News From The Queens Tourism Council
New York State Museum Week kicks off on Monday, June 10, and cultural venues around the Empire State will offer promotional deals.
Queens participants include King Manor, Louis Armstrong House, Museum of the Moving Image, Queens Botanical Garden and Noguchi. Sounds good, but that’s not all. Local residents and visitors will also be able to enjoy a Hip Hop tribute, an African-American heritage tour, theater, dance, music, puppets, gay comedy and plenty of art.
Here’s the rundown.
– Tonight (Thursday), June 6, Gay Comedian Adam Sank, 8 p.m. Widely recognized for his appearances on NBC’s Last Comic Standing, Sank headlines a Pride Month celebration. Expect his trademark self-deprecation, including dating stories, the truth about Elmo and the latest on his “Mother From Hell.” $15. Laughing Devil Comedy Club, 47-38 Vernon Blvd., LIC, www.laughingdevil.com.
– Saturday, June 8, Hip Hop Fest, 2 to 8 p.m. This celebration of 40 years of Hip Hop features a wide array of artists representing all forms of this New York City-born genre. There may even be some beat boxing. Free. 5Pointz, 45-46 Davis St., LIC, www.5ptz.com.
– Saturday, June 8, Summer of the Stars: Sports. A series of sports-related activities and demos to celebrate Citi Field as it hosts MLB’s All-Star Game this summer. $8-$11 (museum admission). New York Hall of Science, 47-01 111th St., Flushing Meadows Corona Park, www.nysci.org.
– Saturday, June 8, Hands-On History: Work & Play, noon. Children 200 years ago had a lot of work to do. Try some chores children might have been required to do (i.e. butter churning) and take a break to play the games children enjoyed in the past. Hands-on History is a drop-in program. Free. King Manor Museum, Rufus King Park, 153rd Street at Jamaica Avenue, www.kingmanor.org.
– Saturday, June 8, The First Queens/Long Island African American Heritage Tour, 8 a.m. The Greater Allen AME Cathedral of New York Helping Hands Ministry presents a tour including continental breakfast, history as per Bishop Richard Allen, Henry Lloyd Manor Home, Louis Armstrong House Museum, Lewis Latimer House, history of old Jamaica in the 1800s, Addisleigh Park and a buffet at Plate of Soul Restaurant. $90 per person. Greater Allen, 110-31 Merrick Blvd., Jamaica, www.allencathedral.org, Sister Anne Nelson, 917-697-9654.
– Saturday, June 8, Oh So Neo- Soulful, 3 p.m. Stacia Hobdy sings today’s neo-soul artists, including Erykah Badu, Alicia Keys and India.Arie, in this concert highlighting their poetic sounds. Free. Queens Central Library, 89-11 Merrick Blvd., Jamaica, www.queenslibrary.org.
– Saturday, June 8, Family Fun Day at Rego Park Center, 11 a.m. Meet Spider-Man and enjoy activities including bounce house, face painting, stilt walker and balloon twisting. Free. GalleriaWalkway betweenAldi and Vitamin Shoppe. Rego Park Center, 61-35 Junction Blvd., www.regoparkcenter.com, 1-718-275-2696.
– Saturday, June 8, Take Root with Glitter Kitty Productions and Trio- Dance Collective, 8:30 p.m. The world premiere of The Devil’s Ballet, where dance, music, and puppetry bring an Estonian tale of an innkeeper, his wife, their cat and servant in their bittersweet pursuit of happiness and fortune. $15. Green Space, 37-24 24th St., LIC, www.greenspacestudio.org, 1-718- 956-3037.
– Saturday, June 8, Esther House, 6 p.m. A play about forgiveness. $5. First Presbyterian Church of Jamaica, 89-60 164th St., Jamaica, www.firstchurchjamaica.org, 1-718- 528-3027.
– Sunday, June 9, Thalia al Aire Libre Free Outdoor Festival, 1 p.m. This 19th annual festival features Spanish operettas with soprano Ilya Martinez and baritone Rafael Lebron. Thomson Hill Park, Sunnyside, www.thaliatheatre.org, 1-718-729- 3880.
– Sunday, June 9, Music in the Garden, 3 p.m. In collaboration with contemporary music ambassadors Bang on a Can, Noguchi Museum launches a series of innovative concerts. $5-$10 (museum admission), NM, 9-01 33 Rd., LIC, www.noguchi.org.
– Sunday, June 9, Astoria Dance Festival, 3 p.m. Performances and dance lessons showcasing tap, contemporary, swing, musical theater and other styles with an outdoor market. Free. Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden, 29-19 24th Ave., Astoria, www.bohemianhall.com.
– Sunday, June 9, Queens vs. Brooklyn, 8 p.m. Three comedians from each borough perform in a BQ smackdown. The audience will vote on the best. $10. Laughing Devil Comedy Club, 47-38 Vernon Blvd., LIC, www.laughingdevil.com.
– Sunday, June 9, Growing and Aging Talk/Tea/Reading, 1 p.m. This is the last Sunday of a weekly series the Voelker Orth Museum has been running in partnership with the New York Council for the Humanities. Voelker Orth Museum provides the tea, the setting, reading materials and an engaging facilitator. Participants contribute to the discussion. The texts include poetry, essays and a novel exploring questions about entering middle age, growing older, caring for aged loved ones, and finding satisfaction in later stages of life. $5 suggested donation. Voelker Orth Museum, 149-19 38th Ave., Flushing, www.vomuseum.org, 1-718-359-6227.
– Sunday, June 9, Queen of Angels Art Fair VI, 1 to 5 p.m. Thirty-four artists on exhibit. Free raffle chances include membership to MoMA and Sennelier oil paint set. Glass of wine with purchase, free artist pin as long as they last, and $5 lunch from the hottest eateries in Sunnyside. Queens ofAngels Parish Hall, 44th Street and Skillman Avenue, SunnysideArtists@gmail.com, 1-718- 909-4806.
– Sunday, June 9, Children’s Activity Table sponsored by TD Bank, 2 to 5 p.m. While enjoying a day at Queens Botanical Garden, check out the children’s activity table. Free with admission: $4 for adults/$3 for seniors/$2 for students and children. QBG, 43-50 Main St., Flushing, www.queensbotanical.org, 1-718-886-3800.
– Tuesday, June 11, Invincible Summer, until July 9. This juried art show features the work of 35 Sunnyside/ Woodside artists on the walls of ClaretWine Bar. The show’s theme is from the Albert Camus quote: “In the middle of winter, I found within me an invincible summer.” CWB, 46-02 Skillman Ave., Sunnyside, www.claretwinebar.com, 1-718-937- 7411.
The “It’s In Queens” column is produced by the Queens Tourism Council with the hope that readers will enjoy the borough’s attractions.
