Holiday party season is in full swing. This week you can make your own chocolate martinis, stumble around East Austin dressed as C-3PO, and squeeze back into that ugly Christmas sweater for another year of yuletide festivities.

Monday, Dec. 12
Dub Academy’s First Annual Christmas Party
8pm–Midnight • Parkside, 301 East 6th St. • Free; RSVP required
Complimentary drinks and raffle tix for people who wear ugly holiday sweaters; photo booths; games with prizes; live music.


Tuesday, Dec. 13
Candy Lane Cocktail Party
6–9pm • Langford Market, 249 West 2nd Street • Free
Complimentary candy-inspired cocktails and mini-candy bar. Accepting donations for the Capital Area Food Bank.

Austin Chronicle Presents: Paper Cuts
7–9pm • The Palm Door, 401 Sabine St. • Free; RSVP required for priority admission
Complementary Shock Top beer, desserts from the Frisco Shop, and Bacardi Oakheart Rum. Music by Marmalakes. RSVP to reserve your spot; additional guests will be allowed in starting at 7:30 if the party isn’t at capacity.

It’s Made Of People: One Year Anniversary Variety Show
9pm • Beauty Bar, 617 E. 7th St. • Free
Free variety show featuring sketches, comedians, and bands.

Coal Vines Wine-Down Holiday Bash
6–10pm • Coal Vines, 314 W. 2nd St. • Free; RSVP requested (RSVP Email)
Complimentary hors d’oeuvres, wine specials, and live music. Bring a wrapped toy to donate to Toys for Tots.


Wednesday, Dec. 14
Austin Social Affair Holiday Launch Party
6–9pm • TenOak, 409 Colorado St. • $5 minimum donation
Free Grey Goose cocktails from 6–7; $5 after that. Benefits the Wrapped in Love Foundation.

Gabrieldoes: A Christmas Party
6–10pm • Cazamance Café, 1102 E. Cesar Chavez • Free
Free drinks while they last + food, and holiday music. Feel free to BYOB.

2011 Austin Holiday Formal    ***Event of the Week***
9:30pm–2am • American Legion Hall, 2201 Veterans Drive • $10 donation
Free drinks include Fireman’s 4, Sierra Nevada, 360 Vodka, Wiser’s Canadian Whiskey, and El Zarco Tequila. Also: make-your-own chocolate martini bar, live music, photo booth, and raffle. Dress fancy! Donations benefit Austin’s Children’s Shelter.

Ugly Christmas Sweater Santy Panty Party
10pm–1am • Nomad Bar, 1211 Corona Dr. • Free
Complimentary drinks for anyone who dresses up. Featuring comedian James Patrick Robinson, DJ sets, and dancin’.


Thursday, Dec. 15
The Liberty 3rd Annual Christmas Party
4pm–2am • The Liberty, 1618 E. 6th St. • Free
Details TBA.

Beer O’Clock – Austin Community Happy Hour hosted by The Daily Dot
5:30–8pm • Clive Bar, 609 Davis St. • Free
Have a drink or two on The Daily Dot, “the hometown newspaper of the World Wide Web.”

Social Media Club Austin Holiday Party 2011
6:30-8:30pm • Molotov, 719 West 6th Street • Free; RSVP required
Free food from Roll on Sushi + drink specials. Dress “holiday fancy” and bring a new toy to donate to the Toy Drive for Austin.

Beer Society Strikes Back
8–11pm • Jackalope, 404 East 6th • Free; RSVP required
Free pints of Boulevard IPA, courtesy of The Onion Society for Beer Enjoyment.

Volstead Lounge at Hotel Vegas Holiday Party
9pm • Volstead Lounge at Hotel Vegas, 1500 E. 6th Street • Free w/ RSVP; $5 without
Free beer and egg nog while it lasts, plus music by Alpha Rev, Levi Weaver, and Saints of Valory. Christmas sweaters encouraged. RSVP for free admission.


Friday, Dec. 16
Film Night at Green House
8pm–Midnight • Green House, 701 E 53rd St. • Free
Movies, free cocktails and popcorn.

Qua 4th Anniversary Party
9–11pm • Qua, 213 W. 4th St. • Free
Complimentary cocktails from 9–11, half-price bottles all night.

Christmas Sweater Party Champagne Jam
10pm–2am • Beauty Bar, 617 E. 7th St. • $2 if you wear a holiday sweater; $5 if not
Champagne, photo booth, live improv holiday karaoke by Zorch; DJ sets by Kon Karne, Lee Roi, and Butcher Bear.


Saturday, Dec. 17
Thirsty Planet Brewery Tour
11am and 1:30pm • Thirsty Planet Brewing Co., 11160 Circle Drive • Free; RSVP required
Free tour and beer tasting. Make sure to reserve a spot online.

The Backyard Bizarre Bazaar Bizart Show
6pm–Midnight • Green House, 701 E 53rd St. • Free
Art show, fashion show, live music, drinks and food.

I Wanna Be Your Dog II
8pm • 29th Street Ballroom, 2906 Fruth St. • $5 donation
Free food from Frank; music by The Fleshlights, John Wesley Coleman, Bad Lovers, Foreign Mothers, Dead Space, and Sweat Lodge; raffle to win SXSW wristbands; silent auction. Benefits Austin Pets Alive.

Han Shots First Pub Crawl
8pm–2am • Starts at The Liberty, 1618 E. 6th St. • $5 suggested donation
Dress up as your favorite Star Wars character and go out drinkin’ on the east side. The crawl (which also features games, a raffle and Star Wars trivia) will have stops at The Liberty, Rio Rita, The Brixton, Violet Crown, and Shangri-La. See the event page for schedule info. Benefits Child’s Play.

Secret Show at Hotel Vegas
9pm–2am • Hotel Vegas, 1500 E. 6th Street • Free w/ RSVP, $5 without
Music by Stereo is a Lie, The Boxing Lesson, and a mystery headliner. RSVP for free admission.



**SAVE THE DATE: January 2** CoolinAustin’s very first Free Week showcase is set for Monday, Jan. 2 at Swan Dive. We’ll announce the details later this week, but suffice it to say, it will rock yo socks off.

Plugs: Like us on the Facebook, Tweet at us on the Twitter

Shoutouts: Amber, Jeremiah, Do512 Free, Austin Free Events

The Weekend Flow: December 17-20
Boy, ugly sweaters are back in style this winter. Sure, parties celebrating the brightly colored wool abominations were called out last year by Stuff White People Like, but that didn’t stop them from coming back in force in ‘09, dammit. (One wonders if there’s someone out there with a sweater so horrible that they’d be able to sweep *every* Ugly Sweater Contest — the Chris Floyd of the sweater world, if you will). Fortunately for everyone, there’s plenty of cool n’ free stuff going on this weekend to make the whole thing easier to stomach. Stay warm, Austin!

THURSDAY, DEC. 17
Austin Post Citywide White Elephant Party
6-9pm
Free cocktails, pizza, sushi, and other crazy stuff. Bring a wrapped gag gift for swappin’.
Lanai Rooftop Lounge, 422 Congress Ave.

Tje Austin at Cedar Street Courtyard
6-8pm
Cedar Street Courtyard, 208 W. 4th St.

Do512 Holiday Party
7-10pm
Free Fireman’s #4 beer while it lasts; $3 Tito’s drinks. Music by All My Friends
Black Sheep Lodge , 2108 South Lamar Blvd.
Free, RSVP REQUIRED

Bright Pink Charity Launch Party / X-Mas Sweater Party
7-10pm / 10pm-2am
Free vodka 7-10. Benefits Bright Pink, a non-profit organization
that provides education and support to women who are at risk for breast and ovarian cancer. The X-Mas Sweater Party starts after the launch party and features a “champagne jam,” music by the New Drugs and photos with Santa courtesy of Alison Narro.
Beauty Bar, 617 E. 7th St.
No RSVP

Charity Bash Appreciation Party
8-10pm
Free drinks by Grey Goose.
Free with RSVP

The Liberty’s First Holiday Party
9pm-2am
Free homemade food; drink specials. Bring an unwrapped toy to donate to Salvation Army.
The Liberty, 1618 1/2 E. 6th St.
Free, no RSVP

Crystal Antlers, Audacity, Harlem @ The Mohawk
10pm-2am
Mohawk, 11th and Red River


FRIDAY, DEC. 18
The Saggi Ball
8pm-2am
Free Dripping Springs Vodka from 8-10 with toy donation, plus: photos by Trevor Ray, Inebriated Santa Costume Contest and the 817th ugly sweater contest of the season. Music by The Pons, The Boom Boom Box, Ripe, Ok Sweetheart, DJ Czech One and the ubiquitous DJ Prince Klassen.
Beauty Bar, 617 E. 7th St.
$5, no RSVP

No Sleep Til Brooklyn
9pm-2am
Free vodka from 9-11:30pm. Bring 5 canned food items for free shots. Free champagne all night for the ladies.
Gruv, 101 W. 5th St.
Free, no RSVP


SATURDAY, DEC. 19
Santa vs. Satan Soiree
8pm-2am
Hosted By TXRD Lonestar Rollergirls, the soiree will feature music by local bands Whiskey Business and Petals and a raffle, as well as “tinsel-covered pillow fighting” (I’m intrigued…).
$3 if you dress in Santa or Satan attire, or $5 if you decide not to dress up for some reason
Tiniest Bar in Texas, 817 W. 5th Street
No RSVP.

Swerve! Reunion
9pm-2:30am
Free Sailor Jerry rum from 11:30pm-12:30am. Mike from @ThePeenScene and DJ Orion are bound to go all out for their birthdays, so this should be a wild one. Music by: Ocelot, Bird Peterson, Go Go Garcia and Prepmode
Barcelona, 209 E. 6th St.
$3, no RSVP

Saturday Night Afterparty
12-5am
Assuming Mike “Peen” Hernandez survives his birthday party at Swerve, the rager will continue into the wee hours on East Sixth.
$5 donation gets you all the beer you can drink
Music Gym, 815 E. 6th St. (just east of IH 35)


SUNDAY, DEC. 20
Sideshow Grand Opening Party
2-6pm
Free beer and bands at the grand opening of the new tattoo shop
Airport and 45th St.
Free, no RSVP


MONDAY, DEC. 21
Octopus Project, Neiliyo, and Sunset at Tibaut’s 30th
Doors at 7:30pm
Mohawk
$10/presale, $12/door

Rat Trap Ball
10pm-2am
Free beer at a crazy dance party featuring a selection of rock n’ roll 45s.
Trophy’s
Free, no RSVP


Plug zone:
- Check out @SupercoolEric’s predictions of music critics’ picks for the best albums of 2009.
- Be our fan on Facebook. We’ll be your best friend.
- Give us a holler if you’re at La Zona Rosa tonight for the much anticipated Phoenix show. À bientôt!