News From The Queens Tourism Council
Decisions, decisions. With roughly 35 hours of combined entertainment at eight Queens events on Sept. 22, it’s simply impossible to enjoy it all.
Gospel performances, movies, dance, a traditional county fair and even a dog parade at Citi Field are among the options.
The rest of the week is less busy, but there are some top-notch activities. Here’s the rundown:
– Friday, Sept. 21, 4 to 9 p.m., Viva La Comida! This first-ever 82nd Street Partnership event will shine a spotlight on the fun, food and entertainment options in Elmhurst/Jackson Heights. Food trucks will be everywhere, and the event will include the 82nd Street dance troupe from the Mestizo Art Center, performances by the NY Jazz Academy, the International String Duo and a pop-up crafts market in the Jackson Heights Cinema. Free. Dunningham Triangle at 82nd Street/Baxter Avenue, 1-718- 335-9421, www.82ndstreet.org.
– Saturday, Sept. 22, 1:10 p.m., Bark in the Park 2. Attendees of the Mets baseball game against the Miami Marlins will have the opportunity to sit with their pooches and fellow dog lovers and their pets in designated seats. The profit of the dog ticket and a portion of the human ticket will benefit the North Shore Animal League. To participate in the pre-game dog parade, report to the Bullpen Gate by noon with tickets. This gate opens at 11:40 a.m. Citi Field, 126th Street and Roosevelt Avenue, Corona, 1-718-559-3069, www.mets.com.
– Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 22 & 23, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., 30th Annual Queens County Fair. A traditional county fair with blue-ribbon contests in livestock, produce, home crafts, pie-eating, corn-husking, arm wrestling, hayrides and carnival rides. Queens County Farm Museum, 73-50 Little Neck Pkwy., Glen Oaks, 1-718-347-3276, www.queensfarmmuseum.org.
– Saturday, Sept. 22, 6:30 p.m. for music, dusk for movies, Flicks in the Garden. This second annual event will feature family-friendly live music and rare cartoons from the 1930s and 1940s. The Irish folk duo New York Trad will play music near an open dance floor before an outdoor cinema will be created. Suggested donation: $10/$5 park members. Rain date: Sept. 23. Sunnyside Gardens Park, 39th Avenue and 49th Street, Sunnyside, 1-718-672-1555, www.sunnysidegardenspark.org.
– Saturday, Sept. 22, 7:30 pm, Fourth Annual Lhevinne Classical Concert Series. Pianist Steven Graff, who made his debut with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and has performed at Carnegie Hall and Alice Tully Hall, will tickle the ivories. Admission charged. Free parking. The Center at Maple Grove Celebration Hall, 127-15 Kew Gardens Rd., Kew Gardens, 1-718-523-1876, www.friendsofmaplegrove.org.
– Saturday, Sept. 22, 11:30 a.m., Preview of Hotel Transylvania. A special screening of Hotel Transylvania before it hits the movie theaters on Friday, Sept. 28. In this major animated motion picture, Dracula (whose voice is provided by Adam Sandler) invites some of the world’s most famous monsters-Frankenstein and his bride; the Mummy; the Invisible Man; and others-to celebrate his daughter’s 118th birthday. Free with museum admission. Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave., Astoria, 1-718-777-6888, www.movingimage.us.
– Saturday, Sept. 22, 2 to 6 p.m., Southern Queens GospelFest. Presented by the NYC Parks Department and Queens College, this year’s Southern Queens GospelFest will include Brother Al Smith of New Jerusalem Baptist Church, Ladies of Prayze and Sheena Lee. Free. Baisley Pond Park, Rockaway Boulevard at Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica.
– Saturday, Sept. 22, 7 p.m., Third Annual Making Movies Dance Festival. A captivating, exhilarating, entertaining and vibrant evening will feature the Creative Outlet Dance Theatre, Synthesis, Dance Project, MAWU Dance and Latihente Dance. Admission charged. Jamaica Performing Arts Center, 153-10 Jamaica Ave., Jamaica, 1-718-618-6170, www.jamaica-performingartscenter.org.
– Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 22 & 23, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 2012 Fall Mamas Expo. Get insider access to local schools, services, specialists and products currently available to Queens families. Plus, there will be a marionette performance, business promotions, a screening of the Charlie Chaplin movie The Kid and allday access to the Museum of the Moving Image. Admission charged. MMI, 36-01 35th Ave., Astoria, www.themamasnetwork.com.
– Sunday, Sept. 23, 2 to 8 p.m., A Time to Remember: An Evening of Positive Entertainment. A family event featuring interfaith and multicultural entertainment and messages in the form of music, dance, steel pan playing, arts, crafts, fashion, facepainting and games. Bring chairs and blanket. Free. Smokey Oval (Phil Rizzuto) Park, Atlantic Avenue at 125th Street, Richmond Hill, 1-917- 440-7714.
– Sunday, Sept. 23, noon, Queens Hispanic Pride Parade, on 37th Avenue, 69th Street through 86th Street, Jackson Heights.
– Wednesday, Sept. 26, 6 pm, How to Apply for a Queens Council on the Arts Grant. In 2012, QCA awarded $222,597 to 21 individuals and organizations for the creation of arts and cultural programming. Those seeking funding in 2013 can attend a workshop to learn about this year’s application. The Entrepreneur Space, 36-46 37th St., Long Island City, 1- 347-505-3010, www.queenscouncilarts.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.
