Some of the biggest names in music visited Queens this weekend to perform at The Meadows Music and Arts Festival.
Approximately 80,000 fans stormed the Citi Field parking lot to catch performances from Kanye West, Chance the Rapper, Grimes, Chromeo, Metric and Queens’ own World’s Fair. The rap group, consisting of seven members who are all from Queens, regularly include the borough in their lyrics.
Named after Flushing Meadows Corona Park, the festival paid homage to the borough by naming each of the four stages after a street or place in Queens: Queens Blvd., Linden Blvd., Shea and The Meadows.
Festival organizers Live Nation, who acquired Governors Ball, also honored the borough’s eclectic food offerings by allowing Queens foodie Joe DiStefano to curate the FEASTival of Queens – five Queens vendors that represent the food diversity of the borough.
For $25, attendees got to try bites from Arepa Lady, Dhaulagiri Kitchen, La Esquina Del Camaron Mexico, Pata Paplean and Tortas Neza.
Comedian and actor Chris Rock also made a surprise appearance when fans caught him watching Chance the Rapper’s set.
West closed out the show Sunday night but cut his set early when he was informed that his wife Kim Kardashian was robbed at gunpoint at a Paris hotel.
Live Nation, which bought the company that organizes Governors Ball, is one of several companies that are looking to make Flushing Meadows Corona Park the setting for a three-day summer festival. The city denied all permits including requests from AEGLive and Madison Square Garden because they lack an official city policy in terms of large-scale festivals in the park, according to Borough President Melinda Katz.
The Parks Department, along with the Mayor’s Office and Katz, will have to create a policy, as several elected officials have argued that it will provide a boost to the local economy.
Check out photos from The Meadows Music and Arts Festival below:
