Thanksgiving Weekend Events in Queens — November 27-29, 2009
Photo (c) John Roleke
Holiday lights on Sutphin
Happy Thanksgiving!
Black Friday
- Shop Till You Drop? Malls in Queens
Saturday
- Crystal Winter at NY Hall of Science - Through January 3 - weekends
- Replanting Destroyed Trees at Juniper Valley Park
Sunday
- Walking Tour - Flushing Freedom Mile
They Might Be Giants to Play Flushing Meadows
Courtesy Idlewild/Disney
They Might Be Giants -- long-time indie nerd rock stars and children's music maestros -- play a pair of benefit concerts at NY Hall of Science in Flushing Meadows this December 13.
The band's latest album Here Comes Science is of course a fine fit for the science museum. The songs were actually fact checked for scientific accuracy by the museum's chief content officer Eric Siegel. Kids dig the songs, and parents usually crack up at the lyrics. At least TMBG cracks me up.
Tickets are $35 -- a little steep when you're bringing two to three kids plus the adults, but it's all for the museum's operations. Here are the concert details at NY Hall of Science.
Astorian Thanksgiving Weekend Edition - November 25
By Meg of Joey in Astoria
Image via Wikipedia Commons
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Thus starts the official holiday season. Thanksgiving is a time for gathering with friends and family, expressing gratitude, and of course, eating! Judith has a great rundown on places to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner in town, if you are not preparing the meal yourself.
Friday hails Black Friday, and boy do retailers need your business. One local Astoria business that I particularly love is The Little Soap Shop. Vivian is holding a sale, natch, so you'll find 20% off everything in her store that day, from 10 a.m to 3 p.m. I especially love her citrus-lavender reed diffuser, which uses wooden reeds stepped in scented oil to spread a wonderful fresh aroma throughout the room. And how about SITE's cupcake ornaments! How cute are they?!? They look good enough to eat!
On Sunday, stop by Immaculate Conception School (21-63 29th St) for its Annual Flea Market. The event lasts from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Vine Wine in LIC (12-09 Jackson Ave) will be open tonight until 11 p.m. -- score! -- if you're still in need of happy libations. And on Thanksgiving Day, it's open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.! Tonight's wine tasting (5:30-8:30 p.m.) includes three of six Thanksgiving-theme wines. They've even boxed up these wines in a cute carrying case for your convenience. There is a $50 box and a $75 box, both saving you approximately $15 each.
Mix (40-17 30th Ave) is a new cafe/lounge in Astoria, and it's holding a stitch n' bitch each Saturday starting at noon. If you knit, crochet, and partake in any other fiber craft, come on by to enjoy fellow needle nerds, and perhaps you'll even come away with something new for your stash. What a nice way to spend an afternoon.
Since the kids (including kids at heart) are home a long stretch this weekend, the Museum of the Moving Image (35th Ave at 37th St) will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. during Thanksgiving weekend with hourly screenings of short animated films from Pixar. Screenings include Luxo, Jr. (1986, 2 mins); For the Birds (2000, 3 mins); Jack-Jack Attack (2005, 5 mins); and Presto (2008, 5 mins).
- Previously on Joey in Astoria
- Neighborhood Profile - Astoria, Queens
See Old St. Nick
Santa Claus has arrived in Queens. At least he's made it to Elmhurst and the Queens Center Mall before Thanksgiving. In the coming days and weeks he'll be at these four venues for a Christmas meet and greet with your family.
My pick is Santa at Atlas Park. They do a good job with all the details, and Pet Photos with Santa Day (December 12) should be pretty popular.
Where in Queens? Photo - What Used to Be...
Photo (c) John Roleke
Here's a new twist on "Where in Queens?" Name what used to be in location shown in this photo. I'm not talking decades ago. What was there just a couple years ago. Name it and the current details and you get double kudos.
Click the photo for larger size, see how last week's got solved, and have a great Thanksgiving!
Fort Totten This Weekend
More Fort Totten.
Weekend Events in Queens — November 20-22, 2009
Saturday
- Safe and Sound: A Night of Rhymes and Rhythms to Benefit Children's Rights at Hell Gate Social
- Glass & Water Art Exhibition at Rockaway Artists Alliance - Opening - Through December 5
- Two Video Premiers:Chigualeros and Taught to Hate at Queens Museum of Art
- SUM!SiGAW: A Filipino American Youth Cultural Show at Queens Museum of Art
- New New Yorkers Program: Tools for Learning English at Queens Museum of Art
Sunday
- Rockaway Artists Alliance GIFTED 2009 Opening Reception - Through Sunday December 13
Astorian Weekend Edition - November 18
By Foodista of Joey in Astoria
The weekend before Thanksgiving is a good time to chill before all the big holiday get-togethers. Check out a fun, casual eatery, watch football or enjoy a party at the beer garden.
Have you been to Stamatis (29-09 23rd Ave, Astoria, 718-721-4507) yet? It's a long-time Greek food staple in the heart of Astoria and the food is legit. Recommendations include the tzatziki dip and the chicken souvlaki platter.
This Friday, check out Mezzo Mezzo (31-29 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria, 718-278-0444) for their 5 p.m. - 8 p.m. happy hour. They'll feature a signature free buffet, $4 draft beers and house wines, and $12 hookah.
Toast to freedom this Saturday (5 p.m.) at the Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden (29-19 24th Ave, Astoria, 718-274-4925), where they'll celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution. Admission is free and they'll have $2 wine, vodka shots, Czech liquor, and $10 pitchers of Czech beer. Nazdravie!
Are you ready for some football? There are plenty of great places where you could catch the game but two in particular are Gleason's (33-08 Broadway, Astoria, 718-626-5393) -- where on Sunday they serve 25 cent wings, and the newly-opened Yolo (22-55 31st St, Astoria, 718-777-1177), which has a $11 weekend brunch special.
If you're in the mood for something low-key this weekend, visit 24 Wine Bar (25-19 24th Ave, Astoria, 347-777-6164). New things happening here include press coffee, vegan brownies, muffins, and free wifi. Brunch may be in the works soon so check back to find out more.
Where in Queens? Photo of the Week
Photo (c) Nicholas Biondo
A tough one? Name the neighborhood, the view, the street, if you can.
If you were wondering about the previous unsolved photos, here's one answer and here's another.
Do you want to contribute a neighborhood photo to Where in Queens? Email me at queens.guide@about.com.
City Ice Pavilion - Rooftop Skating Rink in Long Island City
Images courtesy of City Ice Pavilion
On this Saturday and Sunday (Nov. 21 and 22) the City Ice Pavilion skating rink opens up with a party and free skating. It's a rooftop rink - the only one in NYC -- that's covered an "air dome." Sounds like the real deal -- "NHL-sized" rink according to the press release -- with lessons, figure skating, and hockey. And it's so out of left field that it could actually be a blast.
The location is in the midst of warehouse and taxi land, close to LaGuardia CUNY and west of Sunnyside. There's nothing else to do in the immediate vicinity. Go to Sunnyside to eat afterwards.
City Ice Pavilion is at 47-32 32nd Place, Long Island City, NY 11101. That's a couple blocks from the 7 train - 33rd Street at Queens Boulevard, and close to Queensboro Bridge.
If you try out the rink, please let us know how it is. Ice skating is the best.
