News From The Queens Tourism Council
Lawn concert. Youth concert. LGBTQ concert. Ray Charles tribute concert. More than 1,000 concerts on the same day. There’s plenty of live music on the horizon in Queens, including a site-specific “sound performance” featuring traditional instrumentation, amplification of objects, juxtaposition of voices, and experimental electronic sound.
But there are also opportunities to celebrate the Summer Solstice, learn history, and crawl to more than 20 bars in one day.
Here’s the rundown.
– Friday, June 20, Kenny Brawner is Ray Charles, 8 p.m., with solo lecture performance at 7 p.m. This hybrid concert/theater work brings the music and story of Ray Charles to vivid life. Master pianist/vocalist/actor Kenny Brawner leads his 12-piece orchestra and three sultry vocalists. $20. Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd., www.flushingtownhall.org.
– Saturday, June 21, Queens Council on the Arts Block Party, 4 to 10 p.m. The newly designated Kaufman Arts District hosts a party with internationally known Queensbased artists, musicians from Make Music New York, a BBQ throwdown with local restaurants and an evening screening under the stars. This event kicks off an eclectic calendar of upcoming arts events. $35. Kaufman Astoria Studios Backlot, entrance on 35th Avenue and 36th Street, Astoria, www.queenscouncilarts.org.
– Saturday, June 21, LGBTQ Immigrant Voices Concert, 7 p.m. Celebrating Pride Month and immigrant communities in Queens, Flushing Town Hall and Terraza 7 Café host an LGBTQ-themed concert featuring local performers. Participants were selected via an open call to musicians, dancers, and performance artists. $15. FTH, 137- 35 Northern Blvd., www.flushingtownhall.org.
– Saturday, June 21, Summer Solstice Celebration, 5 p.m to dusk. Welcome the summer with special sound performances by various artists, a Solstice ritual, a picnic, and a wonderful Manhattan skyline. Free. Socrates Sculpture Park, 32-01 Vernon Blvd., LIC, www.socratessculpturepark.org.
– Saturday, June 21, Make Music New York, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Now in its eighth year, this unique festival features more than 1,000 free concerts in public spaces throughout New York City. Astoria, Corona, Elmhurst, Glendale, Jackson Heights, Jamaica, LIC, Ridgewood, and Sunnyside host events, www.makemusicny.org.
– Saturday, June 21, Summer Solstice Festival, noon to 4 p.m. Celebrate the Summer solstice, make ice cream the old-fashioned way, create sun-inspired art and crafts, and play historic games. Free. King Manor Museum, 150-03 Jamaica Ave., Jamaica, www.kingmanor.org.
– Saturday, June 21, Lecture on 1913-1914, 1:30 p.m. Al Ronzoni examines 16 months spanning 1913- 1914. The 1913 Armory Show was the first large exhibition of modern art in the U.S. The Rite of Spring, a ballet and orchestral concert by Russian composer Igor Stravinsky, was first performed, causing a nearriot. The following summer, the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary and his wife were assassinated by a Serbian nationalist, leading eventually to World War I. $5. Greater Astoria Historical Society, Quinn Building, 35-20 Broadway, Fourth Floor, LIC, www.astorialic.org.
– Saturday, June 21, Astoria Tourde
Bar, noon to 8 p.m. The event kicks off at KATCH Astoria, 31-19 Newtown Ave., where attendees pick up event gear, including a wrist band, food and drink tickets, a backpack, visor and t-shirt. Throughout the day, attendees head to more than 20 bars and participate in activities, such as the Irish flag picture scavenger hunt. $30, a portion of the proceeds benefits the Childhood Cancer Society. www.astoriatourdebar .eventbrite.com.
– Saturday and Sunday, June 21- 22, West Indian American Business and Cultural Expo, 10 a.m. Free. Resorts World Casino New York City, 110-00 Rockaway Blvd., Jamaica, www.rwnewyork.com.
– Sunday, June 22, Festival de las Flores/Summer Solstice Celebration, noon to 5 p.m. Experience this beautiful Colombian tradition of creating large floral medallions or silletos. Free with admission. Queens Botanical Garden, 43-50 Main St., Flushing, www.queensbotanical.org.
– Sunday, June 22, History and Highlights of a World’s Fair, 2:30 p.m. World’s Fair historian Pierre Montiel gives a lecture and the Queens Historical Society (QHS) opens an exhibit on the subject. $5. QHS, Weeping Beech Park, 143- 35 37th Ave., Flushing, www.queenshistoricalsociety.org.
– Sunday, June 22, Corona Youth Music Project Summer Concert, 3 p.m. In celebration of the Summer Solstice and the end of the school year, the Corona Youth Orchestra and Corona Children’s Chorus perform. Queens Museum, New York City Building, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, www.queensmuseum.org.
– Sunday, June 22, Bayside Historical Society’s Annual Lawn Concert, 6 p.m. The group Something In Between plays hits from the 1960s through today. Attendees are welcome to bring lawn chairs, blankets, and picnics. Free. Crocheron Park, Cross Island Parkway, between 33rd and 35th avenues, Bayside, www.baysidehistorical.org.
– Tuesday, June 24, Life Itself, 7 p.m. This documentary by Steve James recounts Roger Ebert’s life. Based on his bestselling memoir of the same name, Life Itself explores the legacy of Ebert’s life, from his Pulitzer Prize-winning film criticism at the Chicago Sun-Times to becoming one of the most influential cultural voices in the U.S., to his public battle with the cancer. $20. Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave., Astoria, www.movingimage.us.
– Wednesday, June 25, Flushing’s Chinatown, 6 p.m. A guided walking tour with official Queens historian Jack Eichenbaum through an immigrant destination and commercial center that rivals its Manhattan antecedent. Meet near restrooms on second floor of New World Mall. (Enter on Roosevelt Avenue between Duane Reade and Macy’s.) $15, jaconet@aol.com or (718) 961-8406.
– Thursday through Sunday, June 26-29, Astoria Park Festival. Rides, games, food, entertainment. (Thursday, 4 p.m to 10 p.m; Friday, 4 p.m to 11 p.m; Saturday, noon to 11 p.m; Sunday, noon to 10 p.m). Free. Astoria Park Parking Lot, www.centralastoria.org.
The “It’s In Queens” column is produced by the Queens Tourism Council with the hope that readers will enjoy the borough’s many attractions. More info available online at www.itsinqueens.com.
