News From The Queens Tourism Council
Readers, start your engines! The annual antique motorcycle show will roll into town this upcoming week.
There’s also a first-ever street fair featuring a jam-packed lineup of artistic talent from Western Queens. Live music, wacky art projects and the uncovering of a time capsule are also on tap.
Here’s the rundown:
– Tonight, Thursday, Sept. 6, 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., Back to School Festival. Welcome the school year with games, crafts, music and more at an event sponsored by Astoria Federal Savings Bank. Victory Field, by Myrtle Avenue, Union Turnpike and Park Lane South, Forest Park, 1-718-235-4100.
– Friday, Sept. 7, 5:30 to 8 p.m., First Fridays, Summer in the Garden. The Noguchi Museum continues its summer practice of extending hours and offering free admission on the first Friday of the month. Visitors can explore the galleries and enjoy a cash bar in the outdoor sculpture garden. This Friday will feature Center of Attention, an extended conversation around a single work in the collection at 6 p.m., followed at 7 p.m. by the film My Playground, a documentary about movement, tricking, freerunning, and parkour-a sport in which participants go from one city to another as quickly and efficiently as possible. Noguchi, 9-01 33rd Rd., Long Island City, 1-718-204-7088, www.noguchi.org.
– Friday, Sept. 7, 6 to 9 p.m., Public Trust opening party. This exhibit/ live occurrence mixes artworks at the Flux Factory gallery and actions in public spaces and institutions throughout New York City, including re-enactments of protests staged by artists groups since the 1930s through the present; a mobile pacifist library making the rounds at NYC libraries; recommended reading lists curated by incarcerated New Yorkers; physical audits of the dirt inside banks; and a pamphlet using the Hayden Planetarium Sphere to describe the space junk in Earth’s orbit. The exhibition intends to get audiences to experience something unexpected at a familiar cultural cornerstone and explore and/or interrogate the assumptions that institutions make about their relevance to daily life. Public Trust is on display/in action from Sept. 7 to Sept. 30. Flux Factory, 39-31 29th St., Long Island City, 1-718-666-8906, www.fluxfactory.org.
– Saturday, Sept. 8, noon to 5 p.m., The LIC Block Party. This first-ever event will feature artist-led activity tents, a stage with live music, inter- active performances and a community built, large-scale temporary sculpture. Guests will also find the Artist Market with a selection of the best affordable and functional art and objects and a family-friendly food court with goodies from local restaurants. Activity tents include Tarot readings, pom-pom making, Cubist face painting, carnival games, “discover your inner child,” balloon activities, ask a lawyer, neighborhood walks, wondrous disguises and costumes. SculptureCenter, 44-19 Purves St., Long Island City, 1-718- 361-1750, www.sculpture-center.org.
– Saturday, Sept. 8, noon – 5 p.m., Fall Family Fun Day. The Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning will celebrate its 40th anniversary with workshop previews, face painting, a DJ, arts and crafts, on-site workshop registration and one-day-only discounts. JCAL, 153-10 Jamaica Ave., Jamaica, 1-718-658-7400, www.jcal.org.
– Sunday, Sept. 9, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., 32nd Annual Antique Motorcycle Show. Check out motorcycles that have been out of production for years. Music, farmhouse tours, hayrides and food provide fun for the entire family. Queens County Farm Museum, 73-50 Little Neck Pkwy., Glen Oaks, 1-718-347-3276, www.queensfarmmuseum.org.
– Sunday, Sept. 9, 3 p.m., Music in the Garden Featuring Gyan Riley. A trained classical guitarist and composer from Northern California, Riley performs classical and electric guitar throughout New York City and Europe. Free. The Noguchi Museum 9-01 33rd Rd., Long Island City. 1- 718-204-7088, www.noguchi.org.
– Sunday, Sept. 9, 1 to 5 pm, Flushing Town Hall 150 Years of Community, Creativity and Culture. During the Civil War in 1862, Flushing Town Hall’s cornerstone was laid and a time capsule was created. FTH will exhibit the capsule’s historic items, such a coins and a copy of The New York Times, as well as historic Flushing photographs, postcards, and clothing from the Victorian age. Archivist Angelo Vigorito will give a lecture on FTH’s history at 1 p.m. and a family workshop will include decorative fans and dance cards from the Civil War ballroom from 1 to 5 p.m.. Suggested admission: $5 (free for members). Flushing Town Hall 137-35 Northern Blvd., Flushing, 1- 718-463-7700, www.flushingtownhall.org.
– Sunday, Sept. 9, 3 p.m. (doors open at 2 pm), Battle of the Bands Grand Finale. Experience the excitement as various local bands compete for a $5,000 prize. Resorts World Casino 110-00 Rockaway Blvd., South Ozone Park, 1-888-888-8801, www.rwnewyork.com.
– Sunday, Sept. 9, 3 p.m., Sunday Concerts @ Central. Papo Ortega’s CubanoSon mixes the music genres of Punto Cubano and Son Montuño. The group combines traditional Cuban music with New York Citystyle Salsa. Free. Queensborough Public Library Central Branch, 89-11 Merrick Blvd., Jamaica, www.queenslibrary.org.
The “It’s In Queens” column is produced by the Queens Tourism Council with the hope that readers will enjoy the borough’s attractions.
