The Weekend: 12.31-1.3

Here we are. 2009 is almost behind us, and soon schoolchildren will have to remember to write 2010 atop their notebooks.

Here are our picks to usher in the new year this weekend in Brooklyn.

Thursday, December 31

New Year's Eve: Check out our guide to wining and dining in Brooklyn tonight. Or, if you're looking for a party, check out our other guide, which has a sampling of Brooklyn's biggest bashes, from warehouse parties to Las Vegas-style shenanigans.

Friday, January 1

Brrrr: Not one but two Brooklyn groups will be jumping into the shivery Atlantic today to ring in the new year. Stand by and watch with some hot cocoa, or, if you're one to join in, bring your suit. The Ice Breakers go first, with their annual swim at noon at Brighton and the Boardwalk. At 1 p.m., the Polar Bears jump into the surf at Stillwell Avenue and the Boardwalk.

Food: For those looking to recoop from the night before not with an icy dip but some comfort food, check out these restaurants, whose food hits the spot.

Saturday, January 2

Winter Follies: No, the Kentucky Derby hasn't jumped a few months on the calendar. But tonight, the Bell House celebrates everything horsey and southern today with their Winter Follies, a Derby-themed party complete with Benedictine Sandwich appetizers and mint julips, a hat contest and race track game, to get you in the spirit early. Plus, there's rope tricks. At 9 p.m. Tickets $10. Located at 149 7th St.

Museum: The Brooklyn Museum's Target First Saturday is all about transformation, it being a new year and all. Highlights include a performance by the indie rock band Cordero, a screening of the film “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” accompanied by a special live performance, a masquerade ball, karaoke, and an old school rockin’ dance party with New York Night Train. From 5-11 pm. Free. Located at 200 Eastern Parkway.

Sunday, January 3

Top Picks: Take a break from all your partying today, and see what 2010 has in store for you. Check out our guide for what's happening in Brooklyn in the new year, and update your gCal now.