Beannachtaí Lá Fhéile Pádraig (Blessings of St. Patrick’s Day). You can be sure of a lively time this evening at The Custom House, 139 Montague Stret (between Clinton and Henry) or at O’Keefe’s Bar & Grill, 62 Court Stret (between Joralemon and Livingston).

If you missed Theater 2020’s free reading of David Fuller’s The B’ard last Wednesday, there will be another free reading this Saturday afternoon, March 18, starting at 2:00 PM and lasting one hour, at the Brooklyn Heights Library, 286 Cadman Plaza West. No reservations are required.

On Saturday evening, at 7:30, Voices in the Heights will present a concert featuring KJ Denhert and ilyAIMY “all the way from Baltimore” at the McKinney Chapel of the First Unitarian Church, 121 Pierrepont Street (between Monroe Place and Clinton Street). “And yes, Dan will be baking those incredible desserts for your intermission pleasure.” You may attend in person or on line; tickets are available here.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t remind you of my wife’s talk, with discussion, at St. Ann’s Church on Sunday afternoon, March 19, from 1:00 to 2:30. While the topic is the history of the Brooklyn Women’s Exchange, you will also learn much about the history of women’s work in Brooklyn and about Brooklyn Heights’ social and real estate history. It’s free, and no reservations are required.

You’re invited to vote for best photo in the Montague Street BID’s photo contest. You can see the finalists here and cast your vote this evening or tomorrow at the BID’s booth in front of the Custom House, 139 Montague Street, during Downtown for the Holidays on Montague Street.

This is really last minute. This (Thursday, December 12) evening the Brooklyn Historical Society is presenting “Book Talk: Sarah Zorn and Brooklyn Chef’s Table,” in the Society’s Great Hall, 128 Pierrepont Street (corner of Clinton), starting at 6:30 p.m.

A fantastic panel of chefs/restaurateurs profiled by Brooklyn food writer Sarah Zorn discuss the borough’s deliciously diverse culinary landscape. Panel includes Paulie Gee of Paulie Gee’s, Peter Shelsky of Shelsky’s Smoked Fish, Matt and Allison Robicelli of Robicelli’s, Jean Adamson of Vinegar Hill House, Louis Coluccio of ALC Grocery, and Peter Freeman of Brooklyn Farmacy.

Admission is free, but you must make a reservation here.

Also this evening, don’t forget the movie night event sponsored by the Brooklyn Heights Association and the Brooklyn Heights Cinema, at the Cinema (70 Henry Street, corner of Orange) starting at 7:30.

The Heights Players continue their production of Big River, a musical based on Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Shows will be at 8:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, at the Playhouse at 26 Willow Place. There’s more information here and you can make reservations here.

The Brooklyn Heights Cinema will be showing All Is Lost and 12 Years a Slave. On Sunday at noon there will be a special kids’ movie, Charlotte’s Web. Looking ahead to next week, there will be a special one time only showing of A Christmas Story on Tuesday, December 17 at 7;00 p.m., and on Wednesday, December 18 the Cinema will host its monthly Stand Up Comedy Night starting at 9:00 p.m. More details and showtimes here.

On Friday evening from 6:30 to 9:00, the Brooklyn Historical Society will present a Brooklyn Film and Arts Festival Screening: Brooklyn Realities –Documented. Admission is free; more details and make reservations here. On Saturday afternoon from 2:00 to 5:00 BHS will present “Science Fiction and Multiraciality from Harry Potter to Octavia Butler,” an “interactive conversation about mixed-race identity and the role of science fiction in creating racial justice.” The event is free, but you must make a reservation here.

Bargemusic has a full schedule of concerts, starting this (Thursday) evening at 7:00 with piano performances by Victoria Kochinskaya-Kogan of works by Schumann. Tomorrow (Friday) evening at 7:00 there will be a “Here and Now” concert of works by contemporary composers performed by the NOW Ensemble. On Saturday at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday at 4:00 p.m. the St. Petersburg String Quartet, joined by Victoria Kochinskaya-Kogan, will perform works by Schubert, Dvorak, and Schumann. On Saturday afternoon at 3:00 there will be a free, family oriented “Music in Motion” concert, program and musicians TBA. The doors open at 2:30; it’s first come, first seated. More information and buy tickets here.

On Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Our Lady of Lebanon Cathedral (enter at 109 Remsen Street) will have a Holiday Bake Sale and Christmas Boutique “featuring Lebanese and other ethnic pastries, flowers and raffles” and sponsored by the Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception. Also, on Saturday only, First Presbyterian Church, 124 Henry Street (between Clark and Pierrepont) will host a “Breakfast with Santa” event, featuring pancakes, crafts for sale, and a chance for kids to meet, and be photographed with, Santa. There will be two seatings: 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. Admission is $10/person or $40/family.

Also on Saturday, don’t forget the holiday celebration from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the Custom House, 139 Montague Street (between Henry and Clinton).

Looking ahead to Wednesday, December 18, don’t forget the tree lighting at the Montague Street entrance to the Promenade, with caroling afterward.

Besides the tree lighting and caroling on Wednesday, December 18, there are other local seasonal events coming up. If you know of anything not listed here, please add a comment.

Today (Friday, December 6) until 3:00 p.m. Plymouth Church School is having its Holiday Bazaar, with lots of gifts for sale. Enter through the Beecher Garden (Orange Street between Hicks and Henry). Grace Church School’s (254 Hicks Street, between Grace Court and Joralemon) annual Book and Toy Fair opens today until 5:00 p.m. and continues tomorrow from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

On Saturday, December 7 P.S. 8, 37 Hicks Street, will present its “Holiday Craft Fair: ReCycle, ReImagine, ReCre8″ from noon to 5:00 p.m. More information here. Brooklyn Friends School, located on Pearl Street between Willoughby and the Brooklyn Marriott Plaza, will have its annual Winter Festival and Artisanal Crafts Fair from 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Details here. The Brooklyn Heights Montessori School, located at 185 Court Street (between Dean and Bergen in Cobble Hill) will present a Book Fair and Artisan Market from 10:00 a.m. TO 2:00 p.m. More info at here. Also (we learned about this late) the UniFair at the First Unitarian Universalist Church (please enter through the chapel on Pierrepont Street between Clinton Street and Monroe Place) will be Saturday from 10:00 a.m to 4:00 p.m.

On Sunday, December 8 P.S. 29, 425 Henry Street (between Baltic and Kane, Cobble Hill) will host a Holiday Gift Fair and Pie Social from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. You can shop, eat pie, and donate to Toys for Tots. More info here.

Looking ahead to the following weekend, on Saturday, December 14 from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Sunday, December 15 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Our Lady of Lebanon Cathedral (enter at 109 Remsen Street) will have a Holiday Bake Sale and Christmas Boutique “featuring Lebanese and other ethnic pastries, flowers and raffles” and sponsored by the Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception. Also, on Saturday only, First Presbyterian Church, 124 Henry Street (between Clark and Pierrepont) will host a “Breakfast with Santa” event, featuring pancakes, crafts for sale, and a chance for kids to meet, and be photographed with, Santa. There will be two seatings: 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. Admission is $10/person or $40/family.

Finally, again on Saturday the 14th, don’t forget the holiday celebration from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the Custom House, 139 Montague Street (between Henry and Clinton).

For information about these and other events happening around Brooklyn, see the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.

The next BHA Social event, presented by the Brooklyn Heights Association, will be a “networking happy hour” at the Custom House (photo), 139 Montague Street (between Clinton and Henry), on this Wednesday evening, October 16, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. (that’s actually two happy hours). Brooklyn Lager drafts will be $5.00. Come with phones, cards, and thirst.

The Brooklyn Heights Association is starting “BHA Social,” the “fun, casual side of our operation that will organize social events at local establishments.” The first BHA Social event will be the Dog Show to be held this coming Sunday, September 22 at the Montague Street BID’s SummerSpace. The next event will be a Business Networking Happy Hour at Custom House, 139 Montague Street, featuring $5 Brooklyn Lager drafts (21 and older only), Wednesday, October 16 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. More info is here.

The spanking new Custom House Irish pub and restaurant at 139 Montague Street, in the former La Traviata Italian restaurant space between Henry and Clinton, is opening its doors Saturday June 9. The locale invited friends & family for a pre-opening Friday evening, allowing BHB to take a first glance at the shiny new space. (See photos below.)

We were pleased to discover among Custom House’s staffers is Jimmy, arguably the most pleasant guy on Montague Street, who previously worked at Grand Canyon diner next door. (Jimmy’s the one who resembles [the first] Darrin Stevens from “Bewitched.”)

Italian eatery La Traviata shuttered in November 2011 after 30 years in the space.

(Photos: Chuck Taylor)