Astorian Weekend Edition - May 26
By Meg of Joey in Astoria

Another holiday weekend is upon us! Memorial Day (formerly known as Decoration Day), observed the last Monday in May, commemorates US men and women who died in military service for our country. Memorial Day also means getting together with friends and family, and our warmer weather means this weekend should be quite summery and perfect for an outdoor gathering. Though there aren't any Memorial Day parades happening here in Astoria, there are quite a few parades going on around Queens.

And speaking of summery, the Water Taxi Beach in LIC is reopening this weekend! On Friday they'll be open at 4 p.m., and this holiday weekend they'll be open at noon all three days. Come by for drink, some food, and awesome views of Manhattan...from the beach!

Socrates Sculpture Park has much to offer this weekend. On Saturday morning, come join the Kripalu yoga class (11-12). Then feed your creative self at a sculpture workshop (noon-3). Mitch Miller will help you create custom tinker toys using recycled materials. On Sunday morning, join instructor Aaron Kirtz for Tai Chi (11-12). All events are free! These classes and events will happen each week, same day/time, throughout the summer. Very exciting!

Saturday night at 9 p.m. head over to Waltz for their monthly wine tasting event. $20 gets you a selection of wines, tasty snacks, and a culinary education. And at the Beer Garden this weekend (Saturday and Sunday), come for the 24nd Annual Czech & Slovak Festival! The garden will be open noon to midnight, and for $10 you can come and enjoy its fabulousness complete with music (including the Pilsner Brass Band), dancing (Limbora Slovak Folk Dancers) food (BBQ opens at 3 p.m.), and even a raffle and door prizes.