40 St – Lowery St Station. (Google Maps)
Oct. 23, 2019. By Shane O’Brien
A pop-up market celebrating Latinx culture is coming to Sunnyside this weekend.
La Placita will take place from noon until 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26 and Sunday Oct. 27 at Lowery Plaza at 40th Street and Queens Boulevard under the elevated 7 subway train.
The market will feature more than a dozen vendors selling handmade artisanal and local goods and will also incorporate live music and arts & crafts activities.
Shoppers can buy anything from ceramics to candles and from leather goods to 3D printed jewelry.
Live music on Saturday will come from the Afro-Latineers – a Latin jazz group with African rhythms – and Israel Martinez, who will provide salsa music and mini salsa dance lessons. Sunday’s live performers have yet to be announced.
Artists Cristina Ferrigno and Maria Liebana will be providing arts and crafts lessons on both days of the market.
Jaime-Faye Bean, executive director of Sunnyside Shines who is organizing the market, said that the event is an opportunity to celebrate the culture of a number of Sunnyside residents.
“La Placita is a way to recognize and honor the heritage of a large number of our neighbors here in Sunnyside, with activities that people of all ages and backgrounds can enjoy, all while supporting local small businesses, artists, and entrepreneurs,” she said.
Children are invited to attend the event in costume and “trick or treat” around the vendor’s tables between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday. Every child who dresses up will receive a free cookie from the Sunnyside Shines table and parents can capture the moment at a DIY photo booth. There will also be a best costume competition.
Sunday, meanwhile, will feature a Halloween costume pageant for pets between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., with prizes for the best dressed furry friend on offer.
Market vendors will have dog treats and all animals in costume will be entered into a raffle to win prizes for their owners.
The market will also include a daily raffle of six prizes, including dinner for two at Arriba Arriba and a beauty basket from Ultimate Day Spa.
La Placita is being organized by Sunnyside Shines in collaboration with Queens Night Market.
