It’s in Queens! (June 5 Through June 9)
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.
World’s Fair Anniversary Celebration to Last All Afternoon on Sunday
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.
Flushing Meadows Corona Park Ready to Host Eight-Hour Anniversary Festival on May 18th
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