It’s in Queens – May 2022
By Rob MacKay, Director Public Relations, Marketing & Tourism, Queens Economic Development Corporation
Probably named after Maia, the Greek goddess of growth and fertility, May is when spring flexes its muscles. The weather gets warmer. The flowers bloom. And college seniors start contemplating the future. It’s a great month to be in Queens this year, as the borough welcomes back an internationally famous night market. That’s not everything, of course. Stay local to enjoy Klezmer music, sheep-shearing, musicals, a walk down memory lane, and abundant nature.
May 1, David Krakauer and his Acoustic Klezmer Quartet, 6 pm. One of the most important and influential musicians in Jewish music today, Krakauer presents acoustic versions of his original compositions mixed with classic tunes from the traditional repertoire. The Church-in-the-Gardens, 50 Ascan Ave., Forest Hills.
May 6, Ladies Sing The Blues, 8 pm. With a seven-piece band, vocalists Catherine Russell, Brianna Thomas, and Charenee Wade channel 1920s divas Bessie “Empress of the Blues” Smith, Mamie “Queen of the Blues” Smith, Ma “Mother of the Blues” Rainey, Billie Holiday, and others. LeFrak Concert Hall, 153-49 Reeves Ave., Flushing.
May 6, Jane’s Walk Queens, May 8. Jane’s Walk is and international weekend during which volunteers lead free tours of urban areas. In Queens, historians, architects, activists, writers, and others offer 11 distinct tours of neighborhoods stretching from Jackson Heights to Rockaway.
May 6, Social Security, May 22. Douglaston Community Theatre returns with this comedy about a married couple who are art dealers. Their domestic tranquility is shattered upon the arrival of the wife’s goody-goody nerd of a sister, her uptight CPA husband, and her archetypal Jewish mother. Shows are May 6, May 7, May 13, May 14, May 20, May 21 at 8 pm and May 14 and May 22 at 2 pm. Zion Church Parish Hall, 243-01 Northern Blvd.
May 7, Queens Night Market, 5 pm. Back for a seventh year, this outdoor market features dozens of vendors that sell everything from entrées to desserts to drinks to crafts on a rolling basis on Saturdays through October. Plus, live performers join the fun in a special entertainment area. Behind the New York Hall of Science in the vicinity of 47th Avenue and 111th Street in Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
May 14, Sheep Shearing, 11 am. New York City’s only sheep-shearing festival includes wool processing, live music, tours, crafts, a scavenger hunt, hayrides, and food. Queens County Farm Museum, 73-50 Little Neck Pkwy., Glen Oaks.
May 14, Downtown Jamaica Jazz Festival, May 15. This weekend-long marathon celebrates the borough’s rich Jazz heritage with a mix of prominent musicians and emerging ones from noon to 6 pm each day. The lineup includes the Johnathan Blake Quartet, Roy Hargrove Legacy Big Band, and Jaleel Shaw Quartet. Jamaica Performing Arts Center, 153-10 Jamaica Ave.
May 15, Queens Symphony Orchestra, 4 pm. The borough’s oldest cultural group performs Brahms, Mozart, and several other great composers. St. Kevin Church, 45-21 194th St., Flushing.
May 21, Victor Provost: Steel Pannist, 7 pm. Born and raised on the Virgin Islands, Victor Provost is one of the world’s leading voices on the steelpan. He leads a musical cohort that weaves seamlessly between Caribbean Roots music, straight-ahead Jazz, and World Rhythms. Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd.
May 22, Natural Incense Crafting Workshop, 11 am. Certified aromatherapists Anna Mascia and Maegan Ratliff teach how to mix, blend shape, and form incense using herbs, wood, spices, gums, and essential oils. Alley Pond Environmental Center, 224-65 76th Ave., Oakland Gardens.
May 29, Dog Man: The Musical, 1 pm + 3 pm. TheaterWorksUSA presents this adaptation of Dav Pilkey’s best-selling series. Hilarious and heartwarming, this new production follows the protagonist who has the head of a dog and the body of a policeman. He loves to fight crime and chew on the furniture, but can he save the city from Flippy the Cyborg Fish and his army of Beasty Buildings? Queens Theatre, 14 United Nations Ave. S., Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
For more information, surf to www.itsinqueens.com.