Want to give mom an unforgettable experience on her special day?
The Chocolate Factory Theater presents its second annual Mother’s Day Open House/Block Party in Long Island City on Sunday, May 12, from noon to 4 pm.
Free, family-friendly, and full-on, the fun includes cookie decorating with Little Chef Little Kitchen, chalk art with QNS Collaborative, Nathan Thompson’s magic tricks, drag story-telling, and a healthy bit of wackiness.
It’ll unfold on 24th Street between 38th Avenue and 39th Avenue, where motor vehicle traffic will be blocked. (The closest subway stations are Queensboro Plaza on the 7 and N lines and 21st Street-Queensbridge on the F line.)
Here are some more highlights.
Steven Wendt, a former Blue Man Group star, will add his spice via solar cooking. (Expect hot, veggie, and tofu dogs.)
The creation of NIB (New In Box), a durational diorama built-in real-time with Laurie Berg and special guests.
Yuby Hernandez’s short documentary A Cake For Me, which traces the intertwined artistic paths of a director and her mother through the lens of cake.
DJ LIIIAM and the Special Request Dance Party. The deejay will gather requests and then get attendees to groove to them.
An effort to collect donations for Astoria Food Pantry. Favored items are cereal, oatmeal, cooking oil, boxed Mac & Cheese, pasta, tomato sauce, canned tomatoes, canned fish (especially with pop-top cans), snacks, baby wipes, diapers (especially sizes 4, 5, and 6), and menstrual pads.
“The Chocolate Factory Theater is a community space with artists at its center,” stated Co-Founder & Executive Director Sheila Lewandowski. “We are incredibly excited to get to know our neighbors and make new friends and supporters by opening our doors wide…We invite everyone to celebrate with us!”
Located in a renovated industrial building at 38-33 24th St., Chocolate Factory’s campus includes a 99-seat performance venue, a rehearsal space, an office, and an on-site nursery.
Editor’s note: There are two other Mother’s Day options on May 12. Both are in Flushing. At 1 pm, Voelker Orth Museum celebrates with art, crafts, and Betty’s Zip punch. Then at 3 pm, Jackson Heights-based woodwind ensemble Quintet of the Americas plays works by women composers at Queens Botanical Garden.
Image: Unsplash