#WeeklyColumn | July 14 – July 20, 2016
BY Michael Gillen
July 14 to July 20:
Up for a movie? In a clear sign of summertime, at least 10 local venues will hold free screenings this week. But those seeking other forms of entertainment can check out a two-day indie rock bash, a literature festival, a jerk chicken cook-off, and some fantastic dancing. Here’s the rundown.
July 14, The Colors of Love, dusk. An outdoor screening of nine short films by rising Asian stars, as per the Queens World Film Festival and Queensboro Hill Flushing Civic Association. Free. Kissena Corridor Park, Main Street and Elder Avenue, Flushing, http://bit.ly/29Q7F1U.
July 14, Battle of the Bands, 6 pm. Local groups Chiv Culture, Global Warming, Noise on 93rd, Noni Rene and The Village, Psychonaut Underground, Roslyn School of Rock House Band, and Summer Haze compete. Free. Colden Auditorium, 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, http://bit.ly/29DAkpv.
July 15, Lucha Mexico, 7:30 pm. A screening a new documentary on the Lucha Libre pro wrestling phenomenon in Mexico with directors Alex Hammond and Ian Markiewicz in person. $15. Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave., Kaufman Arts District, http://bit.ly/29CFmmV.
July 15, Flushing Night Out, 6 pm to 11 pm. Food, fashion, and music. Free. Flushing High School, 35-01 Union St., http://bit.ly/29lKmgi.
July 15, Beach Campfire, 7 pm. Bring a blanket or chair, a musical instrument, and fixings to make s’mores. Free. Riis Landing, Beach 169th Street, Breezy Point, http://bit.ly/29jK3ze.
July 15, Misery, 8:25 pm. A screening of Rob Reiner’s film as part of Classic “Psycho” Film Fridays. Free. Rufus King Park, vicinity of Jamaica Avenue and 153rd Street, Jamaica, http://bit.ly/29Kxcav.
July 15, The Hunters, 7 pm. Screened as part of a retrospective on Greek director Theo Angelopoulos, Hunters uses beautiful scenery to expose Greek history. $12. Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave., Kaufman Arts District, http://bit.ly/29tDEjN.
July 16-17, Out In The Streets, all day. This independent, outdoor music-and-arts festival presents 20 “buzzworthy” bands, a dance tent, deejays, pop-up stores, food courts, and art installations. $25-$38. Onderdonk House, 1820 Flushing Ave., Ridgewood, http://bit.ly/29yDNm4.
July 16-17, Queens NYC Lit Fest, 11 am to 8 pm. A two-day celebration of NYC’s literary arts community with poetry, prose, and spoken word. Free. LIC Landing, Hunters Point South Park, http://bit.ly/29jSn1o.
July 16, Louis Armstrong’s Wonderful World Festival, 1 pm to 8 pm. Live music, art, and food celebrate Satchmo’s life and legacy. The lineup blends the traditional New Orleans jazz of Dr. John, Soulive, and Kermit Ruffins on the Main Stage with local acts. Free. Flushing Meadows Corona Park, http://bit.ly/1K0xYfb.
July 16, Jamaica Dance Festival: Pajarillo Pinta’o, 7 pm. This festival presents professional dance companies on five consecutive Saturdays. On this date, Pajarillo Pinta’o performs traditional and modern Colombian dance. Free. Rufus King Park, vicinity of 150th Street and Jamaica Avenue, Jamaica, http://bit.ly/29JOPXN.
July 16, Community Conversations for Kids, 10 am. Elementary and middle school students are invited to join a conversation on immigration. Free. Queens Historical Society, 143-35 37th Ave., Flushing, http://bit.ly/29wbiVn.
July 16, Song of the Sean, 5 pm. A screening of an Oscar-nominated animated film inspired by the Celtic folklore tradition of the selkie. A young Irish boy and his little sister, who can turn into a seal, go on an adventure to free faeries and save the spirit world. Plus, a screening of the short film Anya. $11/$8 for children. New York Irish Center, 10-40 Jackson Ave., LIC, http://bit.ly/29kYXs2.
July 16, Days of ‘36 and Athens, Return to the Acropolis, 2:30 pm. Screened as part of a retrospective on Greek director Theo Angelopoulos, Days of ’36 follows a kidnapping and an absurd government crisis to a deadly conclusion. Athens, Return to the Acropolis is a short on old Athens that is variously ancient, national, and personal. $12. Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave., Kaufman Arts District, http://bit.ly/29yW1nF.
July 17, Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival, 11:30 am. Caribbean food, music, and fun. Competing chefs put their culinary skills to the test for cash, bragging rights, and the coveted Dutch Pot Trophy. $30. Roy Wilkins Park, vicinity of Merrick and Foch boulevards, Jamaica, http://bit.ly/29I47xq.
July 17, The Issa Cabrea Quartet, 4 pm. This group performs the sounds of Colombia, as part of the Summer Sundays in the Park series. Free. Travers Park, 78th Street between 34th Avenue and Northern Boulevard, Jackson Heights, http://bit.ly/29KOX9F.
July 17, Citrus Science, 10:30 am. Quench your thirst by inventing a citrus-flavored drink. Learn the chemistry behind acids while experimenting with lemons, limes, and other citrus fruits. $8 per family, plus museum admission. New York Hall of Science, 47-01 111th St., Corona, http://bit.ly/29IePUV.
July 17, Crafts Bazaar, 1 pm to 6 pm. Local makers sell their products with $5 drink specials. QED – A Place to Show & Tell, 27-16 23rd Ave., Astoria, http://bit.ly/29zVLWQ.
July 17, Electronic Waste Recycling Event, 9 am to 4 pm. Drop off your electronic waste, and it will be recycled in an environmentally responsible way. Free. Queens Botanical Garden space on Crommelin Avenue, Flushing, http://bit.ly/29Q9yM4.
July 17, James Dale, 5 pm. The Katz Concert Series presents gospel. Free. Springfield Park, vicinity of 183rd Street and 145th Road, Springfield Gardens, http://on.nyc.gov/29KQXih.
July 17, Reconstruction, 12:30 pm; The Beekeeper, 3 pm; The Suspended Step of the Stork, 6:30 pm. Screened as part of a retrospective on Greek director Theo Angelopoulos, Reconstruction depicts disenfranchised inhabitants of a forsaken village who reenact Greek tragedy. The Beekeeper is about a lonely beekeeper who gets involved with a young hitchhiker while driving a truck across Greece. Suspended Step captures the hopelessness and confusion of politics in a new video age. A TV journalist spots a lost soul in a refugee village and becomes convinced he is a politician who willfully disappeared from Parliament. $12. Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave., Kaufman Arts District, http://bit.ly/28YCBY9.
July 19, Full Moon Korean Drumming, 7 pm. Celebrate the Full Moon with a drum circle in the garden led by Song-Hee Lee from the Korean Traditional Performing Arts Association. Drums provided. $25. Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd., http://bit.ly/298fOKx.
July 19, Swing Night, 7 pm. The White Wedding Band plays hits from 1980s stars, including Billy Idol, The Cure, and Bon Jovi as part of the 2016 Juniper Valley Park Summer Concert Series. Free. Public space at 80th Street and Juniper Boulevard North, Middle Village, http://bit.ly/29oNBSX.
July 19, Garden-inspired Jewelry, 1 pm. The Garden Creativi-TEA series offers workshops and delicious iced tea on consecutive Tuesdays through August 9. This date’s activity is jewelry design. $3/$6 per family. The Voelker Orth Museum, 149-19 38th Ave., Flushing, http://bit.ly/29wsKwS.
July 20, Ridgewood Reservoir Tour, 7 pm. The nonprofit educational group, NYC H2O, leads an exploration of this 50-plus-acre natural oasis that straddles Brooklyn and Queens. Built in 1859, it became obsolete with the addition of Catskills reservoirs in the 1950s and was decommissioned in the 1980s. Since then, nature took its course, and a lush and dense forest has grown. A freshwater pond with waterfowl sits in the middle basin. Free. Meet in the parking lot at One Vermont Place, Brooklyn, http://bit.ly/29sSLKQ.
July 20, Flight of the Conchords, 7:30 pm. A popular alternative rock band from New Zealand rocks an historic venue. $45-$65 and less. Forest Hills Stadium, One Tennis Place, http://bit.ly/29toyL9.
July 20, Flushing’s Korean Community, 6 pm. Explore businesses, churches, shops, restaurants, and other aspects of “Korean Villages” in Flushing with official Queens historian Jack Eichenbaum. $15. The walk begins at the front (east) exit of the 7 train terminal at Main Street (beneath the escalators), http://bit.ly/1NegwTB.
July 20, Sonita, 7 pm. This documentary follows a female, teenaged refugee from Afghanistan who clashes with her parents about her future. Free. Socrates Sculpture Park, 32-01 Vernon Blvd., LIC, http://bit.ly/29A9PiX.
July 20, The Good Dinosaur, 7 pm. A screening from the Movies on the Green series. Free. The Shops at Atlas Park, 80-00 Cooper Ave., Glendale, http://bit.ly/29R90pw.
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