Hey everyone! This week's extended BEST WEEKEND BETS are, as always, hand selected from BYT ALL CITY and carefully calibrated for maximum fun and minimum stress, and will be punctuated with inspirational images of Anna Faris in the best holiday movie of all time. Yes, I'm talking about JUST FRIENDS. READY?

A COUPLE OF PSAs before we start:

• OUR WINTER GUIDES ARE UP. Enjoy: FILM + LOCALLY GROWN GIFTS + MUSIC + THEATRE + FOOD+ STYLE . YES.
  
• BYT UPCOMING EVENTS ARE:
• OUR NYE PARTY is coming up!!!!!!!!! DETAILS  + TICKETS HERE! WE HAVE JD SAMSON (from MEN & LE TIGRE) & ANIMAL COLLECTIVE DJing and more! Tickets are $75 now, but will keep going up by $5 every Friday till NYE-so GET THEM NOW!
  
• Read up on food here, our amazing movie reviews are here, STYLE Licks can be found here, and as always, GAY Best Weekend Bets are coming right up.

THURSDAY

• ok-so the good news is: the city should be semi-dead. the bad news is: the city should be semi-dead. use this information wisely.
• the H Street seems poppin' (so to speak):
• the spirit of Christmas is alive and well at RNR Hotel over 30 local musicians and poets will converge to ring in the Second Annual Modern Times Holiday Show. Proceeds will benefit The House of Ruth, a DC based charitable organization.
• and over @ STICKY RICE, it is an UGLY EVERYTHING karaoke party. To quote: find the absolute most terrible Chrsitmas related item(s) you can find and show it off this Thursday When Sticky rice DC hosts the worst holiday party ever!!!!!!!!!
• and in Adams Morgan- ALL THINGS GO continue their tradition of holiday themed jamborees @ Bourbon.
• + other stuff

FRIDAY

• first up, download some ALTERNATIVE holiday music and do some prep work for the most perfect eggnog EVER. click here for instructions.
• everyone who's here for the holidays should be in DC by now and you have one night to make the most of it before obligatory family time tomorrow!
• THE DANCE PARTY IS @ 930 CLUB (we're giving some sweet tickets away to this one, btw) - recommended prep listening: this jam
• WU TANG CLAN IS @ STATE THEATRE
• That's not enough for you? Ok! FINE!
• It's a dance party bonanza everywhere: ON & ON is @ Black Cat. SMUDGE is DJing @ RED PALACE. Villains is @ Toki Underground.
• and old faithfuls wise-Liberation Dance Party and Red Fridays are bound not to let you down.
• bonus: SHAM @ Warehouse loft will (probably) go late.
• + other stuff

SATURDAY

• HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVE DAY!
• MOVIES FOR EVERYONE!
• AFI is doing screenings of IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE. Pass the tissues.
• if you're in the process of netflixing or on demanding (or DEMANDING movies as Christmas presents) - check out our "TOP 11 MOVIE SUPERLATIVES OF 2011" LIST-it's totally worth it.
• If you're looking to see movies in theatres-from "Girl With a Dragon Tattoo" to "Shame" to "Young Adult" to "Sherlock Holmes" to...well, anything worth seeing-we have it reviewed here.
• and....as far as free movies go: you can't beat catching BEAUTY & THE BEAST @ National Gallery of Art
• hot chocolate goes well with movies, and we have OYAMEL's awesome spicy recipe on tap, so peruse/make/indulge in that here.
• for not at home dinner plans: Casa Nonna's Feast of Seven Fishes, or The Source's Peking Duck Holiday Dinner both look AH-MAY-ZING.
• + other stuff

SUNDAY

• MERRY CHRISTMAS!
• I imagine almost everyone will be home taking naps and opening presents and if you need a break from that, keep an eye out for our INSTANT NETFLIX holiday movie guide coming your way tomorrow....(We promise)
• OR-if you're not a Christmas (with the fam) type person- may we suggest some theatre?
• BILLY ELLIOT is @ KENNEDY CENTER. YOU, NERO has been getting rave reviews @ ARENA STAGE. HAIRSPRAY is awesome. MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING just got extended. As did BUST. AND WELL...
• there's other stuff

REMEMBER: THERE ARE A BAJILLION OTHER THINGS TO DO LISTED IN BYT ALL CITY, so use it (to both post your events and search for them) and if you think we may have missed something, comment away--you know you want to.

and a parting note:

Previously in best weekend bets:

• 5/10: Best Weekend Bets
• 5/3: Best Weekend Bets
• 4/26: Best Weekend Bets
• 4/19: Best Weekend Bets
• 4/12: Best Weekend Bets
• 4/5: Best Weekend Bets
• 3/29: Best Weekend Bets
• 3/22: Best Weekend Bets
• 3/15: Best Weekend Bets
• 3/8: Best Weekend Bets