Astoria

Queens Weekend: the greenest and most arty two days ever

This weekend is “It’s My Park” day. What this means is that there is a park near you that will get some TLC. Socrates Sculpture Park at 32-01 Vernon Blvd. in Long Island City, is having it’s annual Kite Flight where people will sing that Mary Poppins song: http://youtu.be/UGaTfGHELV4 Just kidding. But you can make your own…

by Queens

05/18/2012 4 minute 0

http://youtu.be/UGaTfGHELV4

Just kidding. But you can make your own kite on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and don’t worry, there will be people to instruct you and give you supplies.

As part of your green weekend, you can pick up a free tree at several borough locations as part of the city’s Million Trees giveaway. Free trees can be obtained on Saturday from 10:00 am to Noon at Astoria Park, 19th Street and Astoria Park South and at 174-10 67th Ave at PS 173. You can get more free trees on Sunday from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm at 70th Avenue and Queens Boulevard. Happy planting!

If you are more into the beach this weekend, the Rockaways will hold its first annual Bike Parade on Saturday. If you want to register to be in the parade, you may still have time. Get ready to see decorated bicycles of all types leave Jacob Riis Bathhouse at Beach 154th St. Rockaway, NY at 11 a.m. Participants will get to decorate their bikes starting at 10 a.m., or you can just show up with your bike already decked out. If you want to view parade participants, there will be a “Best of Show” competition at Beach 97th St. Beach Boardwalk at 1 p.m.

Another fun event on Saturday is the 4th Annual Build it Green Block Party from noon to 3 p.m. we love this one, because it’s basically a giant swap, where people bring anything they don’t want and exchange it for other things. You could essentially walk in with an ugly t-shirt and leave with a DVD player. The fun begins at noon in front of Build It Green! NYC’s Astoria Reuse Center at 26th Ave. between 3rd and 4th Streets. There will be music, free coffee, free face painting, screen printing and Brooklyn Grange (the roof farm in LIC) will be there so you can get your weekend produce shopping done early. Oh yeah, the Western Queens Compost Initiative will also be there to teach about worms and what not, and there will be music.

On Saturday afternoon, the Queens Museum of Art will host a free short film festival by budding borough artists from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Film fun continues on Sunday, when the museum will celebrate the 8th Anniversary of CinemaRosa, Queens’ first and only independent Queer film screening series. Films begin at 3 p.m. and there will be cake.

Sunday is community day at the Noguchi Museum, which means everyone gets in for free. Yes, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. there are all sorts of things planned, many of which are geared toward celebrating the environment.

The LIC Arts Open will continue with its amazingness all weekend. On Saturday there will be a block party on 22nd Street between 43rd and 44th Avenues from noon until 6 p.m. Highlights this weekend include the Laughing Devil Comedy Festival, where one funny winner will walk away with $25,000- for this kind of money, who knows who may participate. LICSPOT has some great posts about the Arts Open, to give you a feel for it.