It's In Queens

Jamaica

06/17/13 1:00pm

Three-Day Festival in Honor of the Patron Saint of Lovers

Every year around June 23, the Portuguese-speaking world honors São João (or St. John the Baptist). Young and old mix religious observance with fun, food, fireworks and even playful fights with garlic flowers as part of a tradition that dates back to the 16th century. Next weekend, Queens gets in on the fun, when O Lavrador Restaurant hosts a three-day extravaganza highlighting the wonders of Portuguese culture. Expect live folk dance groups from Portugal and Spain, a Portuguese DJ, two live Portuguese bands and a fashion show. Along with the entertainment, the iconic Jamaica eatery will sell typical BBQ cuisine and even raffle off a Portuguese racing bicycle. Details: Festa de São João, June 21-23, O Lavrador, 138-40 101st Ave., Jamaica, free admission but food will be on sale.
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101st Avenue, Festa de São João, Jamaica, June 23, O Lavrador, St. John the Baptist

Flushing

06/14/13 1:00pm

Unique Quintet Plays Queens Composers at Father’s Day Garden Party

Finally a Father’s Day gift he will really appreciate! This Sunday at the Queens Botanical Garden, a unique, talented, completely local group will play songs composed by present and former borough residents. Expect Quintet of the Americas (above) to perform jazz by Louis Armstrong (Corona) and classical and symphony pieces by Soong Fu-Yuan (Briarwood), James Cohn (Douglaston), Beata Moon (Forest Hills) and Morton Gould (Richmond Hill). The band might also try sounds from Harry Potter and Star Wars by John Williams (Flushing). The concert kicks off QBG’s Music in the Garden series, which will feature live performances of Balinese, Irish and Arab genres. Details: Quintet of the Americas, QBG, 43-50 Main St., Flushing, 2 pm to 3:30 pm, $4. (more…)

Woodhaven

06/13/13 1:00pm

Rock Festival Is Ready to Roll in Forest Park

Greg Cerar’s lifelong dream will come true this Saturday. The Woodhaven native will take the stage at the Forest Park Bandshell with his alternative rock band The Boom Section (above). In fact, Cerar, whose childhood home is about two blocks from the iconic outdoor venue, is so excited that he’s organizing and promoting the four-hour extravaganza. But he certainly won’t be the only performer, as Still the Vizitors, a bluesy rock band, Heavy Metal lovers System in Chaos and guitar player Daniel “Sensitive Guy” Tighe will also participate. There’s a picnic and BBQ area within earshot of the facility, and Cerar is hoping attendees make food, settle in and let the music take over…he’s also hoping for a gorgeous summer day. Details: Forest Park Rock Fest, Forest Park Bandshell (below), Woodhaven, June 15, 1 pm to 5 pm, free.

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Daniel Tighe, Forest Park Bandshell, Forest Park Rock Fest, Greg Cerar, Heavy Metal, Still the Vizitors, System in Chaos, The Boom Section, Woodhaven

Ridgewood

06/12/13 1:00pm

Fresh Strawberries and Vintage Autos at Historical House in Ridgewood

Annual Strawberry Festival, Bobo the Hobo, Dutch Colonial, East Coast Car Association, Flushing Avenue, Onderdonk House, Peter Stuyvesant, Queens-Brooklyn Border, Ridgewood

Located smack dab on the Queens-Brooklyn border, the Onderdonk House is the city’s oldest Dutch Colonial, sitting on land granted by Peter Stuyvesant in the mid-17th century. Currently, the preserved property has city, state and national historic status and provides a hands-on look into the architecture, furniture, clothing, gardening and cooking styles of Old New York. This Saturday, the Onderdonk House will host a timeless celebration: fresh fruit in the summertime. The Annual Strawberry Festival will feature plenty of berries and strawberry shortcake as well as music by a DJ, clown magic by Bobo the Hobo, old-fashioned games and a pie-eating contest. There will also be guided tours of the house, which features a gambrel roof, Dutch doors, central hallway and double hung windows with shutters. And, as a special treat, the East Coast Car Association will drive over vintage cars for some modern era fun. Details: Annual Strawberry Festival, Onderdonk House, 1820 Flushing Avenue, Ridgewood, June 15, noon to 4 pm, $3. Click through to the jump to see a photo of the house. (more…)

Arts and Culture

Hunters Point

06/11/13 1:00pm

The Guggenheim Grotto and Cathy Maguire Perform Together in Irish Music Celebration

Irish eyes — and ears — will be smiling. The Guggenheim Grotto, consisting of County Mayo natives Kevin May and Mick Lynch (above), has created a genre fans describe as “folk-influenced indie pop.” The duo, which won a 2007 Independent Music Award with the song “A Lifetime in Heat,” likes to mix harmonies with piano instrumentals and intricate acoustic guitar hooks. This Friday, these lads will share the stage with Cathy Maguire, a singer, songwriter, model and TV presenter from County Louth. With a style honed in Nashville with help from Cowboy Jack Clement, Maguire (below) has a bluegrass style and stunning stage presence. Details: The Guggenheim Grotto and Cathy Maguire in Concert, June 14, 7:30 pm, New York Irish Center, 10-40 Jackson Ave., Long Island City, $25/$15 for students, seniors and the unemployed. (more…)

A Lifetime in Heat, Cathy Maguire, County Louth, County Mayo, Cowboy Jack Clement, Independent Music Award, Jackson Avenue, Kevin May, Long Island City, Mick Lynch, Nashville, New York Irish Center, The Guggenheim Grotto

Astoria

06/10/13 11:00am

Prices Are Right for Queens Culture During New York State Museum Week

It’s New York State Museum Week, and the living is easy, especially in Queens. Starting today through June 16, five local cultural venues will offer discounts and promotional offers to visitors. Mention “Museum Week” and receive a complimentary collectible at the Louis Armstrong House Museum (while supplies last) along with a 10 percent discount in the gift store. Bring a friend for free with two-for-one admission at the Noguchi (above), King Manor and Moving Image museums. At the Queens Botanical Gardens, there will be half-off admission. Meanwhile, the Queens County Farm Museum will offer free tours. Statewide, participants include about 250 venues, stretching from Manhattan’s 5th Avenue, where El Museo del Barrio will have free admission on June 11, to the Hyde Collection in upstate Glens Falls, where visitors will receive a free poster.

El Museo del Barrio, Fifth Avenue, Glens Falls, Hyde Collection, King Manor, Louis Armstrong House Museum, Manhattan, Museum of the Moving Image, Museum Week, New York State Museum Week, Noguchi, queens, Queens Botanical Gardens, Queens County Farm Museum

Sunnyside

06/07/13 9:30am

Beauty and Bargains at Sunnyside Art Fair

Forget politics, all art is local. And in Queens, it’s also incredibly diverse. On Sunday, thirty-four Western Queens virtuosos will set up tables at the Queens of Angels Parish Hall and exhibit their works as part of a sixth-annual fair organized by SunnysideArtists.org. Expect Simon Donikian (work below) to display his cityscapes, while Ann Cofta will have a table full of eclectic trinkets made from beads, buttons and felt. Mihai Stancescu will bring frescoes and board paintings with egg tempera and gilding. And to add to the fun, Lowery Liquors will give a glass of wine to anybody who makes a purchase. Details: Queens of Angels Art Fair VI, June 9, 1 pm – 5 pm, 44th Street and Skillman Avenue, Sunnyside, Free.

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44th Street, Ann Cofta, Claret Wine Bar, Invincible Summer, Lowery Liquors, Mihai Stancescu, Queens of Angels, Queens of Angels Art Fair VI, Simon Donikian, Skillman Avenue, Sunnyside, SunnysideArtists.org, Western Queens

Astoria

06/06/13 9:30am

Noguchi’s Music in the Garden Series Kicks Off with Yungchen Lhamo and Anton Batagov

It’s a match made in musical Nirvana. Yungchen Lhamo, a Lhasa native, has dazzled audiences around the world with her hypnotic a capella singing and deep spiritual commitment to Tibetan Buddhism. Born is Moscow, pianist Anton Batagov is an internationally renown post-minimalist composer who draws openly from his Buddhist philosophy and practice. These performers currently collaborate to create music based on movement and improvisation. This Sunday, Lhamo and Batagov will kick off the Music in the Garden Series, which the Noguchi Museum offers with Bang on a Can/Cantaloupe Music every second Sunday during the summer months. Details: Yungchen Lhamo and Anton Batagov, June 9, 3 pm, free with admission, Noguchi Museum, 9-01 33rd Rd., LIC. (Other concerts are July 14, Kyaw Kyaw Naing; Aug. 11, Vicky Chow; and Sept. 8, Mantra Percussion.)

Anton Batagov, Bang on a Can, Bill T. Jones, Buddhism, Cantaloupe Music, Kyaw Kyaw Naing, Lhasa, Mantra Percussion, Moscow, Music in the Garden, Noguchi, Russia, Tibet, Tibetan Buddhism, Vicky Chow, Yungchen Lhamo

Long Island City

06/05/13 9:30am

5 Pointz Pays Homage to 40 Years of Hip Hop