Things to do this weekend for (mostly) free

Little Italy and Chinatown Merchants Associations are sponsoring a parade from Mulberry to Mott Street, featuring marching bands, martial artists and acrobats, Italian American singers and Lion and Dragon Dance troupes.

Shopping: markets at Columbus Circle, Bryant Park and Union Square Park; green gifts on Great Jones Street; discounted upscale gift shop swag at Wave Hill; indie crafts at the Brooklyn Lyceum; New Amsterdam Wintermarket on South Street (benefits City Harvest); Christmas trees and poinsettias at the Queens Farm Museum; and the Brooklyn Indie Market (with caroling)

Saturday

Super Sabado free Saturday at El Museo del Barrio

Seal watching on the beach in the Bronx

Free yoga in Williamsburg

Ball of Fire at the Film Forum - Mantrap Barbara Stanwyck and yummy earnest nerd Gary Cooper. Double feature with The Mad Miss Manton, likewise with Henry Fonda ($12, $6 for seniors and kids under 12)

Make holiday decorations out of piney stuff on Staten Island and in Van Cortlandt Park

Make stollen at Wave Hill (w/admission)

Candlelight tours at Wyckoff Mansion and Van Cortlandt House

Stargazing on Staten Island

Stargazing in Inwood Park

Sunday

Posadas y Pastorelas, Museum of the City of New York

Brunch with Santa, Greenbelt, Staten Island

Hepburn and Tracy at the Film Forum - Woman of the Year and Adam's Rib double feature ($12, $6 for seniors and kids under 12)

Japanese drumming at the Bowery Poetry Club

Brighton Beach food walk

Muppet Chanukah at the Sony Wonder Lab

Sunday Solstice stargazing at Belvedere Castle

All Weekend

The Three Bears Holiday Bash, Central Park ($8 adults, $5 children, benefits City Parks Foundation)

Santa at Belvedere Castle

Cellphone audio tour of Central Park