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A global family reunion will take place in Flushing Meadows Corona Park this Saturday — and everybody on the planet is invited. In the same place on the following day, a huge World’s Fair anniversary celebration will offer everything from classic cars to live music. Other activities include experimental dance, foreign films, a bike parade, racetrack art, tree-counting, and even scissor crafts. Here’s the rundown.

June 5, Global Mashup: Haiti Meets China, 8 pm. The Agoci band from Haiti serves up Kompa music, while FJ Music Fusion plays traditional Chinese music. Each group performs a set, and then both groups do an impromptu jam together. Dance lesson at 7 pm. Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Boulevard.

June 5, The Way Out, 7 pm. Screened as part of the Panorama Europe 2015 film festival,Way Out follows a Romany woman who perseveres in the face of anti-gypsy racism to find steady employment. Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave., Kaufman Arts District.

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There was nothing like the two World’s Fairs celebrated in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in 1939-40 and 1964-65. And there will never be anything like the World’s Fair 50th anniversary festival planned for the same place on June 7 of this year.

Starting at 1 pm, the roughly five-hour commemoration will include classic cars, tours of historic sites, memorabilia exhibits, puppet shows, live music, and food trucks, including one that will sell Belgian waffles, which were introduced to the U.S. during the 1964-65 fair.

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Queens Brownstoner readers have recently seen a lot of propaganda about commemorative events related to the 1939 and 1964 World’s Fairs in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. Well, here comes the granddaddy of them all. On May 18th, the borough’s largest green space hosts an eight-hour extravaganza featuring everything from carousel rides to kiddie crafts to dance performances. The festival phase (1 pm to 5 pm) includes guided tours of the World’s Fair sites, exhibits by local cultural venues, puppet shows, bouncy castles, classic cars, international food trucks and even a visit from Mr. Met. The Queens Symphony Orchestra (below) highlights the entertainment phase (5 pm to 9 pm), which features a concert by the Liverpool Shuffle, a well-respected Beatles tribute band, and a huge fireworks show. Expect some pleasant surprises too, such as Flor de Toloache, the city’s only all-female Mariachi band, and prominent 1964 figures.

Details: World’s Fair Anniversary Festival, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, May 18th, 1 pm to 9 pm, free. Because parking is limited, the event organizers suggest taking public transportation.


Top photo: NYC Parks Photo Archive; bottom photo: Queens Symphony Orchestra