What's going down in BJ this weekend: SantaCon, food news & more

Photo: TRB Forbidden City

Stay up-to-date with what to do in Beijing with our weekend picks 

December has arrived with a bang, and it looks like everyone is basically on the same page in regards to Christmas. With plenty of boozy food events, parties and deals going down over the next few days, head out for an absolute corker of festivities this weekend. 

Eat, drink and be merry at these places

Photo: Jackie Park

Christmas Menu at Comptoirs de France. 

Santa has come to town early (in this case, Comptoirs de France), and all our sweet-toothed prayers have been answered. The popular French bakery has launched a festive menu that tastes, well, just like Christmas. Get stuck into treats galore in the form of German Stollen (generously coated with icing sugar, of course), and cupcakes, gingerbread houses and Christmas cookies that come in various sizes, chocolate shaped like Santa, snowman, mushroom and Christmas tree, as well as a whole host of French Christmas staples, including King Cake, Yule log cake to Kouglof. Phew! Brb, we're still recovering from that sugar rush. 

Photo: Cafe Zarah

Festive Brunch at Cafe Zarah. Sun 8. 10am-3pm. From 198RMB

You can get also into the holiday spirit with Zarah's Christmas-themed brunch buffet this weekend. Gorge on Yorkshire Pudding, German Lebkuchen, and freshly baked Christmas cookies, on top of their usual Sunday brunch offerings. To make it boozier, an all-you-can-drink option is available, featuring a free-flow of Jing-A beer, wines, and Zarah's secret cocktails and their Christmas special mulled wines. 

Photo: TRB Forbidden City

TRB Forbidden City. Fri 6-Sun 8. 11.30am-2.30pm, 5.30-10pm. From 488RMB.

In other news, TRB Forbidden City is concluding their year-long guest chef event series this weekend, by welcoming chef Laurens Snykers as the last guest chef of the year. Enjoy a one-off menu for lunch or dinner and a taste of modern Belgian gastronomy created by chef Snykers, who is known for sourcing farm-fresh produce and ingredients in his own restaurant at home. For reservations, call 6401 6676. 

Photo: Jing A

Peddlers Gin Takeover at Jing A (Xingfucun). Sat 7. 8pm-late.

Cocktail lovers can head to Jing-A for a gin-tastic night as they team up with Peddlers Gin to pour four special draft concoctions. Adding to their menu of mixed drinks is coffee negroni, coconut espresso martini, the classic gin fizz, and earl grey old fashioned. Tempting? Go there after 11pm for the happy hour pricing at 40RMB per drink, as well as deals on a range of bar bites. 

Balance out holiday gains with these activities 

Break a sweat at VLY. Until Feb 29, 2020. 50RMB

Looking for sneaky-ish ways to stay trim (no gym, please) from all the holiday treats?  Why not get bouncy on a trampoline. Hit up VFLY, one of the biggest trampoline parks in Beijing with three branches dotted around. Its rock-climbing walls, mazes, slides, and bouncing areas where you can dodge, dunk or dive into a heap of fun, are a sure way to get your endorphins flowing and work off some serious calories from all that turkey and mulled wine (we're not judging, though). 

Need more motivation? We've worked out a big fat discount on single person tickets, available now till next Wednesday, Dec 11, which can be then used at any time till Feb 29, 2020. So plenty of time for you to make that new year's resolution stick too. Get this exclusive Time Out offer at just 50RMB while it lasts. 

Book your tickets here

Photo: Santa InBeijing/Facebook

SantaCon 2019. Various venues and times. Sat 7. 

If you'd rather stay outdoors, SantaCon is back for its 11th Beijing incarnation this weekend. There might not seem like any obvious reason to dress up in Santa suits, run around Beijing on a bar crawl, belt out carols, have strangers sit on your laps and decide who is naughty or nice, but it’s a lot of fun – and also for a good cause. This year, the SantaCon crawl will be raising money for some wonderful charities. For particulars, including the bar crawl route, see the Beijing SantaCon website (bjsantacon.com).

Dance yourself clean at these nightlife events

Photo: 247 Tickets

NERVO at Sir Teen. Fri 6. 10pm-late. 100RMB 

Australian sister-duo NERVO arrives in the capital spinning at Sir Teen this weekend. Having written and produced hits for the likes of Ke$ha, Afrojack, Steve Aoki and Miley Cyrus to name a few, and received a Grammy Award for writing When Love Takes Over for David Guetta and Kelly Rowland, they have hit the deck at Tomorrowland, Lollapalooza and climbed the ranks as top female DJs in the world. Scan the QR code below for tickets.

Third-Anniversary Party at Omni Space. Fri 6. 8-10pm. 240RMB/180RMB adv

Omni Space, the Temple-of-Heaven-adjacent-livehouse celebrates its third year anniversary with a banging line-up of gigs this weekend. Headlining is San Diego noise pop veteran Crocodiles, whose performance will mark their debut in China. Formed in 2008, Crocodiles have stayed true to the core of their fuzzy and jangly 80s-influenced sound. Joining them are local bands Dreaming Julie, Glow Curve, Whale Circus and Sisi & Fan. Scan the QR code below for tickets. 

Tales of the Desert at Aurora. Fri 6. 10pm-4am. FREE

German DJ DOBé spins at Aurora this weekend. A talented DJ and producer of a Berlin underground house and techno label VÆNDŒ RECORDS, his individual sound and sharp style of mixing has taken him through all musical journeys, with his list of inspirations ranging from house and techno to hip-hop, jazz, funk, and classics.

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