light sculptures will come in handy for the next few weeks. The collection of sparkly lit sculptures (presented by Amazon) will be available for free strolls and snapshots until January 9—look out for the giant snowflake and the candy cane that’s twice your height. LC
(Westlake Park, Downtown, free, Friday-Monday)

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Every holiday season, the Seattle Center transforms into Winterfest, where visitors will find seasonal decor, live performances on the weekends, and of course, the beloved miniature winter train and village. It’s your last chance to check out the new European-inspired outdoor Christmas market; it runs through Christmas Eve and offers gifts from local and international vendors and tasty treats like glühwein and bratwurst. SL
(Seattle Center, Uptown, free, Friday-Sunday)

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South Lake Union is all lit up for the holiday season—if you take a stroll through the neighborhood, you’ll find interactive art installations and twinkling trees decorating the streets. While you’re in the area, you can drop by MOHAI to catch its new rowing exhibition, too. LC
(Various locations, South Lake Union, free, Friday-Monday)