Get off of the couch and into the parks because school’s out and there’s a summer treat for every city kid ages three through 17.
The City Parks Foundation kicks off its free summer arts and sports programs on July 5 – offering dance performances, storytelling, poetry readings, tennis, golf, track and field activities in more than 45 parks throughout the boroughs including Queens.
“We are all about bringing programs to connect people to their parks so that the parks stay healthy and participants enjoy fun and free programs,” said Nora Lanning, director of marketing and communications of the City Parks Foundation. “Parks become under-utilized and the complaints about budget cuts, our job becomes more important to provide positive activity to the community.”
With more than 12,000 children participating in free sports instruction throughout parks citywide, this year the golf, tennis, track and field programs will take place in Alley Pond Park, Astoria Park, Baisley Park, Brookville Park, Cunningham Park, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Flushing Memorial Field, Forest Park, Juniper Valley Park, Kissena Park, Mario Fajardo Park and Det. Keith L. Williams Park in Queens.
Students are kept physically active as they engage the sports while learning the basics of golf, tennis and track, while engaging in sport specific skills such as shot put, javelin and relay racing.
“It’s not about children learning the basics of the sport,” said Lanning. “We provide leveled instruction with trained instructors that way the participants can move up and master the sport starting from a young age – and we see them off to college with scholarship money. We even sent a young golfer to Florida who would not have been able to if she hadn’t been participant otherwise.”
Lanning also said that the foundation holds the free arts and sports programs every year to engage students academically through activities such as puppet making, script writing, reading of Shel Silverstein’s books followed by a book giveaway and exposure to performances of cultures in the city and worldwide with the Summer Stage Kids Program.
The tennis programs will run through Aug. 16 with a tournament for beginners and intermediates. The golf program will be held in two sessions, running from July 5th through July 29th and from Aug. 1 through Aug. 26. The track season will run through Aug. 17 ending with a track meet where participants put their learned skills to practice.
For more information about the programs and the family days in Queens visit https://www.CityParksFoundation.org.
CityParks Tennis presented by Chase
Alley Pond Tennis Center
Winchester Boulevard and Union Turnpike
Tuesday and Thursday, 9 a.m – noon
Astoria Park
21st Street and Hoyt Avenue
Tuesday and Thursday, 9 a.m. – noon
Baisley Park
Foch Boulevard and 155th Street
Tuesday and Thursday, 1 – 4 p.m.
Brookville Park
Brookville Boulevard and South Conduit Avenue
Monday and Wednesday, 1 – 4 p.m.
Cunningham Park
Union Turnpike and 196th Street
Monday and Wednesday, 9 a.m. – noon
Tuesday and Thursday, 9 a.-11 a.m. (Intermediates only)
Flushing Meadows-Corona Park
56th and Corona Avenues
Monday and Wednesday, 9 a.m. – noon
Flushing Memorial Field
149th Street and 20th Avenue
Tuesday and Thursday, 1 – 4 p.m.
Forest Park
Park Lane South and 89th Street.
Monday and Wednesday, 1 – 4p.m.
Juniper Valley Park
80th Street and Juniper Boulevard South
Monday and Wednesday, 9 a.m.-noon
Tuesday and Thursday, 9 -11 a.m. (Intermediates only)
Kissena Park
Rose Avenue & Parson Boulevard
Tuesday and Thursday, 1 – 4 p. m.
CityParks Golf presented by René Lacoste Foundation
Mario Fajardo Park, Field 10
Kissena Boulevard and Booth Memorial Avenue
Monday and Wednesday, 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. (6-8 years), 10:30 a.m. – noon (9-16 years)
Alley Pond Park, Field 1
Winchester Boulevard and Union Turnpike
Monday and Wednesday 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. (6-8 years), 10:30 a.m. – noon (9-16 years)
Baisley Park
Foch Boulevard and 155th Street.
Tuesday and Thursday, 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. (6-8 years), 10:30 a.m. – noon (9-16 years)
Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Field 11
56th and Corona Avenues
Tuesday & Thursday, 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. (6-8 years), 10:30 a.m. – noon (9-16 years)
CityParks Track & Field
Astoria Park
Hoyt Avenue and 19th Street
Monday and Wednesday, 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. (5-7 years), 10:30 – noon (8-16 years)
Juniper Valley Park
Juniper Boulevard North and Lutheran Avenue
Tuesday & Thursday, 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. (5-7 years), 10:30 a.m. – noon (8-16 years)
Det. Keith L. Williams Park
Liberty Avenue and 173rd Street
Tuesday and Thursday 9 – 10:30 a.m. (5-7 years), 10:30 a.m. – noon (8-16 years)
Forest Park
Myrtle Avenue and Woodhaven Boulevard
Monday and Wednesday 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. (5-7 years), 10:30 a.m. – noon (8-16 years)
Free Performances in Queens Parks
SummerStage Kids Programs presented by Disney
Monday, July 11
CityParks Puppet Mobile – Bessie’s Big Shot
Rochdale Park , Queens
New York Boulevard and 134th Avenue
10:30 a.m.
Tuesday, July 12
Oran Etkin’s Timbalooloo
Rufus King Park , Queens
Jamaica Avenue between 150th and 153rd Streets.
On the lawn in front of Jamaica Avenue at 151st Street.
10:30 a.m.
Monday, July 18
SeeWe African Dance
Rochdale Park, Queens
New York Boulevard and 134th Avenue
10:30 a.m.
Tuesday, July 19
Thunderbird American Indian Dancers
Rufus King Park, Queens
Jamaica Avenue between 150th and 153rd Streets.
On the lawn in front of Jamaica Avenue at 151st Street.
10:30 a.m.
Sunday, July 24
Queens Family Day featuring
SHINE & THE MOONBEAMS / ROBBI K. / MATT BROWN / DAVID GONZALEZ / DANIEL CALTON / JoSunJari / CITYPARKS PUPPETMOBILE
3 p.m.
Queensbridge Park , Queens
41st Avenue and Vernon Boulevard.
Monday, July 25
Matt Brown
Rochdale Park, Queens
New York Boulevard and 134th Avenue.
10:30 a.m.
Thursday, July 28
CityParks Puppet Mobile – Bessie’s Big Shot
Queensbridge Park, Queens
41st Avenue and Vernon Boulevard
10:30 a.m.
Thursday, August 4
Tony Vacca
Queensbridge Park, Queens
41st Avenue and Vernon Boulevard
10:30 a.m.
