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September 1-15                                                                                          Like us on Facebook  Follow us on Twitter
Sept. 5, 7:30 pm. Beach Flix: Indie Night: The roster for this wonderful evening includes animation, along with live action from international and local filmmakers. Hosted by the Queens World Film Festival. Free. Beach 106th Street, Rockaway

Sept. 5, 8 pm. Five Boroughs Music Festival: A Banner Bicentennial - 200 Years of American Song: Four vocalists and a pianist celebrate The Star Spangled Banner's 200th anniversary and track the progression of American music over the last two centuries. $25. Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd., Flushing

Sept. 6, 7-10 pm. Giorgio's Salon Fashion Show: Enjoy a special fashion show featuring local boutiques and meet Miss Queens Jessenia Vargas, who will be filming for WeTV's "America's It Girl." $25. 153-35 Cross Island Pkwy., Whitestone

Sept. 6, 1-4 pm. Mid-Autumn Treat & Tea: Tea demonstrations, moon cakes for sale, storytelling, kiddie crafts, and teabag-making workshops.
Free with Queens Botanical Garden admission, 43-50 Main St., Flushing


Sept. 6, 2 pm.
Lincoln Center Local Presents Interweaving: Guitarist Francisco Roldan and soprano Gretchen Farrar enchant in a bilingual concert featuring everything from folk songs to classical arias from the Renaissance Age to the present. Free. Queens Library, 35-51 81 St., Jackson Heights

Sept. 8-14, 11 am-sunset. NY Honey Week: From apiary tours to
beekeeping lessons to honey tastings to a cooking class to a kiddie costume-making session to the Be-A-Bee Parade, there's something for everyone. 
Free. Rockaway Beach 97 (97th & Ocean)

Sept. 10, 7 pm. Wish Lanterns: In honor of World Suicide Awareness day, head to the East River, where you will set off wish lanterns to represent hope, support or tribute. Meet at NY Irish Center, 10-40 Jackson Ave., LIC

Sept. 12, 6 pm. New York Classical Quartet: Cellist David Bakamjian, violist Chiu-Chen Liu, and violinists Judson Griffin and Margaret Ziemnicka play string quartets by Haydn$25. King Manor Museum, 150-03 Jamaica Ave., Jamaica

Sept. 13, 11 am.
Rockaway Bike Parade: Walk, dance and bike along the Boardwalk. This year's theme is West Indian Carnival, so bring a colorful costume and steelpan drum. Advanced registration. Departs from Firehouse 59 to Beach 17, Rockaways

Sept. 12 &13, 8 pm. Take Root: A monthly curated series during which dance makers show new work. Amy Cova Dance and Joel Sherry present this time. $15. Green Space, 37-24 24th St., LIC   

Sept. 14, 3 pm. Patti LuPone: Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda...Played That Part: A Broadway queen performs songs from various musicals, including Evita and Gypsy$55, $65. Queensborough Performing Arts Center, 222-05 56th Ave., Bayside
 
Sept. 14, 1:10 pm. 8th Annual Stitch N' Pitch: Mets game attendees will enjoy discounted seats in the Left Field Landing and an opportunity to stitch 7x9 inch squares to benefit Warm Up America. $30. Citi Field, 123-01 Roosevelt Ave., Flushing


Plus, don't forget:
Noguchi Museum offers free admission and public tours led in English and Japanese.

on Sept. 3&10, 6 pm.


 

Auditions: Oratorio Society of Queens 

on Sept. 8 & 15, 7 pm.

Outdoor Festivals
Sept. 1, 12-6 pm. 
between 29th St. & 41st St., Astoria 

Sept. 1, 4 pm. Zabo's Circus Show: This one-clown show makes you think you're watching a three-ring circus. Free. Forest Park Carousel, Woodhaven

Sept. 6, 12-3 pm. Back to School Festival: Rides, arts & crafts projects, and giveaways. Free. Alley Pond Park, 76th Ave. & Springfield Blvd.

Sept. 13, 1-6 pm. Circus Amak: Traditional circus acts with experimental dance. Free. Socrates Sculpture Park, 32-01 Vernon Blvd., LIC
Exhibits & History
Opens Sept. 11. Andy Warhol's Photo-Aesthetic and Beyond: Silkscreen prints and photographs. Queens College.

Opens Sept. 12. Also like Life: The Films of Hou Hsiao-hsien: Films directed by this leading figure of the Taiwanese New Wave.

Sept. 8. 1876 Centennial Exhibition: The first 100 years. Greater Astoria Historical Society.
Queens at US Open
Many tourists travel to Queens for the US Open, but how many really explore the borough?QTC is staffing a kiosk to guide visitors looking for local places to see and things to do. More in this NY1 interview
Melisa's September Picks
Good Eats: Summer might be at the end of its rope, but we're entering the bright side of colder weather when we talk about Autumn-friendly food. There is nowhere better to get a sampling of Queens' leading eateries than along the 7 train line. Hop off at the following destinations to indulge in wallet-friendly, mouth-watering, inspirational eats.
  • Flushing- Main Street

We start our trip with Biang, located in the Asian enclave of Flushing. The spicy and sour lamb dumplings in broth take center stage at this venue, which are best preceded by an order of delicious quail eggs on toast as an appetizer. The stylish wood-paneled walls coupled with table candles make Biang the perfect place to relax.


 

If you've only got 20 minutes to spare, head over to White Bear. For just $5, you can experience the best wontons in chili oil that NYC has to offer.

 

No trip to Flushing would be complete without bubble tea to round out your meal. Joos, a new tea-and-juice bar, one of more than 15 other specialty juice venues in Flushing, matches quality and price with its 2-for-$3 deal. Bring a friend!

  • 82nd Street- Jackson Heights

At the next stop, embrace the last vestiges of summer with a cholado at Bakery de Las Americas in the hyper-diverse Jackson Heights. The mouthwatering fruit salad enveloped in condensed milk makes for a satisfying treat.

  • Hunters Point Avenue
End the night with drinks at a duo coffee shop and bar, Sweet Leaf, right by the LIC waterfront. Whether you'd rather relax with an espresso or a specialty drink, such as the Long Island City Special with rum, agave and lemon juice, you'll find cozy chairs to sink into and large windows for people-watching.
 

Wander Streets: Sunnyside is a vibrant neighborhood in western Queens near the 7 train line. To begin your exploration, I suggest you hop off at 46th Street, also fittingly known as Bliss Street. Sunnyside is as historic as it is bustling with new energy. You'll get a sense of being lost in time as you stroll along 46th street and Skillman Avenue, which is part of the Sunnyside Gardens Historic District. A short walk back to Queens Boulevard, however, reveals that you're very much in the present: cultural centers (such as the Turkish Cultural Center) interspersed with trendy new cafes and thrift stores line the street, clearly pointing to a neighborhood in transition. Expand your view from micro to macro by climbing the stairs back to the elevated 7 train for a breathtaking look at the Manhattan skyline, but not before relaxing for a beat at the bustling public plaza located directly under the train!


 

Unique Treats: Year round, a day (or night) at the Queens Museum is an unparalleled experience. Featuring community-conscious art, the museum isn't just for show; it regularly hosts fun events for families and children and will unveil a number of new exhibits throughout September. Among these new exhibits is Anonymous, described as "an exploration of changing attitudes towards self-expression, attribution, and identity in contemporary Tibetan art." Be sure to head over on Sept. 21 for the unveiling...I'll definitely be there!


 

Bonus! If you'd like to score an aerial view of NYC without ever taking flight, be sure to check out the phenomenal panorama of NYC located in the heart of the museum.

 

Historic Feats: Intrigued by architecture? Head over to College Point to check out the Poppenhusen Institute. Not only pleasing to the eye with its rustic exterior, the institute is rich with history, as it was once the location for the country's first free kindergarten.

 


 

Melisa Tekin is a third year CUNY student pursuing dual degrees in Urban Economics and Marketing. She makes no distinction between work and play and can be found perusing the neighborhoods of Queens collecting not only demographic information of the patrons of a newly installed plaza, but also sampling an empanada or two.