America’s 250th birthday is this Saturday, and Queens is marking the semiquincentennial with events running from today through the end of July: a tall ship parade on the East River, LED bike rides through Flushing Meadows, a free family concert in Fresh Meadows, and a paid rooftop party in the Rockaways, among others. QNS reporter Shane O’Brien rounded up the full calendar on June 29.
Tomorrow, July 3, from 1 to 3 p.m., 25 Class B tall ships will sail down the East River from Long Island Sound toward New York Harbor. Watch from Astoria Park, Gantry Plaza State Park, or Hunters Point South Park. The ships join a larger parade on July 4.
For Ridgewood readers, Queens Public Library is running a month-long “Summer at the Library America 250 History Series” across its branches, with dozens of events throughout July, according to QNS. The Ridgewood branch is hosting a teen exhibition on the evolution of New York City on July 7. The Elmhurst branch is running an American flag exhibition for kids ages 6 to 11 today, July 2.
On July 4, Black Spectrum Theater at Roy Wilkins Park (177-01 Baisley Blvd.) is hosting a free event from noon to 5 p.m. with historical re-enactments, live music, and free food, according to QNS. The 425-seat theater is open to families, community organizations, churches, youth groups, and local businesses.
Also on July 4, NYC Parks and Friends of Cunningham Park are hosting a three-hour concert at the Cunningham Park Community Building in Fresh Meadows from 3 to 6 p.m. Utopia Winds is performing patriotic music.
The Macy’s fireworks, now in their 50th year, launch from the East River at 9:25 p.m. QNS recommends the LIC waterfront for viewing in Queens.
The Rockaway Hotel is hosting a paid rooftop event on July 4 from 6 to 10 p.m., with a live DJ, an open bar, and 360-degree views of fireworks displays. Tickets are required.
Closing soon: through July 5, the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria is running an exhibition of films told from the perspectives of historically marginalized groups. The exhibit, running since May 29, includes The Grapes of Wrath and Days of Heaven. It examines American cinema through films about collective labor, immigrant communities, and the disenfranchised.
For the rest of the month, NYC Parks and Wheel Fun Rentals are running LED bike rides at Flushing Meadows Corona Park every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 8 to 10 p.m. Surrey rentals cost $29 and light up red, white, and blue as they move through the park. Rides depart from David Dinkins Circle.
On July 15, the Bayside Historical Society at 208 Totten Ave. is hosting an evening event from 7:30 to 9 p.m. tied to an exhibit on Queens residents whose service and sacrifice shaped American history. The stories span 1657 to the present and include accounts of George Washington’s Culper Spy Ring. The exhibit has been open since June 25, and light refreshments will be served.
