Queens Events header
August 1-15                                                                                                   Like us on Facebook  Follow us on Twitter
Aug. 1-2, times vary. Jamaica Arts & Music Summer Festival: Two days of concerts, food, vendors, fitness workshops, and fun surprises. Free. Jamaica Ave., Parson Blvd. to 170th St., Jamaica

The 14th annual concert in honor of this Sunnyside jazz legend will feature an exciting lineup of artists and performers, and a 1920s costume contestFree. 46th St. & Queens Blvd., Sunnyside 

Aug. 2, 10 & 11 am. Get Up and Go! Family Adventure Race: An exciting, parent-child race that combines basic exercises and sports skills, including javelin throw, hurdles, and a mini climbing wall. Free with registration. Flushing Meadows Corona Park (near Unisphere)

Aug. 9, 1 pm. Elmhurst Boy Scout Troop 17's 100th Anniversary Celebration: Enjoy fun outdoor activities, exhibits, and historical displays of the troop and scoutingFree with admission. Queens Botanical Garden, 43-50 Main St., Flushing

Aug. 5 & 12, 7 pm. Live at the Gantries: The music group And You and I brings its infectious prog-rock-meets-pop sound. Zikrayat presents an exhilarating show of Arab music and dance.
Free. Gantry Plaza State Park, 49th Ave. and Center Blvd., Long Island City

Aug. 7, 14 & 21, 7 pm. Passport Thursdays: Explore a different country each week with live music, dance, and outdoor films that transport you to Brazil, Cuba and Korea. Free. Queens Museum, NYC Building, Flushing Meadows Corona Park

Aug. 8, 10 am-12 pm & 4 pm-6 pm. Introduction to Ten-and-Under Tennis: USTA employees will set up mini courts and give top-notch tennis instruction to kids ages 10 and under. Plus, special surprises and activities. Free. Corona Plaza, Roosevelt Ave. & 103rd St., Corona

Aug. 8-10, times vary. Rural Route Film Festival: A showcase for international films on unique people and places far outside urban areas. Plus live world/folk music and food from guest chefs. 
$10; $27. Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave., Astoria

Aug. 9, 12-3 pm. Smokey Bear's 70th Birthday Bash!: A celebration of the Great Outdoors with live animal demos, guided hikes, a Forest Ranger obstacle course, and a scavenger hunt with prizes. Free. Alley Pond Park, 76th Ave. & Springfield Blvd., Douglaston

Aug. 9-10, 9 am-5 pm. Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival: Over 170 teams and 2,000 participants from around the world compete. This multicultural event includes sports drama, music, dance, colors, and a food court. Free. Flushing Meadows Corona Park

Aug. 10, 7 pm. Full Moon Drumming Workshop: An outdoor drum circle with master drummers. Begin with workshops on Indian tablas and other percussive instruments, then jam with the entire group. $25, Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd., Flushing

Aug. 6 & 13, 7 pm. Italian Nights: Two nights of popular Italian favorites and live performances. Free. 

Athens Square Park, 30th Ave. & 30th St., Astoria



Aug. 9, 6:30 pm.
Modest Mouse/Brand New Concert: The Forest Hills Stadium, where the Beatles and the Rolling Stones once played, is revamped. It hosts this pop rock concert. $$49.50-$59.50. Forest Hills Stadium, 1 Tennis Pl.,  Forest Hills Gardens

Enhance the ability to deliver poetry and develop stage presence through the use of drama techniques.
 $30. Queens Council on the Arts, 37-11 35th Ave., LIC 

Aug. 15-16, 12-4 pm. Craftsmen Days: Meet artisans and watch demonstrations of 19th century crafts. Learn about broom making, tinsmithing, woodturning and more. 
Free. King Manor Museum inside King Park, Jamaica Ave. & 150th St.,  Jamaica 

 

Ongoing-Aug. 30. Grant Wade Jonathan and the Tuscarora Raised Bead Art Tradition: Artwork by the man who perfected Tuscarora beadwork skills and techniques. $2 donation. Voelker Orth Museum, 149-19 38th Ave., Flushing


Plus, don't forget the Woodside Summer Concert Series and the Astoria Shore Fest
World's Fair Celebration
Aug. 1. People for the 
Pavilion join the Mets at Citi Field to celebrate the anniversaries of both World's Fairs. Get special discounted tickets here.

Aug. 10. A Taste of Poland: Music, food, and culture in an experience similar to being at the Polish Pavilion at a World's Fair.

Ongoing. Multimedia Exhibit: Bringing the World to the Fair: The Port Authority's Role -- Trade, Travel and Tourism in Queens, The Region and the World.

Find more WF events at
A Rockaway Affair

Ongoing, sundown.
Beach Flix: Bring a blanket, chair or picnic and enjoy a movie on the sand.

Aug. 6, 5-8 pm. Nesting on the Rockaways:
Networking event with QEDC and Startup Chicks at the fantastic Thai Rock Restaurant.
 
More Rockaway fun at

More Queens events at 
Karen's August Picks
Good Eats: Southeast Queens is home to some of best Soul Food and Caribbean cuisine. Check out RCL Enterprises at 141-22 Rockaway Blvd., affectionately known by natives as "The Fish House" and rightly so. Their whiting fish is fried to order! Don't miss their other specialties served in heaping portions. The smothered chicken and oxtails are customer favorites. They also have Southern specialties, including pig ears as an entr�e or sandwich. Take out only.
 

Want something sweet? Stop by Patmar Bake Shop at 205-07 Linden Blvd. Don't let the line discourage you. It moves fast, and the Caribbean treats are worth the wait. Can you say "CoCo Bread?"

  

The Door at 163-07 Baisley Blvd. is a local hotspot and one of the only formal sit-down eateries in the area. Favorites include oxtails and curry anything! The soup of the day is a can't miss. Take out is available, but definitely call ahead and practice patience.

 

Wander Streets: Checking out row after row of charming houses is the delight of wandering the streets of Cambria Heights. Each house has its own personality linked together by manicured lawns and provincial architecture. The neighborhood bustles on the main streets and quiets down on the side streets. There is a delightful diversity of culture featuring immigrants from various Caribbean nations as well as African Americans. Plus, there are always Hasidic Jews passing through to visit Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the "Grand Lubavitcher Rebbe," who has been reposing at the Montefiore Cemetery for 20 years now.

 

Unique Treats: The beach in Far Rockaway is by far the best treat in Southeast Queens. Having such proximity to the shore line means little traffic. Take a short ride from Downtown Jamaica on the Q113 Limited or drive via Route 878, and you're there in no time. The restoration after Hurricane Sandy has brought modern improvements to the boardwalk while maintaining its original charm. There are lots of places to unwind, exercise, jump a wave or surf. There is also some movie magic there this summer as Boardwalk Empire is in residence filming what will be the HBO drama's last season. Best of all, the boardwalk is open, giving beachgoers an up-close look at history.

 

Historic Feats: St. Albans and Laurelton continue to be the best walking historic tours in Queens. The stately manors of Laurelton with their wide porches and charming facades are the original (cannot be duplicated) McMansions. St. Albans just received landmark status, brown street signs and all! Roaming the areas where legends like Jackie Robinson, James Brown, Lena Horne and countless other great barrier breakers lived and received inspiration is motivating and empowering.

 
Karen Clements is a journalist and founder of the Communities of Color news organization. Her monthly newspaper, Communities of Color, serves Southeast Queens, Far Rockaway, and Central Brooklyn.