Make the most of what is left of 2018 and celebrate the first days of 2019 with our Untapped Picks of things to do in New York City this week. If you are still looking for New Year’s Eve plans, check out our alternate ways to celebrate. For the rest of the week, catch a movie or a play from an emerging artist, check out model trains while enjoying a cocktail, take a freezing cold plunge in the water at Coney Island and more!

Friday, December 28th

Catch a movie screening at Nitehawk Cinema’s Holiday Show Spectacular.Throughout the weekend at Nitehawk’s Williamsburg location there will be screenings of classic films like Hook, Fargo, and Little Women that you can watch as you enjoy a dine-in theater experience!

See some of the best films of 2018 at the Museum of the Moving Image’s Curator’s Choice Film Series. Organized by Curator of Film Eric Hynes and guest curator David Schwartz, the series will feature in-person guests like filmmakers Steve James, Zoe Kazan and Robert Greene and presentations of 35mm print screenings of Support the Girls and The Other Side of the Wind. The series runs until January 6th.

Saturday, December 29th

Enjoy an adults-only evening at the New York Botanical Garden’s Bar Car Night at the Holiday Train Show. Guests will be able to purchase seasonal cocktails from the bar and food from the Bronx Night Market Holiday Pop-up. Entertainment will be provided in the form of live ice-sculpting demonstrations, dueling pianos sing-alongs in the Pine Tree Café, roving a cappella groups, and of course the wonderful display of model trains winding through a miniature plant-based New York City.

Sunday, December 30th

Explore the abandoned Ellis Island Hospital complex on Untapped Cities’ Behind-the-Scenes Hard Hat Tour. Once the standard for United States medical care (and later transformed to the FBI headquarters when the island served as a detention center), this 22-building complex has been left to decay for nearly 60 years. Gain exclusive access to off-limits space like the contagious disease wards, the autopsy rooms and more that are usually closed to the public.

Behind-the-Scenes Hard Hat Tour of the Abandoned Ellis Island Hospital

Monday, December 31st

Celebrate and support a good cause at Tamerlaine Farm Animal Sanctuary’s roaring 20’s Great Gatsby New Year’s Eve Party in Brooklyn! The party will feature prohibition cocktails and hors d’oeuvres featuring some of the newest and most innovative purveyors in plant-based foods as well as two floors of live entertainment. The party will celebrate a successful year of rescue and the acquisition of over 300 acres of farmland to help expand the sanctuary’s rescue work and humane education programs.

Ring in the New Year at The King’s Winter Masquerade at the McKittrick Hotel. There will be live performances and an open bar all night long as you welcome 2019. A dress code of a mask and costumes in shades of gold, silver, and black will be strictly enforced. Find out more ways to celebrate New Year’s Eve here!

Tuesday, January 1st

Refresh yourself for the New Year by taking a brisk dive at the 115th Annual Coney Island Polar Bear Club Plunge! This year’s plunge will raise funds for the Coney Island community to create a more sustainable and cleaner environment as well as improve quality of life for residents. Anyone can join the plunge without a fee but you must register online, or in person at 10am at Stillwell Avenue and the Boardwalk, and a donation of $25 is encouraged. The plunge takes place at 1pm sharp on the world famous Coney Island Beach!

Attend the 45th Annual Poetry Reading Marathon at the Poetry Project. This day-long event will feature readings from over 140 poets reflecting on the past year and looking forward to the future. You can even get a New Year’s Day Astrology Session with Gala Mukomolova, including astro-informed empathy, deep listening, and astro-informed responses.

Thursday, January 3rd

From January 3rd until the 13th, see plays and concerts at The Public’s Under the Radar Festival. This theater festival provides a high-visibility platform to support artists from diverse backgrounds and countries around the world. Some performances will be followed by post-show discussions with the artists.