#WeeklyColumn | September 8 – September 14, 2016
BY Michael Gillen
It’s hard to say “Unique New York” five times, but “Unique Queens” is no problem. Maybe that’s why the one-of-a-kind borough offers a bocce championship, a lecture on the history of pie, a debut screening of a film directed by a famous Chinese poet, and honey-crafted cocktail-making competition, and an adult paint night this week. Here’s the rundown.
Sept. 8, Make Art After Dark: Paint Night for Adults, 6:30 pm. An artistic night with entertainer Masa Kitani from Creative Scene. $32. Alley Pond Environmental Center, 228-06 Northern Blvd., Douglaston.
Sept. 9, El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, 8 pm. A salsa giant for more than 50 years, this Puerto Rican band inspires dance fever with its timeless classics. $39-$89. Colden Auditorium at Queens College, 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing.
Sept. 9, Boundless Tales, 6:30 pm. The borough’s longest-running reading series celebrates its five-year anniversary with local writers sharing their works-in-progress. $10. Queens Council on the Arts, 37-11 35th Ave., Kaufman Arts District.
Sept. 9, Campo Grande, 7 pm. Screened as part of a series on female Brazilian filmmakers, Campo Grande follows two children who are abandoned at the door of a building with a note for a stranger who lives there. Director Sandra Kogut is in attendance. $12. Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave., Kaufman Arts District.
Sept. 10, Queens Borough Bocce Tournament, registration at 8:30 am. Teams of four, open to adults 18 and older. The top two teams advance to the citywide finals in Staten Island on Sept. 17. Free. Juniper Valley Park, 76th Street and Juniper Boulevard South, Middle Village.
Sept. 10, Let’s Talk Pie, 3 pm. Learn about the history of pumpkin and apple pie with gastronomy expert Sarah Lohman of the FourPoundsFlour blog. Free. King Manor Museum, 150-03 Jamaica Ave., Jamaica.
Sept. 10, Framed Jewelry Art Workshop, 10 am to 4 pm. Create a framed masterpiece with velvet; jewelry pieces, and glue. $25. Maple Grove Cemetery’s Victorian Administration Building, 83-15 Kew Gardens Rd., Kew Gardens.
Sept. 10, Community Volunteer Day, 10 am. Participate in a variety of garden activities. Free. Queens Botanical Garden, 43-50 Main St., Flushing.
Sept. 10 Kaili Blues, 2 pm and 5 pm (plus Sept. 11, 5 pm). The directorial debut of Chinese poet Bi Gan, Kaili Blues is about a doctor from the rain-drenched city of Kaili who looks for his brother’s abandoned child. $12. Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave., Kaufman Arts District.
Sept. 11, Astoria Park, 2 pm and 4 pm. Two tours with historian and East River expert Richard Melnick. The first one explores the neighborhood and architecture around the park. The second explores the park’s history, public spaces, and shore. Free. More info at http://bit.ly/2c0CaOY.
Sept. 11, Bang on a Can, 3 pm. Now in its sixth year, this series offers monthly performances in the outdoor sculpture garden or galleries. On this afternoon, Argus String Quartet & Friends plays the music of Martin Bresnick in honor of the composer’s 70th birthday. Noguchi Museum, 9-01 33rd Rd., LIC.
Sept. 11, Grandparents’ Celebration, 10:30 am. Play games with your grandparents that they played when they were young. Take a nature walk together and make a memorable craft. $24. Alley Pond Environmental Center, 228-06 Northern Blvd., Douglaston.
Sept. 11, World’s Fair History Walking Tour, 11 am to 2 pm. One-hour tours of World’s Fair sites go out continually on the second Sunday of each month through October. Free. Meet at the Unisphere, Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
Sept. 12, The Queens Bee Cocktail Classic, 6:30 pm. A beekeeping workshop on a rooftop farm and a competition for the best honey-crafted cocktails with Queens Courage gin. $40. Proof+Gauge, Falchi Building, 31-00 47th Ave., LIC.
Sept. 14, Make America Rock Again, 8 pm. Part of an inaugural tour for head-banging rock lovers, such acts as Trapt, Saliva, Saving Abel, Alien Ant Farm, Crazytown, 12 Stones, and Tantric with Drowning Pool and Fuel perform on select dates. $35-$50. Melrose Ballroom, 36-08 33rd St., LIC.
Sept. 14, Roosevelt Island Bridge and Four Freedoms Park, 5 pm. A guided tour with official Queens historian Jack Eichenbaum. $15. Meet at northwest corner of 21st Street and 41st Avenue, LIC; email your interest to jaconet@aol.com.
Photo courtesy of Latin Music Cafe
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