Holiday Concert 
On Thursday, the Brooklyn College Conservatory of Music will be holding its annual holiday concert. It's a festive (and free) way to spend an afternoon.  
Thursday, 3pm at the Walt Whitman Theatre, 2900 Bedford Avenue

The Black Rock Coalition: "A Strange Case of Grace"
This tribute to Grace Jones will feature BiLLLL$ and Light Asylum performing reinterpretations of the famous rock singer's music.
Saturday, 3pm to 5pm at the Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway

NY Creates Holiday Craft Festival
Shop the sixth annual NY Creates Holiday Craft Festival, and you'll find unique handcrafted goods ranging from jewelry and artwork to kids' clothes and more. All artists are Brooklyn-based.
Runs from Friday, December 11 through Wednesday, December 16.
11am to 7pm at the Brooklyn Historical Society, 128 Pierrepont Street

With so many amazing Brooklyn holiday markets and craft fairs, it's definitely possible to get your holiday shopping done without ever leaving the borough. Local discounts and specials abound.

Plus, in times like these, our local businesses need our dollars more than ever. I'm with Marty Markowitz when I say: Shop Brooklyn! You can join the cause on Facebook by clicking here.

This month marks the 21st annual New York Cares Coat Drive, which collects nearly 70,000 winter coats every year for New York City residents in need. The drive lasts through the end of December -- Simply drop off your own gently used coats at Grand Central Terminal (Graybar Passage), New York Penn Station (LIRR and Amtrak concourses), or the Port Authority Bus Terminal (main concourse, 42nd St entrance) on weekdays from 7:30am to 9:30am.

If you can't make it to Manhattan on a weekday morning, you can also donate your coats at the police station nearest you. Here's a list of Brooklyn police precincts for your reference.

Brooklyn Film & Arts Festival
This documentary series, entitled Brooklyn; Back in the Day, takes a look at the challenges Brooklyn faced in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Friday, 7pm at the Brooklyn Historical Society, 128 Pierrepont Street

First Saturday at the Brooklyn Museum
Head to the Brooklyn Museum for a free night of culture, dance, music, movies, and more. This Saturday's event is titled "Light up the Season."
Saturday, 5pm to 11pm at the Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway

Wild Holiday Party: Presents to the Animals
Animals like gifts, too, and on weekends in December, you and your little ones can watch pandas and baboons tear into wrapped presents at the Prospect Park Zoo.
Friday and Saturday at the Prospect Park Zoo, 450 Flatbush Avenue