The YWCA of Queens is making sure that a vacation from school doesn’t mean a vacation from reading.
To promote an interest in reading, the YWCA of Queens will hold its annual Summer Literacy Festival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, August 7 at 42-07 Parsons Boulevard in Flushing. HSBC is sponsoring the festival, which is free of charge.
A variety of activities will be held throughout the day. There will be a spelling bee contest for students in first through fifth grade and teen Jeopardy for students in sixth to eighth grade. The prizes for both of these contests are Barnes & Noble gift cards.
For children three to five, there will be “Alphabet Soup,” where they will spell their names while doing arts and crafts activities.
Through a “Speak Easy,” students 14 to 18 will be able to share poems, raps, songs or oral essays. The two top winners will receive Target gift cards.
There will be two special guests at this year’s festival – New York State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky and NY1 anchor Michelle Park. Stavisky will read to children between three and eight years old.
Other festival activities include a family sing along, Scholastic book fair, live puppet show, clowns, a balloon show and free food, such as popcorn, cotton candy, snow cones and hot dogs.
Proof of grade level and age is required for students to participate in the spelling bee, Jeopardy or “Speak Easy.” Registration for these activities ends at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, August 3.
More information is available at ywcaqueens.blogspot.com or by calling Moo Young Kim at 718-353-4553, Ext. 17.
