#WeeklyColumn | July 6 – July 12 | It’s In Queens!
BY QEDC It's In Queens
Music anyone? Actually, music everyone! Music everywhere, too. The borough hosts concerts featuring funk, jazz, hip hop, R&B, blues, polka, Filipino pop, and full moon African drumming. Other options include dance, canoeing, plenty of food, and a brand new local craft market.
July 6, Funkin for Jamaica with Tom Browne, 7 pm. This Queens-born trumpeter with an infectious stage presence glides through decades of music with a funky soul. Free. Springfield Park, 184th Street and 146th Terrace, Springfield Gardens.
July 6, Firey String Sistas, 6:30 pm. This all-female ensemble brings violin, cello, bass, piano, and drums. The group incorporates world music, women’s culture, improvisation, and jazz history. Free. Socrates Sculpture Park, 32-01 Vernon Blvd., LIC.
July 7, Slick Rick the Ruler, 7 pm. This storyteller with a signature eye patch is the most-sampled rapper of all time as his words and beats appear in more than 600 tracks by other artists. Grand Wizard Theodore, a Bronx-born deejay who claims to have invented scratching, provides the beat. Workshop at 6 pm. Free. Springfield Park, 184th Street and 146th Terrace, Springfield Gardens.
July 7, A Mexican Affair, 9:30 pm. An evening of food, music, candid stories, and spicy romance, created and performed by Rafa Reyes with arrangements by musical director Felipe Fournier. $25. The Paper Factory Hotel, 37-06 36th St., LIC.
July 8, Louis Armstrong’s Wonderful World 2017, 1 pm to 8 pm. Renowned bandleader Jon Batiste curated the line-up for this fourth annual bash. The eclectic mix features Vince Giordano and The Nighthawks with members of The Dap-Kings and Batiste’s band, Stay Human. The day-long event pays tribute to Satchmo’s legacy, concluding with a “love riot street parade,” a Batiste specialty. Free. Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
July 8, Sharon Cuneta, 8 pm. This Filipino mega star is an actress, TV host, and singer who has recorded 40 albums. She brings her talent to Queens for one night. $79 to $149. Colden Auditorium, 153-49 Reeves Ave., Flushing.
July 8, The Jimmy Heath Big Band, 5 pm. This iconic jazz saxophonist, composer, and Queens resident brings the big band sound home. Free. Springfield Park, 184th Street and 146th Terrace, Springfield Gardens.
July 8, Patriotic Picnic, 1 pm. Food, beverages, and performances by Honey and the Hound and Italian Art Music. Please wear red, white, and blue. $20 at door (this is a fundraiser for the host). Queens Historical Society, 143-35 37th Ave., Flushing.
July 8+9, Insitu Site-Specific Dance Festival, noon to 7 pm (both days). Twenty-four NYC-based dance companies twirl around benches, swing through playgrounds, bounce on sidewalks, and breakdance in tight spaces. Free. Hunters Point South Park, Gantry Plaza State Park, Queensbridge Park, and Socrates Sculpture Park, LIC.
July 9, QueensWay Ride, 11 am. This fourth annual tour goes along the streets adjoining the QueensWay site with a series of stops and hikes. The ride begins at Shalimar Diner, 63-68 Austin St., Rego Park, and ends in South Ozone Park.
July 9, Queens Craft Brigade, noon to 5 pm. Local makers debut this market. Expect fashion, jewelry, crafts, food, art, and more. 31-35 41st St., Astoria.
July 9, Ohio Players, 5 pm. R&B legends blend funk, soul, blues, and disco. Free. Springfield Park, 184th Street and 146th Terrace, Springfield Gardens.
July 9, Full Moon African Drumming Workshop, 7 pm. Celebrate the Full Moon with a drum circle. Begin with a workshop led by Vado Diomande, then jam with the entire group under the full moon. Drums provided. $25. Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd.
July 9, Taking it to the Streets Photography Tour & Lesson, 2 pm. Photographer Dan Rubin leads a tour through the Frank Larson exhibit, comparing his work in the 1950s to modern street camera work. He then takes participants on a neighborhood walk to spot the best images, followed by a discussion. $13. Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd.
July 9, World’s Fair History Tours, 11 am. An experience guide leads the way. Free. Meet at the Unisphere, Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
July 9, Canoe Rides, 11 am. Paddle with Urban Park Rangers. Free. Willow Lake, Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
July 9, Alive and Kicking, 6 pm. This cover band plays hits from the 1960s to today. The event kicks off the summer long Katz Concert Series. Free. Beach 94th Street and Shore Front Parkway, Rockaway.
July 11, Polka in the Park, 7 pm. Check out the Polka Brothers. Free. Juniper Valley Park, 80th Street and Juniper Boulevard North, Middle Village.
July 11, Zootopia, 8 pm. Screened as part of the Movies on the Lawn series, this film takes place in a city of anthropomorphic animals. A rookie bunny cop and a cynical con artist must work together. Free. 111th Street Lawn, Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
July 12, Crossing Newtown Creek: LIC to Greenpoint, 6 pm. Official Queens historian Jack Eichenbaum leads a tour through art activity in converted industrial buildings. See remnants of the largely unregulated industrial development that thrived along Newtown Creek during the late 19th century. View the NYC DEP Wastewater Improvement Plant and visit its adjacent Nature Trail in Greenpoint. Meet outside the east exit of the E and M station at 23rd Street and 44th Drive, LIC.
July 12, Growing Art Workshop, 1 pm. Horticulturalist Urte Schaedle shares creative planting techniques as part of the first weekly workshop in a summer series. $5. Voelker Orth Museum, 149-19 38th Ave., Flushing.
July 12, Ladies of Hip Hop with Special Guest Amirah Sackett, 7 pm. A workshop. A dance performance. A choreographer. An unforgettable night. Free. Queensborough Park, vicinity of 41st Road, Vernon Boulevard, and the East River, LIC.
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Top image: Nir Arieli; Bottom image: SummerStage NYC