LunaLuna Photo: Nicole Freezer Rubens

It’s the season for holiday fun! We only have 5 tickets left for our Holiday Party on Dec. 6.  ‘Tis the shopping season too and since today is Small Business Saturday our Long Island reporter shares a few of her local finds.  Our fav in NYC is Gabrielle Carlson’s beautiful clothing boutique and she has a sale coming up. We have some experiences to suggest that just might create new traditions, like PayleyLand, and activities galore at Hudson Yards, including LunaLuna which our roving photograph highly recommends.  And there’s a fabulous night of music with KT Sullivan and Steve Schalchlin that will put you in the holiday mood.

Join the Fun on Dec. 6

Hurry.  Only 5 tickets left. 

 Long Island Small Business Saturday Deals 

Andrea Peponakis says Small Business Saturday is more than just a shopping day. It’s a celebration of community and entrepreneurial spirit. When you shop small, you invest directly in the dreams of local business owners who enrich our neighborhoods, create jobs, and offer unique services and products you won’t find anywhere else. Here are a few of the shopping districts in small towns around Long Island where you will find many unique local businesses. GET THE DETAILS. 

Dec. 4. Winter Rhythms: KT Sullivan & Steve Schalchlin

 Head to Urban Stages for a fabulous evening of music with “Ms. Cabaret”, KT Sullivan in a show called “My Piano & Me” celebrating how she reinvented herself as a singing pianist. THEN…Multi-award winning, Off-Broadway theater (The Last Session / The Big Voice: God or Merman?) and cabaret singer-songwriter Steve Schalchlin will present a vibrant, hilarious and deeply touching selection of his songs in a rare public performance . Special Guest: Jim Brochu. $60.00 Ticket link: Tixtree

Get Glam for the Holidays

Step into Gab’s inviting boutique and experience the magic! Whether you’re shopping for something special for you or as a gift, there’s something special waiting for you. Sale starts Dec. 5. Visit GabrielleCarlson.com

Nov. 21-Jan. 25. PayleyLand, a Magical Experience

If you’re looking for family fun this season, head to The Paley Center for Media for PaleyLand, which transforms the museum into a festive wonderland. It’s a magical experience for visitors of all ages.

Highlights include:

• Photo opportunities with beloved holiday characters like Santa, Rudolph, and Hermey the Elf.
• Holiday screenings featuring classic family programs, Pixar series, and new Disney holiday episodes.
• Interactive displays such as an enchanted gingerbread house, a holiday sleigh, and an interactive igloo.
• The Paley Express, a magical holiday train display.
• Special events with entertainers like Mr. Clown from YouTube and PBS KLCS series.

PaleyLand has become one of New York’s favorite holiday traditions, offering a mix of holiday joy, media magic, and family fun.

Roving at Luna Luna

Our roving photographer Nicole Freezer Rubens writes:

Get your ticket for some nostalgic time travel, back to 1987 when André Heller, an acclaimed multimedia artist from Vienna dove deep into his imagination and dreamt up a fantasy world for all to enjoy. Luna Luna was an amusement park designed by 33 incredible artists from around the world. Collaborators included several of my all-time favorites including Keith Haring, Kenny Scharf, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Roy Lichtenstein, David Hockney, and many others.

The fairgrounds were open for 3 months in Hamburg, Germany in the summer of 1987 and then dreams of this interactive masterpiece traveling the world stalled. Eventually, the rides, decorations, experiences, and merchandise were dismantled. This time capsule wound up deeply buried for 3 decades in 44 shipping containers in the Texas desert. In 2020 Dream Crew took a chance investment and purchased the stored artworks for $100 million. Although upon opening the crates some posters and tee shirts were destroyed, most of the original park was in pristine condition. The team had no instruction manuals and took 2 years to reassemble the theme park’s rides.

The exhibit was first mounted in Los Angeles and is currently in New York City. Race to The Shed in Hudson Yards to see Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy before January 5th. Immerse yourself in the 80’s art world and in the dreamlike hallucinations that Heller and his creative collaborators turned into a visionary decadent reality. GET THE DETAILS.

~Nicole Freezer Rubens is the author of “The Long Pause and the Short Breath”

Enjoy A Winter Wonderful at Hudson Yards

Hudson Yards transforms into a winter wonderland during the holiday season with a variety of festive events and activities. Over two million twinkling lights adorn the area, creating a magical atmosphere. There’s ice skating at Edge, NY’s highest skating rink. Get free photos with Santa, Hanukkah Menorah Lighting at the Public Square & Gardens, late-night entertainment at Santa’s Secret speakeasy, holiday shopping, and festive dining at various restaurants. GET ALL THE DETAILS.