For those of you who don’t want to squeeze in with the hordes in Times Square this year, there are some great events right here in the neighborhood to ring in the New Year. Bars and nonprofits are hosting New Year’s Eve parties, and there’s a big free concert at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. What’s more, New Year’s Eve is on Saturday this year and Monday is a holiday, so you’ll have two nights to sleep off the after-effects of jubilation.

Check out what’s happening on New Year’s Eve, and lots of other events for the next week below.

Email us at info at westsiderag dot com to let us know about upcoming events.

Please double-check times and prices with the event producer. Many venues offer special pricing for students, seniors and members.

Tuesday

12 p.m.
Toe-Tappin’ Tuesdays – Dixieland Jazz with the Gotham Jazzmen The Gotham Jazzmen bring you all your old favorites and more on Tuesdays from 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m. New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center, Bruno Walter Auditorium. FREE.

12:30 p.m.
Views from the Past Tour As you promenade through the heart of Central Park, imagine yourself living in 19th-century New York City. Learn about the Park’s history and hear how its designers, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, struggled to make their vision our reality. For directions, please call 212-794-4064. Outside the Dairy Gift Shop, mid-Park at 65th Street. FREE.

6:30 p.m.
Winter Skies The brightest stars in the sky can be seen on cold December nights. Join astronomer Ted Williams to learn how to use asterisms to find the winter constellations. Travel to the North Pole to learn about circumpolar stars, then travel back to New York to see which of those stars are visible in our sky. This event will be followed by a Star Party on the Arthur Ross Terrace co-hosted by the Amateur Astronomers Association. At the Museum of Natural History. $15.

Wednesday

9 a.m.
Walk NYC Walk NYC is a program that encourages New Yorkers of all ages to get fit while enjoying the outdoors. Parks will staff locations throughout the city with trained walking instructors to lead one-hour walks. Meet at 83rd Street & Riverside Drive. FREE.

3 p.m.
Pirates of Penzance On the coast of Cornwall, a band of tenderhearted pirates celebrates the coming of age of Frederic, who was mistakenly apprenticed to the pirates until his 21st birthday. Now, Frederic has vowed to devote his life to the extermination of piracy – until a ludicrous leap year snag threatens to keep him apprenticed to the pirates for life! At Symphony Space. Tickets start at $67.

8:30 p.m.
Bar Trivia Trivia Tryst was founded in NYC in 2009 by Bryce Galen after realizing that pub quizzes were fun, but there was potential for a new type of trivia night with music, energy and popular appeal! At Symphony Space’s BAR Thalia. FREE.

Thursday

7 p.m.
Pirates of Penzance On the coast of Cornwall, a band of tenderhearted pirates celebrates the coming of age of Frederic, who was mistakenly apprenticed to the pirates until his 21st birthday. Now, Frederic has vowed to devote his life to the extermination of piracy – until a ludicrous leap year snag threatens to keep him apprenticed to the pirates for life! At Symphony Space. Tickets start at $67.

8:30 p.m.
Chris Velan Motivated by a range of influences spanning ’70s singer-songwriters, blues, rock, ’80s alternative, West African music and reggae, Montreal-based singer-songwriter and NewSong recordings artist Chris Velan continues his musical journey carving out his own path, directly inspired by the loneliness, searching, exhilaration, and exhaustion of a nomadic musical lifestyle. At the David Rubenstein Atrium. FREE.

9 p.m.
Live Jazz At Sasa’a Lounge. 105th and Columbus. FREE (no cover).

Friday

8 a.m.
Walk NYC Walk NYC is a program that encourages New Yorkers of all ages to get fit while enjoying the outdoors. Parks will staff locations throughout the city with trained walking instructors to lead one-hour walks. Meet at 83rd Street & Riverside Drive. FREE.

8 a.m. (until 1 p.m.)
Green Market Choose from fresh produce & dairy, artisanal breads, baked goods, meats & poultry, honey, eggs. Clothing/textile recycling bin on-site. 97th Street and Columbus.

8 p.m.
Pirates of Penzance On the coast of Cornwall, a band of tenderhearted pirates celebrates the coming of age of Frederic, who was mistakenly apprenticed to the pirates until his 21st birthday. Now, Frederic has vowed to devote his life to the extermination of piracy – until a ludicrous leap year snag threatens to keep him apprenticed to the pirates for life! At Symphony Space. Tickets start at $67.

Saturday

11 a.m.
Tim and the Space Cadets Tim and the Space Cadets exist somewhere in the realm between Raffi and Blink-182, inspired by memories of school days, snow days, pizza parties, and summer vacations, weaving witty, fun, and heartwarming lyrics through textured pop tunes, rockers, and lullabies. Tim’s legendary energy is infectious, and a Space Cadets set is engaging, interactive, and totally awesome! At Symphony Space. $20.

12 p.m. (until 4 p.m.)
Kwanzaa 2011 Celebration Kwanzaa 2011 is a vibrant celebration that honors the seven principles of Kwanzaa with performances of song, dance, and spoken word and an international marketplace. This year’s event will feature storyteller Linda Humes as master of ceremonies, The Brooklyn Steppers, Restoration Dance Theatre Company, ADLIB Steel Orchestra, and Something Positive, Inc. At the Museum of Natural History. FREE with museum admission.

7 p.m.
New Years’ Eve Concert for Peace The 2011 New Year’s Eve Concert for Peace is a celebration of African-American Music and the Spiritual as a place of sanctuary for all people. The centerpiece of the concert will be the oratorio A Child of our Time by the distinguished British composer Sir Michael Tippett. Featuring Judy Collins and others. At the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. FREE (Reserved seats cost $60).

8 p.m.
New Year’s Eve with the NY Philharmonic Rhapsody and Blue and more. Avery Fisher Hall. Tickets start at $65 (Sold Out).

8 p.m.
New Year’s Eve 2012 at the Village Pourhouse UWS With Six Hour Open Bar. At the Pourhouse on 108th and Amsterdam. $75 per person.

9 p.m.
New Year’s Eve Masquerade Ball At the Empire Hotel lobby bar. Email nye@empirehotelnyc.com for packages.

9 p.m.
New Year’s Eve 2012 at Prohibition With the Gilfords playing 80’s favorites, and an open bar. At Prohibition Bar on 84th and Columbus. $125 per person (212-579-3100).

8 p.m.
New Year’s Eve Party and Benefit An Evening of Entertainment and Fundraising for the Women’s Shelter, La Liga Soccer Program and Scholarships. At the Society for Ethical Culture. $85.

Sunday

Happy New Year!

11:15 a.m.
Celebrate the New Year with Music, Poetry, and Brunch Pat Wictor, folk musician, singer, and songwriter will be performing and leading a community sing-along. At the Society for Ethical Culture. $10.