#WeeklyColumn | It’s In Queens! (Nov. 28 to Dec. 4)
BY QEDC It's In Queens
It’s Thanksgiving Weekend, and college students are home. Family time is sacred, but it’s also the start of the Holiday Season. Queens helps out by hosting various craft markets selling locally made items. Film, literature, comedy, and the first Nutcracker performance of many are also on tap.
Nov. 29, Toy Story 4, Dec. 1. Noon screenings on three consecutive days of this animation sequel about Buzz and Woodie that stars Tom Hanks and Keanu Reeves. On a family road trip, a new character, Forky, is lost and the toys organize a rescue mission. Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave., Astoria’s Kaufman Arts District.
Nov. 30. Steinway Market, Dec. 1. Live entertainment, unique merchandise, food, and kiddie fun from 10:30 am to 4:30 pm on both days. Steinway Municipal Parking Lot 2, Steinway Street between 31st Avenue and Broadway, Astoria.
Dec. 1, Still Beginning: The 30th Annual Day With(out) Art, 3 pm. Watch seven newly commissioned videos responding to the HIV/AIDS epidemic that range in topics from anti-stigma work in New Orleans to public sex culture in Chicago. Queens Museum, NYC Building, Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
Dec. 1, Astoria Market, Dec. 15. Local crafters peddle everything from body care products to chocolate to jewelry on three consecutive Sundays from noon to 6 pm. The Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden, 29-19 24th Ave., Astoria.
Nov. 30, The Short of It, 2:30 pm. Five local filmmakers screen shorts, excerpts of full length features, and works-in-progress. Each screening is followed by Q&A. Cronin & Phelan’s Bar & Restaurant, 38-14 Broadway, Astoria.
Dec. 1, Holiday Craft Market, 10 am to 1 pm. Shop for locally made crafts right next to the farmers market. I.S. 145 parking lot, vicinity of 79th Street and 34th Avenue, Jackson Heights.
Dec. 1, Literary Sunday, 5:30 pm. Local writers Maria Lisella, Queens Poet Laureate 2015-2018, and Otena Jennings read from their latest works with an open mic and light refreshments. Kew & Willow Book Shop, 81-63 Lefferts Blvd., Kew Gardens.
Dec. 1, Queens Farm Holiday Market, Dec. 24. Pine trees, wreaths, poinsettias, and unique holiday gifts. Open 10 am to 5 pm except the final day, Dec. 24, when the schedule is 10 am to 2 pm. Queens County Farm Museum, 73-50 Little Neck Pkwy., Glen Oaks.
Dec. 1, Bayside Holiday Parade, 3 pm. A tree-lighting ceremony highlights live entertainment, activities, hot chocolate, and an annual parade with marching bands, costumed characters, and members of sports leagues, schools, and civic associations. Vicinity of 36th Avenue and Bell Boulevard, Bayside.
Dec. 1, Open Studio: Clay, 11 am. Families with children ages 2–11 are invited to explore the galleries and participate in art-making activities with clay in the studio. The Noguchi Museum, 9-01 33rd Rd., LIC.
Dec. 2, A Concentration Camp Liberator Speaks, 1 pm. At age 17, Seymour Kaplan left Brooklyn to fight Nazi Germany as a machine gunner. He was one of the first American soldiers to enter the Dachau concentration camp in April 1945. The shock of what he witnessed left him traumatized. When he returned home, he founded a garment company before starting a second career as a teacher. Plus, he’s a mental health advocate who has been honored by the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Commonpoint Queens, 67-09 108th St., Forest Hills.
Dec. 4, The Nutcracker, 7 pm. The Salzburg Marionette Theatre presents a puppet version of this classic with music by Peter Tschaikowsky. Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd.
Dec. 4, Date Night, 7:30 pm. Live comedic music, funny couples swapping jokes, and comics performing sets written by their partners with a BOGO price. Lineup includes Jess Salomon (The Tonight Show), Eman El Husseini (Just For Laughs), Emily Winter (TODAY Show), and Chris Calogero (Funny Or Die). QED Astoria, 27-16 23rd Ave.
Dec. 4, Tess Dworman: A Child Retires, Dec. 7. A performance art piece that includes stand-up comedy, memoir, acting, and Irish step-dancing. Four 8 pm shows on Wednesday through Saturday. The Chocolate Factory Theatre, 5-49 49th Ave., LIC.
Images: Dominik Tamegger (top); Queens County Farm Museum (bottom)