Here’s What’s Happening This Week and Beyond (in order of appearance):

The 300 West 18th & 19th Streets Block Association Annual Meeting / The Full Board Meeting of Manhattan Community Board 4 / Friends of Chelsea Green’s Outerwear Drive & Coat Swapkk / The West 400 Block Association’s Annual Tree Lighting & Menorah Lighting / Holiday Toy Drive / Candlelight Carol Service / ICE Out of NYC: A Community Mobilization Town Hall  / 

PICK OF THE WEEK

The Penn South Ceramics Studio Holiday Sale: Sat. & Sun. Dec. 6 & 7, 11am to 6pm at the Studio (enter at NE corner of W. 26th St & 9th Ave.) | This annual event allows you to check off name after name after name on your holiday gift-giving list before the month of December enters into the double digits. When the talented artists of Penn South Ceramics Studio open their doors to the public on December 6 and 7, you’ll find one-of-a-kind mugs, plates, bowls, trays, vases, jewelry, and sculptural pieces that have been known to delight the most fussy of friends and relatives.

The 300 West 18th & 19th Streets Block Association Annual Meeting: Tuesday, December 2, 6:30pm at Fulton Community Center’s Wayans Room (119 Ninth Ave. btw. W. 17th & 18th Sts.) | This Block Association tackles local issues, organizes events, and works to improve the neighborhood. New leadership will be chosen at December 2’s meeting, which will also features several guest speakers: NYS Senator (and Manhattan Borough President-elect) Brad Hoylman-Sigal, NYS Assemblymember Tony Simone, Democratic District Leaders Layla Law-Gisiko and David Warren, and Officer Jarett DiLorenzo of the 10th Precinct. For more info, send an email to 1819nyc@gmail.com. On social media:facebook.com/1819nycand Xcom/1819nyc.

The Full Board Meeting of Manhattan Community Board 4 (MCB4): Wednesday, December 3, 6:30pm Online and In-Person at the Hotel Trades Council (305 W. 44th St, btw. 8th/9th Aves.) | The entirety of MCB4’s membership meets monthly to discuss, and then vote on, policy-driven letters generated by its committees. Upfront, time is set aside to hear from elected officials or their reps. Local residents and stakeholders have two chances to speak–via a Public Hearing whose topic is about to come before the board, and an anything-goes Public Session. Speakers are given two minutes–one if the evening’s agenda is particularly packed. (The agenda is posted the Friday before the meeting, and can be found here.)

To attend via Zoom and sign up to speak during the Public Hearing and/or Public Session, click here. (There’s also a sign-up sheet at the in-person venue.) The call-in number is 646-828-7666 (Webinar ID: 161 368 0437). Attend via livestream on MCB4’s YouTube channel–which also serves as the Forever Home, in archival form, of all MCB4 meetings.

Friends of Chelsea Green’s Outerwear Drive & Coat Swap: Saturday, December 6, 12pm-2pm at Chelsea Green Park (140 W. 20th St. btw. 6th & 7th Aves.) | Support local students and families in need by donating coats, scarves, and hats. Can’t make it to the event but want to participate? Email chelseagreenpark@gmail.com to coordinate your donation. For more info, see the below flyer.

The West 400 Block Association’s Annual Tree Lighting & Menorah Lighting at Clement Clarke Moore Park (10th Ave. & W. 22nd St.) | Get an ink pen or an indelible marker and mark your calendars for these upcoming holiday events. First up, on Sunday, December 7 at 4:30pm, it’s the Annual Tree Lighting and Recital of T’was the Night Before Christmas. Candy canes and peppermint puffs will be handed out, and holiday tunes will be performed by talent from Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music. James Kellerhouse (assistant vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and executive director of operations and engagement for Vanderbilt University–NYC) secures a place in local lore by doing T’was the Night recitation duties. (Previous interpreters of the Clement Clarke Moore clssic include Rosanne Cash and Martha Teichner.) Then, on Sunday, December 14 at 4pm, the Annual Menorah Lighting features festive holiday singing by the Avenues Chorus and the handing out of chocolate gelt–plus guest speaker, NYS Senator (and Manhattan Borough President-elect) Brad Hoylman-Sigal.

NYC Council Member Erik Bottcher’s Holiday Toy Drive: December 8-12 | New, unwrapped toys for children will be collected at four local locations, including Coucil Member Bottcher’s District Office and the Manhattan Plaza building lobbies. For more info, see the below flyer. Questions? Send an email to district3@council.nyc.gov.

Chelsea Community Church Presents its 51st Annual Candlelight Carol Service: Sunday, December 14, 6pm at St. Peter’s Church Chelsea (346 W.  20th St. btw. 8th & 9th Aves.) and streaming free via YouTube, Facebook, and Zoom | A non-denominational Christian congregation that welcomes people of all faiths—including those of uncertain faith—Chelsea Community Church earns its reputation for authenticity week in and week out. And mid-month every December, CCC’s apex of authenticity can be found at their Annual Candlelight Carol Service, whose centerpiece is a reading of A Visit from St. Nicholas. Attributed to Chelsea’s Clement Clarke Moore, the iconic 1822 poem’s reindeer, chimney, and stocking stuffing lore lives on in the Santa Claus we know to this day. Broadway star and Chelsea resident Karen Mason (Mamma Mia, Sunset Boulevard) will read the poem live, at the actual church Moore helped design and build. Also featured: The CCC Choir–under the direction of John Thomas Fischer and Jeff Cubeta on piano and organ–will perform selections including O, Holy Night and Silent Night. The evening concludes with (Authenticity Alert!) cookies, hot cider, and hot chocolate in the Rectory. For more info, including how to stream the service online, click here to visit the CCC website.

ICE Out of NYC: A Community Mobilization Town Hall | Monday, December 15, 6:30pm at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church (346 W. 20th St.) | Chelsea Neighbors United–which launched last month by handing out hundreds of flyers on how to defend against abuses by ICE, the National Guard, or other federal agencies–present neighborhood ICE preparedness/Know Your Rights training by a representative of New York Immigration Coalition. Registration is required via bit.ly/4ptOFYc.

—Compiled by Scott Stiffler

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