#WeeklyColumn | It’s In Queens! Dec. 6 to Dec. 12
BY QEDC It's In Queens
Guess what time of year it is? Queens hosts holiday markets, Yuletide concerts, the HollyTour, a visit from St. Nick, Breakfasts with Santa, wreath-making workshops, and the Dickens play “A Christmas Carol.” Local Scrooges can focus on Flamenco, Polish films, comedy, jazz, literature, and even fish sticks.
Dec. 6, Navidad Flamenca, Dec. 9. A festive program highlights customs of the Spanish-speaking world, especially those from Argentina, Mexico, and Spain. Italian violinist Patrisa Tomassini joins Tango dancers Mariana Fresno and Jose Luis Lavayen and the Calpulli Mexican Dance Company. Shows are Dec. 6 at 7:30 pm; Dec. 8 at 2 pm and 8 pm; and Dec. 9 at 3 pm. Queens Theatre, 14 United Nations Ave. S., Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
Dec. 6, AirTrain Jazz Festival, 5 pm. A monthly series continues with double bass master Kells Nollenberger. AirTrain Jamaica Station, 93-40 Sutphin Blvd.
Dec. 7, Pawel Pawlikowski Retrospective, Dec. 16. Watch films by Oscar-winning Polish director Pawlikowski, such as “My Summer of Love,” “Dostoevsky’s Travels,” “Tripping with Zhirinovsky,” “From Moscow to Pietushki: A Journey with Benedict Yerofeyev,” “Ida,” Twockers,” “Last Resort,” and “Cold War.” Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave., Astoria’s Kaufman Arts District.
Dec. 7, A Christmas Carol, Dec. 23. For the fifth year in a row, Titan Theatre Company presents the timeless Charles Dickens story of Ebenezer Scrooge and the Spirits of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. Queens Theatre, 14 United Nations Ave. S., Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
Dec. 8, Saturday Night Stand-Up, 8 pm. Mike Marino, Richie Byrne, and Gary DeLena bring the jokes. Known as New Jersey’s bad boy, Marino loves to riff on his Italian family. Byrne is the warm-up comic for “The Dr. Oz Show.” DeLena sings great impressions. Queensborough Performing Arts Center, 222-05 56th Ave., Bayside.
Dec. 8, Winter Concert. 7:30 pm. Queens College’s Choral Society performs Handel’s “Messiah.” A full orchestra with soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, and baritone. Colden Auditorium, Queens College, vicinity of Kissena Boulevard and Horace Harding Expressway.
Dec. 8, Music for Yuletide, 7 pm. The Queens Consort, the borough’s only baroque ensemble playing instruments from the 18th century, plays music for the season by Corelli and Telemann, along with selections from Handel’s “Messiah” and early carols. St. Mark’s Church, 33-50 82nd St., Jackson Heights.
Dec. 8, James Kreger 2018 Holiday Album Release Party, 2 pm. Celebrate the release of an album by one of the world’s foremost cellists. Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd.
Dec. 8, Book Talk & Signing, 3 pm. Nick Hirshon discusses, signs, and sells “We Want Fish Sticks: The Bizarre and Infamous Rebranding of the New York Islanders.” Glen Oaks Library, 256-04 Union Tpke.
Dec. 8, Wreath-Making Workshop, Dec. 9 (11 am to 12:30 pm). Two days of lessons on wreaths and conifers. All materials included. Queens Botanical Garden, 43-50 Main St., Flushing.
Dec. 9, HollyTour 2018, 1 pm to 5 pm. Seven Queens landmarks — Louis Armstrong House Museum; Bowne House; Flushing Town Hall; Quaker Meeting House; Kingsland Homestead; Lewis H. Latimer House Museum; and Voelker Orth House — offer time-honored, family-friendly activities, performances, displays, and refreshments. Visitors can walk and/or take a dedicated shuttle to the venues, which are in Flushing and Corona.
Dec. 9, Ken Jeong Live, 7 pm. Actor, producer, and writer Jeong established himself via his role as the Asian mobster Mr. Chow in the hit trilogy “The Hangover.” Now he’s touring the country with his stand-up comedy act. Queens College’s Colden Auditorium, 153-49 Reeves Ave., Flushing.
Dec. 9, Breakfast with Santa, 8 am to 10 am. Eat and take pictures with Santa and receive a surprise. All proceeds go to Toys for Tots. Applebee’s branches in Astoria, Bayside, Fresh Meadows, Jamaica, and Queens Center Mall.
Dec. 9, Annual Christmas Concert, 4 pm. The Sacred Music Society performs Handel’s “Messiah” and other holiday favorites with soprano, tenor, bass-baritone, and the Orchestral Arts Ensemble of Queens. Our Lady Queen of Martyrs, 110-06 Queens Blvd., Forest Hills.
Dec. 9, Astoria Market, noon to 6 pm. As many as 40 vendors sell edible products and gift items such as clothing, jewelry, and toys. Repeats on Dec. 16. Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden, 29-19 24th Ave.
Dec. 9, Center of Attention, 3:30 pm. Visitors are invited to engage in a guided conversation about Isamu Noguchi’s piece “Sun at Noon.” Noguchi Museum, 9-01 33rd Rd., Long Island City.
Dec. 9, Ecuadorian Winter Recital: Ñukanchik Sapi, 2 pm. The Ecuadorian-American Cultural Center’s young members offer music, dance, and holiday spirit. Queens Museum, NYC Building, Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
Dec. 9, Holiday Market, 1 pm. Local craftspeople sell everything from ceramics to jewelry to painting. Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd.
Dec. 9, Baroque and Chamber Music, 5 pm. Fortepiano and violin with works by Muzio Clementi, Ignace Pleyel, and Carlo Antonio Campioni. King Manor Museum, vicinity of 150th Street and Jamaica Avenue, Jamaica.
Dec. 9, St. Nicholas Day, noon to 5 pm. Visits with Saint Nick, holiday crafts, singing, tree lighting, mulled cider. Learn the legend that Clement Moore made famous. Onderdonk House, 1820 Flushing Ave., Ridgewood.
Dec. 10, Live Drawing with Models, 6 pm. Open call for artists who want to work in a friendly environment with a little nudity. Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd.
Dec. 11, Evening Reading: Jennifer Egan, 7 pm. Egan, whose novel “A Visit From the Goon Squad” won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize, discusses her new novel, “Manhattan Beach,” which won the 2018 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction. LeFrak Concert Hall, Queens College, vicinity of Kissena Boulevard and Horace Harding Expressway, Flushing.
Dec. 12, Plant and Animal Life in Central Mexico, 8 pm. The Queens County Bird Club hosts Queens College biology professor emeritus Andrew Greller, who discusses the curve-billed thrasher and his recent bird-watching trip to Mexico. Alley Pond Environmental Center, 228-06 Northern Blvd., Douglaston.
Top image: Queens College Choral Society; bottom image: Isamu Noguchi Museum
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