Immerse yourself in the world of cat videos, take the kids to learn how to make tacos, enter a Ping-Pong tournament, and do more at these events around Queens
Ongoing
Don’t know what to do with your Christmas tree now that the holiday season is over? The NYC Department of Sanitation will be collecting Christmas trees as part of its annual Christmas tree curbside collection program until Jan. 15. Residents should remove stands, tinsel, lights, ornaments and any other hangings before they are put to the curb for collection. Clean, non-bagged trees will be collected and recycled into compost for the city’s parks and gardens. For more information on the collection and recycling program, visit https://www.nyc.gov/dsny or call 311.
Come see the promising artwork of our future! Queens Council on the Arts will be hosting artwork from High School to Art School program alumni at the HS2AS Alumni Exhibition: Chapter 2. HS2AS alumni are among the most talented and prestigious art students in the country. The exhibition opened Jan. 7 and runs until June at the Edison Price Lighting Gallery located at 41-50 22nd St., Long Island City. Visit https://www.queenscouncilarts.org/high-school-to-art-school/ for more information on the program and exhibition.
Got scraps? The NYC Compost Project and Queens Botanical Garden will be hosting Weekly Food Scrap Drop Off locations throughout Queens until Jan. 27. Locations include Briarwood E/F in front of the Queens Library at Briarwood (Tuesdays 7:30 to 9:30 a.m.), Queens Library at Flushing (Wednesdays 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.), and Fresh Pond Road in Ridgewood (Wednesdays from 7:30 to 10 a.m.). Visit https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/dsny/zerowaste/residents/nyc-compost-project.shtml for drop-off locations throughout the city, guidelines on what to compost, and more information on the composting program. For Queens-specific location information, visit https://bit.ly/1OLu25g.
Can’t stop watching cat videos online? The Museum of the Moving Image presents “How Cats Took Over the Internet,” an exhibition tracking the growing online presence and obsession with cats that has transfixed a generation of web surfers. While you’re there, check out the interactive core exhibit, “Behind the Screen,” an exhibit that reveals the varied components of making a film. Kids can choose film score music, make their own flipbook videos, and much more. Admission is $12 for adults (18+), $9 for seniors (65+) and students (w/ valid ID), and $6 for children (3-12). Free for museum members and children under 3. The museum is closed Monday and Tuesday. For more hours and information, visit https://www.movingimage.us. The museum is located at 36-01 35th Ave., Astoria.
Saturday, Jan. 16
FINAL WEEKEND! The Secret Theatre presents the WORLD PREMIERE run of “City Girls and Desperadoes,” a strictly limited 10-dates-only series of performances from January 7th through January 17th, 2016. Directed by Richard Mazda (Richard III, Hair), the Secret Theatre‘s Artistic Director, this play is set in the New York City of 1977 and follows events in the lives of people “willingly lost in the world of drugs and dealing.” The Secret Theater, is located at 44-02 23rd St., Long Island City. Admission is $18. For information on other show times, visit https://citygirls.bpt.me/ or call 718-392-0722.
Alley Pond Environmental Center will be holding a workshop for young chefs from the ages of 8 to 12 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 16 Children will make mini tacos in crispy phyllo cups, filled with taco-seasoned ground beef and zesty shredded cheese. A vegetarian option will be available. Workshop is $24 per child, with all materials included. Pre-registration is required to participate. Sign up soon, as the workshop is limited to eight participants. APEC is located at 228-06 Northern Blvd. in Douglaston. Visit www.alleypond.com to pre-register.
The Irish Family History Forum welcomes you to the members’ Show and Tell with short presentations on genealogy research experiences, family heirlooms, stories, photos, letters and other memorabilia. The lectures are free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. The lecture starts at 10 a.m. at Bethpage Public Library, located at 47 Powell Ave. If you would like to present, please email Susan at programs@IFHF.org.
The Queens Library at Flushing will be holding a side-by-side performance of Stephen Sondheim and Oscar Hammerstein II’s songs from many of their greatest shows, from “South Pacific” to “West Side Story.” The concert starts at 1:30 p.m. The library is located at 41-17 Main St., Flushing.
Brings your little builders to the New York Hall of Science woodworking workshop called Make It: One Block Challenge from 1:30 to 3 p.m. or 3:30 to 5 p.m. Build anything you can imagine out of a 3-inch block of wood. Perfect for beginners and advanced woodworkers alike, this workshop will test the limits of your creativity while developing woodworking skills for beginners. $3 per adult/child pair, plus NYSCI admission ($1 per pair for members). NYSCI is located at 47-01 11th St., Flushing (in Flushing Meadows Corona Park). Parking is available in the private lot for $10.
Flushing Town Hall presents the Thunderbird American Indian Dancers, the oldest resident Native American dance company in New York, in workshop and performance. The dancers use traditional movements, clothing and instruments of the Iroquois, Northeast Woodlands and Southwest tribes, and the Great Plains people. The family-friendly workshop will be held at 1 p.m. and the performance at 2:15 p.m. Entrance to the workshop is $7 for adults and $4 for children, or free with tickets to the performance. Tickets to the performance are $13 for adults, $8 for children ($10 and $6 for members). For tickets, visit https://www.flushingtownhall.org. Flushing Town Hall is located at 137-35 Northern Boulevard, Queens.
Woodside resident, guitarist and singer Hiroya Tsukamoto will be performing a concert of guitar pieces, songs and poetry. Songs are both traditional Japanese folk music accompanied by stories, as well as original compositions. The concert starts at 2:30 p.m. at 54-22 Skillman Ave., Woodside.
The Afro-Colombia musical ensemble Grupo Rebolu will be performing at the Queens Library at Sunnyside at 3 p.m. Come down to experience the rich ancestral musical traditions of Africa and the Caribbean. The group will perform both traditional songs and original compositions. The library is located at 43-06 Greenpoint Ave., Sunnyside.
The Queens Library at Cambria Heights is holding a Jazz in the Civil Rights Era concert at 3 p.m. The Ken Simon Ensemble will perform music of singers such as Billy Taylor, John Coltrane and Eddie Harris about social injustice and the struggle for civil and economic freedom. The event is free and open to all. The library is located at 218-13 Linden Blvd., Cambria Heights.
Alley Pond Environmental Center will teach children how to care for animals at the Animal Care Trainee workshop from 10 a.m. to noon. Children will learn about the different responsibilities of owning a pet, including feeding, brushing, cleaning and learning about the needs of APEC animals. Recommended age of 8 to 12 to participate. The program is $23 per child, which includes a snack, an animal care trainee certificate and a booklet. Pre-registration is required to participate. Sign up soon, as the workshop is limited to eight participants. APEC is located at 228-06 Northern Blvd. in Douglaston. Visit www.alleypond.com to pre-register.
Sunday, Jan. 17
Want to test your trivia knowledge with the whole family? Big Quiz Thing is teaming up with Mommy Nearest to bring you an all-ages trivia event. Come to The Big Family Quiz Thing at Q.E.D. Astoria at 1 p.m. for six rounds of multimedia trivia fun for kids and parents alike! There will be prizes for those who brush up on their history, sports and pop culture trivia. Kid-friendly snacks and drinks will be available. Tickets are $7 for kids and $10 for adults ($12 and $15 day of). For tickets go to https://qedastoria.com/products/the-big-quiz-thing-3. Q.E.D. Astoria is located at 27-16 23rd Ave., Astoria.
As part of the first U.S. survey of the art of China-born, Queens-based artist Zhang Hongtu, the Queens Museum invites non-professional table tennis players to participate in a one-day tournament played on one of Hongtu’s most famous artworks, “Ping-Pong Mao.” The tournament will be hosted by Master of Ceremonies Tahl Leibovitz, multi-time Paralympics Games Champion. A grand prize of a $100 gift card and custom award certificate will be awarded to the tournament winner. To register for the tournament please email preddy@queensmuseum.org or call 718-592-9700 ext. 222. Visit https://www.queensmuseum.org/events/ping-pong-mao-tournament for registration information. The exhibit will be on view until Feb. 28.
Playing with your food can sometimes be fun! Bring your little chefs down to New York Hall of Science to explore new ingredients and mix up a batch of edible play dough. Recommended for children ages 18 months and older. Dress in old clothing that can get dirty, as this might get messy. Admission is $8 per family, plus NYSCI admission ($5 per family for members). 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at 47-01 11th St., Flushing (located in Flushing Meadows Corona Park). Parking is available in the private lot for $10.
Build, explore, play and create together! NYSCI will also be hosting two family Tinker It Sunday workshops from 1:30 to 3 p.m. and 3:30 to 5 p.m. Admission to the event is free, but general admission fees apply. Tickets will be available on site: 47-01 11th St., Flushing (located in Flushing Meadows Corona Park).
Flushing Town Hall joins forces with 5BMF to present a tour performance of New York Festival of Song’s “Harry, Hoagy, and Harold” at 3 p.m. The concert will feature the greatest hits of mid-century American songwriters Harry Warren, Hoagy Carmichael and Harold Arlen. Singers from the NYFOS@Julliard residency will be led by pianist Steven Blier. Tickets are $25 for adults, $15 for students, seniors and Queens Council members. For tickets, visit https://www.5bmf.org/buy-tickets/.
Wednesday, Jan. 20
For a pick-me-up on hump day, come on over to Penthouse 808 for an All Night Happy Hour! Enjoy a specialty cocktail or tasty bar bite from Executive Chef Seth Levine with a perfect view of the Manhattan skyline and the Queensborough Bridge from our rooftop seating area. The happy hour menu will last all night long, from 5 to 10 p.m. on Wednesdays until March 30. In these chilly months, the rooftop lounge is fully enclosed. Penthouse 808 is located in the Ravel Hotel at 8-08 Queens Plaza South, Long Island City. Email reservations@PH808.com for reservations.
Patina Miller, winner of the 2013 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for “Pippin,” will be at the Queens Library at Flushing at 6:30 p.m. to sing classic R&B and the best of Broadway. The library is located at 41-17 Main St., Flushing.
Grab an afternoon movie with the kids at Queens Library at Maspeth. This week’s movie matinee is “Hotel Transylvania 2” (2015, rated PG). 3 p.m. The library is located at 69-70 Grand Ave., Maspeth.
Need a new job? Come on down to the South Jamaica Career Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Praise Tabernacle Church, hosted by state Senator James Sanders Jr. There will be employment and training opportunities. Arrive on time with your resume and dressed for success. The church is located at 108-11 Sutphin Blvd., Jamaica. For more information or to RSVP, contact Chiedu Uzoigwe by phone at 718-523-3069, or by email at uzoigwe@nysenate.gov.
The Rego Park Jewish Center is proud to be part of this great legacy since its founding in 1939. A traditional Conservative Synagogue, the Center understands as its primary purpose, the preservation and fostering of the time-honored traditions and ceremonies of our people in a spirit of authenticity, intelligence and warmth.
