Queens Borough President Donovan Richards will host a free, three-show concert series beginning Saturday, Aug. 28.
On Aug. 28, “Queens Live!” will begin from 3 to 7 p.m. on the Rockaway Boardwalk at Beach 94th Street. It will feature DJ Jah Wise, DJ Vaughn Allstar, Mighty Redeemer, Johnny Osbourne and more.
“After an unprecedented 17-month period of loss, uncertainty and seclusion, we are thrilled to be able to bring families from across Queens together this summer for three incredible evenings of great music, memorable experiences and a sense of community we have all sorely missed,” Richards said. “Come dance with your toes in the sand, frolic with your family or pay tribute to a music legend at Queens Live! and celebrate all that makes our borough such a dynamic place to call home.”
This year’s Reggae on the Boardwalk series was founded in Coney Island by Carter Van Pelt in 2010 to celebrate the Jamaican genre, highlighting local performing artists.
The Reggae on the Boardwalk is usually held in Brooklyn and the Bronx. However, Aug. 28 will be the first time the event is hosted in Queens.
The second show on Sunday, Sept. 12 at 6 p.m. will be in Jackson Heights’ Travers Park. Richards will host the family-friendly performances by 123 Andres, a Latin Grammy award-winning husband-and-wife duo. The duo will sing in both English and Spanish.
The September show will be hosted in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month.
The concert series concludes on Sunday, Sept. 19, from 6 to 8 p.m. in Springfield Gardens’ Baisley Pond Park with a tribute to Biz Markie. The show will pay homage to the “Just a Friend” artist, who passed away last month at 57.
All concerts are free and do not require any registration in advance.
The concert series is produced in partnership with NYC Parks and the Kupferberg Center for the Arts at Queens College.
“The Queens Live! summer concert series is an exciting opportunity to safely connect with the community after the tough time we’ve all had throughout this pandemic,” NYC Parks Acting Commissioner Margaret Nelson said. “The idea of everyone enjoying music and celebrating culture in unison feels like a huge step towards our recovery, and we are excited to help deliver this experience to the community.”
