News From The Queens Tourism Council
Halloween has arrived, and the borough is bursting at the seams with creatively scary places and activities.
For example, a jazz group will play especially eerie music at a Sunnyside church while a 1923 silent horror film will roll on a screen in the altar. But Queens will also inspire, such as when a performing art troupe of 21 deaf and mute dancers from China will give shows in South Jamaica.
Other outstanding options include a tribute to the actor behind the Sesame Street character Count von Count, a flag festival, Christian theater and Bengali fairy tales.
Here’s the rundown:
– Tonight (Thursday), Oct. 25, Opening Reception for Arthur Hammer Memorial Exhibit People, Places, Things, 5 to 8 p.m., exhibit will be on display until Dec. 1. Marvel at a large collection of paintings of people, places and things left behind by Arthur Hammer. In about 1990, he opened the Arthur Hammer Fine Arts Gallery on West 25th Street in Manhattan. His gallery focused on the Modernist painters of the 1920s and 1930s and 1940s, which ultimately had a profound effect on the direction of his own work. His paintings are visual images of the emotional engagement he had with everyone he knew. Diego Salazar Art Gallery, 21-25 44th Ave., Long Island City, 1-718-937-9077.
– Thursday, Oct. 25, French Wine and Vodka Cocktail Tasting, 6 to 9 p.m. Wine, cocktails, food and a silent auction accompanied by live music and dance. Admission is $25 advance online/$30 at the door. Participants include Court Square Wine & Spirits, the borough’s largest liquor store; Dance Entropy, a dance company in its 15th season; Green Space Studios, a rental space for everything from performances to photo shoots; and Valerie Green, Dance Entropy’s artistic director. Court Square Wines & Spirits, 24-20 Jackson Ave., Long Island City, 1-718-956-3037.
– Friday, Oct. 26, Silent Scream, 8 p.m, doors open at 7:30 p.m. Silent Scream is a chilling evening of film and music. Sunnyside musician/composer/ director Evan Mazunik will premiere an original score to the 1923 silent film Nosferatu. For this show, Mazunik will direct the band ZAHA using Soundpainting, a sign language for live composition, as the group composes their program in realtime. As the Soundpainter, Mazunik signs a phrase using hand gestures, listens and watches the players, and, in turn, develops their responses by signing a new phrase, continuously creating the score in the moment. Free with a suggested donation of $15. Costumes are welcome. Sunnyside Reformed Church, 48-03 Skillman Ave., Sunnyside 1-718-426-5997.
– Friday, Oct. 26, China Disabled People’s Performing Art Troupe, 7 p.m & 10 p.m. Consisting of 21 deaf and mute dancers, the China Disabled People’s Performing Art Troupe has graced stages in 40 countries, including Teatro alla Scala in Venice and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC. They exude a philosophy based on self-respect, self-confidence, self-improvement and self-reliance, as well as mutual respect, mutual care and mutual aid. Resorts World Casino New York, 110-00 Rockaway Blvd., South Ozone Park, 1-888-881-8801.
– Friday, Oct. 26, The Hedge, 8 p.m. Other performances on Saturday, Oct. 27, 3 p.m and 7 p.m, and Sunday, Oct. 28 at 6 p.m. Arts in Christian Theatre and the York College Performing Arts Center present a dramatic, contemporary adaptation of the tumultuous life of Job. Demons and angels battle for the life of a man who would not curse God. Hosted by Bethel Gospel Tabernacle. Not recommended for children under six years old. $25/$20 in advance. YPAC, 94-45 Guy R. Brewer Boulevard, Jamaica. 1-718-262-8240.
– Saturday, Oct. 27, A Tribute to Muppet Performer Jerry Nelson, 2 p.m. Jim Henson’s key collaborator Jerry Nelson was also one of the original Muppet performers, giving life to Count von Count. He died this summer, but his career will be celebrated with a program featuring remembrances and video clips. Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave., Astoria, 1-718-777-6888.
– Saturday, Oct. 27, Halloween Costume Party, Adult Version, 8 p.m; Remixed for Families Version on Sunday, Oct. 28, noon. It’s another international throw-down… Halloween, Día de los Muertos and All Saints Day at Flushing Town Hall’s Third Annual International Costume Party. Creative costumes are a must. Special prizes for the best! $35/Half prices for members and Flushing residents with I.D. Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd., 1-718-463-7700.
– Sunday, Oct. 28, Children’s Fall Festival, 11 a.m to 4 p.m. Halloween fun; everyone is invited to wear a costume. Free children’s games, haunted house, pony rides and a petting zoo. Queens County Farm Museum, 73-50 Little Neck Pkwy., Glen Oaks, 1-718-347-3276.
– Sunday, Oct. 28, A Musical Tribute to Fred Hammond, 3 p.m. Are you a Fred Hammond fan or do you simply love Gospel music? Then don’t miss the York College Gospel Choir’s tribute to this musical talent. Free. York College Academic Core Building, 94-20 Guy R. Brewer Blvd., Jamaica, 718-262-2412.
– Sunday, Oct. 28, Buddhu Bhutum, a Bengali Fairy Tale, 3 p.m. Experience storytelling through music and dance in this colorful costumed presentation that follows the adventures of Buddhu and Bhutum, the owl and monkey princes, who try to rescue the beautiful princess Shukh Pakhi, trapped in an underwater palace. Free. Queens Library Central Branch 89-11 Merrick Blvd., Jamaica.
– Monday, Oct. 29, Lecture by Executive Director of Major Jewish Cultural Organization, 1:30 p.m. Jonathan Brent, executive director of the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, will discuss his agency’s role in finding and expressing the lost world of East European Jews. YIVO was founded in Poland in 1925 by a group of Jewish intellectuals, including Albert Einstein and Sigmund Freud. Suggested donation: $6. Central Queens Y, 67-09 108th St., Forest Hills, 1-718-268-5011.
– Wednesday, Oct. 31, Halloween Parade, 5 p.m. On 37th Avenue from 76th Street through 89th Street, Jackson Heights.
– Thursday, Nov. 1, Festival of Flags. Sunnyside will hold a 10-day flag festival. Each participating business along Skillman Avenue, from 46th Street to 52nd Street, will hang the flag of a different nation, with restaurants and bars offering food specialties, drinks, music and culture from their chosen country. Other businesses will hang flags and offer discounts for the duration of the festival. 1-718-424-2005.
– Thursday, Nov. 1, Billy Witch, a New Dark Comedy, 2 p.m and 8 p.m showings on Thursdays and Sundays until Nov. 17. The Astoria Performing Arts Center performs this quirky, creepy, bawdy comedy. Oliver braves the wilderness to discover change at sleep-away camp. Miles from home, surrounded by pubescent boys and girls, the 14-year-old protagonist is not prepared for the life-altering transformation. From twisted first sexual encounters, to spooky campfire stories unfolding before his eyes, Oliver’s time at camp is anything but normal. Prices: $12-$18. Children under 14 are not permitted. Good Shepherd United Methodist Church, 30-44 Crescent St., Astoria, 1-718-706-5750.
The “It’s In Queens” column is produced by the Queens Tourism Council with the hope that readers will enjoy the borough’s attractions.
