Click the heading above to view ethinic & religious events this month in Queens. Click the following links to go directly into one of these Queens Neighborhoods: Astoria, Flushing, Jackson Heights, Jamaica, Long Island City and Sunnyside. You may also click here to go to our Queens Parades section or to our ethnic, religious & holidays in Queens section.
St Pats Day Parades in All 5 Boros of NYC
This is a Look at All of the Upcoming St Patricks Day Parades, Including Photos of those We've Covered Over the Years with Links to a Page Containing Photos and Descriptions of Some of the Best Irish Pub in Each Borough
February 28, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC. Continued.
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St Patricks Day Parades in Queens NYC
Also for Queens Irish pubs and restaurants see our compendium - St Pat's Day Irish Pubs, Bars & Restaurants Queens. These will be updated next week.
Saturday, March 4, 2023. The Queens County St. Patrick's Day Parade in the Rockaways kicks off at 1 pm at Beach 130th and Newport Avenue. Church services at Francis de Sales Church [129th and Newport Avenue] will be held prior to the parade. The parade marches east down Newport Avenue to 116th Street, where it turns right / heads south one block to Rockaway Blvd - where it turns left and continues east down Rockaway Blvd to 102nd Street terminating near a shopping center parking lot. This parade is in the Rockaways neighborhood of Queens and as of 2023, this parade is in its 48th year.
For more details see - https://queenscountyparade.org/
Sunday, March 5, 2023. The St. Pat's for All Parade in Sunnyside begins with speeches and music at 12 noon, and then kicks off from Skillman Avenue and 43rd Street in Sunnyside, Queens ending 15 blocks further east at 58th Street in Woodside. The St Pats for All Parade was founded in 2000 in response to the Manhattan St Pats Parade boycott of LGBTQ folks marching as openly gay. The Manhattan St Pats Parade has since dropped that policy and permits openly gay members of the community to march in the parade.
The photo at right was taken at the St Pats for All Parade in Sunnyside in 2012. This link will take you to a section of our coverage of the St Pats Parades in Queens NYC. Please be advised that as of this post [2/27/23] we've not finished cleaning up the linked section since we migrated to a new web platform late last year. Those 'elements' in the linked report represent stories we need to add back as the 'elements' technology from the old platform no longer functions.
For further details on the St Pats for All Parade see - https://www.stpatsforall.org/
Saturday, March 25, 2023 beginning at 1 pm the Bayside St. Patrick's Day Parade marches down Bell Blvd between 35th and 42nd Avenues. The parade is a fairly new one, now in its fifth or sixth year [2023].
For further details see their Facebook page - www.facebook.com/baysidestpatricksdayparade as their website as of this post on 2.28.23 is currently having issues - www.baysidesaintpatricksdayparade.org.
Things To Do Presidents Day Weekend - Queens Events Presidents Day Weekend Queens NYC
Things To Do Presidents Day Weekend Queens
Things To Do In Queens Over The Presidents Day Weekend
February 17, 2023 / Things To Do Queens NY / Queens Buzz NYC.
NYC Weather. The temperature highs Friday, Saturday and Sunday will range from the high 40's to the low 50's, before rising on Monday into the high 50's. The temperature lows will fall to 30 on Friday, rising to 35 on Saturday, to 45 on Sunday, before descending into the high 30's on Monday. No precipitation is forecast. It's going to be a fairly windy weekend, with the winds at 20 mph Friday, falling to 5 - 10 mph on Saturday and Sunday, and then rising again to about 10 mph on Monday. The humidity will be 50% - 60% on Friday, falling to 40% - 50% on Saturday, rising to 50% - 70% on Sunday, before falling back to about 50% on Monday. Click for Queens Weather.
The photo at right was taken at Four Freedoms Park on Roosevelt Island which commemorates Franklin Delano Roosevelt's 1941 speech declarating the inalienable rights of all people. The four freedoms are 1) Freedom of Speech, 2) Freedom of Worship, 3) Freedom of Want and 4) Freedom of Fear.
Presidents Day is a federal holiday when all local, state and federal government offices are closed, which generally includes public schools - unless the district uses the holiday to make up a snow day, which is highly unlikely this year since there hasn't been any measureable snow.
Presidents Day is a time to reflect on the performance of our current presidents and legislators, to see how they stack up versus their historical peers. And in that reflection it's worth asking ourselves what we've done to contribute or detract from the national conversation.
Brief History of Presidents Day Holiday in NYC
A day commemorating Lincoln's birthday was first passed in Buffalo, New York in the early 1870's. Presidents Day originated as Washington's Birthday which was a holiday narrowly prescribed for federal government offices in Washington, D.C. in 1879. The holiday was dedicated to honoring the memory of the first American president, George Washington who was born on February 22, 1732.
In 1885 the holiday was expanded to include all federal government offices around the nation. In 1951 there was a push to create a Presidents Day holiday [vs a George Washington's birthday holiday] to include President Lincoln whose birthday is February 12, 1809 and was also celebrated by localities, but it didn't pass.
In 1971 the holiday was moved off of George Washington's birth date to being the third Monday in February. Thus while it never falls upon Washington's birthday 2/22, the official name of the holiday remains Washington's Birthday. But today, most folks refer to it as Presidents Day and to recognize the presidents who honored the U.S. Constitution and served the interests of the people.
- CLICK here to continue reading our report about Queens - things to do Presidents Day Weekend QNS / events in Queens NYC.
Holiday Events In Queens - Christmas, Hanukkah & Kwanzaa Events Queens
Queens Holiday Events & Queens Holiday Things To Do
Christmas Tree Lightings, Hanukkah Menorah Lightings, & Kwanzaa Candle Lightings in Queens
December 16, 2022 / Astoria Neighborhood / Long Island City LIC Neighborhood / Sunnyside Neighborhood / Woodside Neighborhood / Jackson Heights Neighborhood / Corona Neighborhood / Flushing Neighborhood / Jamaica Neighborhood / Queens Neighborhoods NYC / Queens Things To Do Holidays / Queens Buzz NYC.
*** Be sure to visit our Queens holiday markets page, as it contains related holiday events with a shopping element to them.
*** For links to holiday events and markets in all five boroughs of NYC scroll down to the bottom of this report.
EDITOR NOTE. While it seems we've turned the corner on the CoVid pandemic, remember caution is the better part of valor. Try to maintain some social distance, when in a crowded place consider wearing a mask and if you're not feeling well, give yourself a break and enjoy some time at home.
How The Queens Holiday Events Page on this Page are Organized
These holiday events on Queens are organized as follows:
1. BY NEIGHBORHOODS OF QUEENS
2. BY DATE
Watch carefully as some locales have multiple dates, and all dates for a given locale are shown at the time the venue is first listed.
3. ALL OF THESE ARE FREE UNLESS FEES ARE SPECIFIED.
4. Note QUEENS HOLIDAY MARKETS are published on a separate page - the links to which are posted at the bottom of this page, along with links to other boroughs.
Queens Holiday Lights, Christmas Tree Lightings, Hanukkah Menorah Lightings, Kwanzaa Candle Lightings Background
The holidays are a special time of the year. In ancient times there were harvest celebrations to give thanks and enjoy the bounty after a long growing and harvesting season aka a year of work.
Holiday lighting festivals and ceremonies have been on the rise in Queens in recent years. While some date back many years, most are traditions that started within the past five or ten years.
What does an increase in holiday lightings mean? It means you have ample opportunity to go yourself, or with friends, or to take your kids to one or more of them to learn a bit more about your own culture or the culture of others.
Each lighting is a bit different, as some are community and business-oriented, some are religiously oriented, a few have arts organizations behind them, and some are backed by non-religious cultural organizations. Please feel free to send us a notice of your holiday lighting event if it's not posted herein.
Queens Christmas, Hanukkah & Kwanzaa Holiday Events Begin in Earnest
This is not meant to be a complete list, but rather a list of the holiday lighting events, many of which I’ve attended one or more times since late 2007. The holiday lighting events are organized individually by each Queens neighborhood including Astoria, Long Island City LIC, Sunnyside, Woodside, Jackson Heights, Corona, Flushing, Jamaica and Whitestone. Many include the serving of some beverage like hot chocolate and generally something to munch on like cookies.
- Click here for a schedule of the Xmas / Christmas Tree Lightings, Hanukkah Menorah Lightings, Kwanzaa Candle Lightings - Holiday events in Queens - Kwanzaa, Hanukkah & Christmas Queens.
Things To Do Memorial Day Weekend In Queens
Things To Do Memorial Day Weekend in Queens NYC
Things To Do In Queens Over The Memorial Day Weekend of 2023
May 26, 2023 / Things To Do Queens NY / Queens Buzz NYC.
This is a report containing things to do in Queens over the Memorial Day Weekend.
Weather. Coming later today.
Click for an up-to-date forecast of Queens Weekend Weather.
The things to do in Queens on Memorial Day Weekend include art exhibitions, theater, live music, comedy, dance, shopping, outdoor activities such as soccer, kyaking, baseball, parades, street fairs, museums and dining in the Astoria, Jackson Heights, Elmhurst, Long Island City, LIC, Sunnyside, Woodside, Jamaica, Forest Hills, Flushing, Corona neighborhoods in Queens NYC.
Be sure to check our Memorial Day Weekend things to do, which we post on Friday afternoon leading into the Memorial Day Weekend in Queens NYC.
Brief History of the Memorial Day Holiday in Queens NYC
Memorial Day first started out as Decoration Day in Waterloo, New York on May 30, 1866 - a year after the Civil War - to honor those who fought in it. In the 1880's the day came to be known as Memorial Day.
According to a May 25, 2012 report in Time Magazine, ten states - Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North and South Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee also officially observe some version of a Confederate Memorial Day, sometime between late April and early June [in Texas it's in January]. It's been reported that unofficially most of the former Confederate states still commemorate it, but not without some controversy as to the former Confederate diaspora it's to honor their ancestors, while to the former diaspora of the slaves it seems a remnant of these states racist past.
About ten percent of the nation travels more than 50 miles over the weekend. Memorial Day differs from Veterans Day which is held on November 11th of each year. Veterans Day began by honoring those who fought in World War I which ended on the 11th hour, of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. Both honor those who served in the U.S. Military. Veterans Day coincides with a similar holiday in Europe for the same reason, which is called Remembrance Day and Armistice Day.
Things to do in Other NYC Boroughs Memorial Day Weekend
Things to do Manhattan Memorial Day Weekend NYC and Queens Things To Do Memorial Day Weekend NYC and Things to do Bronx Memorial Day Weekend NYC and Brooklyn Things To Do Memorial Day Weekend NYC and Staten Island Things To Do Memorial Day Weekend NYC.
- Click here to view the rest of our report of things to do Memorial Day Weekend in Queens. And we'll have more to add by Friday.
queens culture ethnic & religious culture in queens ny
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The Road Ahead 2018
A Few Axioms To Keep In Mind Throughout The New Year
January 2, 2018 / Queens Neighborhoods / Queens Holidays / Queens Buzz NYC.
For many of us, yesterday started the beginning of the new year.
I used to make new years resolutions that generally lasted a few days or few weeks. Over time I've given that up and have focused on a few guiding principles that I work toward throughout the year, every year.
1. The first guidepost is to keep things as simple as possible by letting things go, so I can change and evolve who I am. Over time it's important to learn to let go of the past which includes letting many of the people, projects and things - that were once so meaningful and relevant - fade away with time. This process involves discarding much of what one collects, in order to open up life to make room for new possibilities.
2. The second guidepost is to take care of the vessel that carries one's being - meaning taking care of the body because it's the only one we'll ever get, and it has to last an entire lifetime. This means consuming the foods that will enable the body to function properly and ward off disease, while recognizing that satisfying the mind is important too, as it's a part of the body. There are three elements to this guideline.
a _ Try to maximize consumption of natural foods while managing / minimalizing consumption of the delicious processed foods that come in packages. Read package container nutrition labels which indicate the amount of fat, sugar, sodium and cholesterol consumed per serving. The balance of natural and processed foods will shift depending on what's going on in life.
b _ Reduce consumption of toxins by first paying attention to the quantities consumed of them, and then by substituting the toxins with healthier choices. For example dilute a soft drink with seltzer water [cuts sugar], or swap in a lemonade for a beer [cuts alcohol], or swap in pretzels for potato chips [cuts salt and fat]. Over the years these little substitutions can add up to some fair measure of weight loss, and can aid in maintaining generally good health. But it's also important not to deprive oneself, too much, of some of the simple pleasures in life that keep one going - because my experience has been that whenever I'm too draconian, there's a subconscious rebellion, and the program doesn't work.
c _ The third element of this guidepost is to try to walk and bike whenever possible. It's a good way to kill two birds with one stone as it enables getting somewhere, while also getting some exercise. And be sure to carve out enough time each night, for a proper rest.
3. The third guidepost is to try to move your life in the direction of your interests. This will likely take a great many years, as well as needing to make a good number of economic and other trade offs. But if successful, one can then spend most of their time doing the things that totally engage them. It's said that "when someone is doing something they truly love, they'll never have to work another day in their life."
4. And the fourth guidepost is to keep on learning, because "luck is when preparation meets opportunity". So the more you learn, and the more experience you get, the better prepared you'll be ... come what may.
May your new year be filled with promise and possibilities. Best wishes for a happy and successful 2018.
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Queens Holiday Events Underway
Woodside on the Move Tree Lighting & Caroling
Posted December 5th / December 2, 2017 / Woodside Neighborhood / Queens Holiday Events / Queens Buzz NYC.
There's been a surge of holiday activities - which began just shortly before Thanksgiving Day - and which this past weekend went full throttle. And there's more to follow.
The temperatures were unseasonally balmy, with the mercury level near 60 degrees on late Saturday afternoon, as I headed down to Woodside to cover the Woodside on the Move annual Christmas tree lighting. As I approached Sohcke Square I could see a crowd gathered along Woodside Avenue just east of 58th Street where the street had been blocked, and a stage had been erected. I shot a few photos while listening to the speaker and surveying the crowd.
After a while I heard a marching band in the distance, and wondered how they fit into this event, as over the past decade a marching band had not been previously included as a part of the performances. As it turns out, there was a separate group celebration, which had put together a sidewalk parade, that included people dressed like the Biblical Mary and Joseph, who were followed by other marchers dressed up and carrying flowers followed by a sizeable marching band. I'll post a bit of video late today or on Wednesday.
The children of PS 11, PS 151, PS 152 & PS 361 were scheduled to give musical performances, so I recorded a brief video of one of them, which I'll include with the video mentioned above. Anyhow, the kids and the parents all seemed to be enjoying themselves and the tree looked really good, possibly better than ever. The moon was shining high in the sky, as I made my way west to Sunnyside to view the festival on Skillman Avenue.
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Fiery Dragon Heats Up Boat Festival
August 2017 / Flushing Neighborhood / Part Fiction & Part Fact / Chinese Culture in Queens / Queens Buzz NYC.
It was a warm weekend at the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in the Flushing neighborhood of Queens. But not too warm to prevent the legendary fiery dragon, a symbol of good fortune, to grace the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival with his presence [see photo to right].
The fiery dragon came rampaging through the festival lawn, seeming to blow flames from its mouth, out into the hot air. Thankfully Meadow Lake was nearby.
Is this a fictitious tale you may ask? Only the dragon knows for sure.
The 27th Annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival was held in Queens on Meadow Lake. Meadow Lake is located in the southern end of Flushing Corona Meadows Park, well past the Unisphere and roller rink. The races were held on both Saturday and Sunday during the day. There were reportedly over 2,000 participants in the races, which included serious racers and racers just out to have a fun time. And many thousands of spectators.
Queens Fireworks Celebrating July 4th
Queens has Fireworks Displays in Bayside, Astoria & in the Rockaways - but the Macy's 4th of July Fireworks has Moved Down River
June 25, 2019 / Queens Neighborhoods NYC / Queens Holidays NYC / Queens Buzz NYC.
The following are the dates and locations of the legal fireworks displays in Queens over the next week or so leading up to and just beyond the July 4th holiday.
It begins in Bayside on Wednesday, June 26th beginning around 9 pm when the fireworks will be shot into the air off a barge on Little Neck Bay which you can get a good view of from the Bayside Historical Society.
The next evening on Thursday, June 27th in Astoria Park there are fireworks which are preceded by a concert that begins around 7 pm on the Great Lawn. The fireworks begin about dusk, which is just past 9.30 pm but each year more people attend this event, so I recommend you go early.
The big event is of course on July 4th, beginning just before 9.30 pm, when the Macy's 4th of July fireworks takes to the sky. But this year the fireworks have been moved south of the Brooklyn Bridge on the East River [Between Pier 17 and Manhattan Heliport], so the view from Long Island City in Queens won't be what it has been in prior years.
And last, but not least, are the Breezy Point fireworks in the Rockaway Inlet on July 5th beginning at 9.30 pm. The Breezy Point Co-Op is the sponsor and you might want to leave early to find a good spot.
HORROR on Ditmars ends Ghoulishly in Astoria Park
The Astoria Family Halloween Parade Marches Down Ditmars to Astoria Park Halloween Celebration
October 30, 2016 / Astoria Neighborhood / Holidays in Astoria Queens / Queens Buzz.
It was ghoulish, it was hairy and in fact it was just plain, downright SCARY. There’s just no other way to describe the Astoria Family Halloween Parade.
There were ghosts, goblins, witches, monsters and people back from the dead. They came by the hundreds and in all sizes. They were tall, small and everything in between. There were likely over one thousand people who came to participate in the tenth annual Astoria Family Halloween Parade.
Yet, even though I was surrounded by all of these frightening monsters, I felt a certain calm. Why? Why so calm amidst all of this horror?
IT WAS SCARY, BUT ... thankfully there were plenty of Super Heroes Around
Because there were possibly even more superheroes in the crowd. Wonder Woman, Superman, Batwoman, Batman and how about those Ninja Turtles?
The ghouls, goblins and their parents congregated at Ditmars & 31st Street beginning at 11.30 am filling all four corners and then some with plenty of people decked out in full Halloween garb. The weather was amply cooperative climbing well into the 70’s and I heard some of the monsters complain that they were overheating … but not the devils … they seemed to feel right at home – if not a bit chilly.
The police cordoned off one lane of Ditmars between 31st Street and Astoria Park and at noon, the families packed up and marched down to Astoria Park along the East River. The families came streaming down the Great Lawn and started taking their places on the grass in front of the stage erected by the Central Astoria Local Development Corporation also known as CALDC.
CALDC had organized a Halloween event, which they called the First Annual Batty Over Halloween Celebration. The free event included face painting, balloon twisting, a children's Halloween sing along, cotton candy and munchkin pumpkins giveaway.
All in all it made for a fun outing for the kids and parents of the neighborhood who embraced both the parade and the Halloween after party. The parade was started around 2006 and continues to be organized by the Astoria Moms Meetup Group and Queens Mamas.
Click here to view the Astoria Family Halloween Parade 2016 slide show.
Columbus Day Parade in Astoria
Beautiful Day to Enjoy a Parade Along Steinway & 30th Streets
October 12, 2016 / Astoria Neighborhood / Holidays in Queens / Queens Buzz.
The 39th Annual Columbus Day Parade returned to Astoria last weekend. People lined the streets of Astoria to watch the parade which included a number of local Italian organizations including soccer groups, Italian clubs, school groups and floats.
A number of local government representatives also marched in the parade including NYC Councilman Constantinides, Assemblywoman Simotas and Senator Gianaris.
The weather cooperated, as it was in the 60's and sunny and dry. The parade commemorates Italian Christopher Columbus' discovery of America in 1492. And the parade was organized by the Astoria Chapter of the Federation of Italian Americans.
The photo above was taken in a prior year.
Only in Queens
Muslims & Jews Organize Iftar Ramadan Dinner
June 7, 2016 / Forest Hills Neighborhood / Religion & Culture in Queens / Queens Buzz.
Only in Queens. On Thursday June 9th, the Turkish Cultural Center and the Central Queens Y will break bread together at an Iftar Ramadan dinner beginning at sundown [7.30 pm] at the Central Queens Y at 67-09 108th Street in Forest Hills.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim year and the holiest month of the Islamic year. During this time Muslims pay special attention to praying, fasting and reflecting upon their lives. The Islamic Holy Month has similarities to the Christian Lenten season, as well as the Judaic Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur.
Islamic cultural traditions are based upon the lunar calendar, so the Ramadan Holy Month moves slightly around the solar calendar, from year to year. This year Ramadan began on June 5th and will end on July 5th. Attendees of all faiths are welcomed, as are families. The intent is to embrace a harmonious understanding of our shared planetary cultural identities, which the framers of the U.S. Constitution had envisioned centuries ago when they founded this nation.
The Iftar Dinner will be a dairy Middle Eastern meal catered by Meal Mart from Kew Gardens Hills. Meal Mart is Glatt Kosher and is under the supervision of the Vaad Harabonim of Queens. The meal costs $15 per adult and children under 12 are $5 each. Reservations may be made by registering online at www.cqy.org/tickets or you can call 718.268.5011 - ext 151, or email pkurtz@cqy.org.
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Colombian Festival of Flowers Parade
Celebration of Colonial Past & Current Colombian Floral Industry
July 13, 2015 / Jackson Heights Neighborhood / Queens Parades / Queens Buzz.
I attended the Colombian Festival of Flowers Parade on Sunday in Jackson Heights. The parade started at 12 noon at 69th Street on Northern Blvd and marched up to 86th Street. It was a three hour parade with a full coterie of floats, dancers, musicians and marchers - many of which were dressed in classical couture or costume.
The Festival of Flowers originated in the city Medellin in Colombia nearly 60 years ago.
Based on what I could gather [but not confirm] the parade has been morphing and evolving over the years. When it originated, the festival was focused on flowers and was celebrated in May in with some association with a feast celebrating the Christian Jesus' Mother Mary.
In recent years it has been celebrated in August [in Colombia] and associated with the independence of the Colombian state in which Medellin is located. Somewhere along the way classic autos became a part of the parade in Colombia, and we also saw a number of classical autos in the parade in Jackson Heights.
Another feature of the parade is the depiction of the silleros. The silleros were the human pack bearers of the Spanish during colonial times. Oftentimes carrying loads of 50 to 100 lbs across treacherous jungle or mountain terrain. These peasant people are celebrated in the parade by people who bear large floral arrangements which show a crest [and today large corporate brands] in an emblematic arrangement.
It's worth noting that in late July the Colombian Independence Parade marches along the same route in Jackson Heights next week.
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4th of July Fireworks Queens
Astoria Park Fireworks Celebration Tonight
June 30, 2015 / Astoria Neighborhood / Queens Culture / Queens Buzz.
Tonight there's an independence fireworks celebration in Astoria Park beginning at 7.30 pm. It's a near perfect night for them as the highs today will be around 80 and the lows in the mid 60's, with scant chance of any rain.
The festivities will begin with a concert on the Great Lawn. The West Point Band of the U.S. Military Academy will be performing a number of classical American tunes along with 19th century classical music.
Around dusk which has generally been around 9.30 pm, but is sometimes sooner because of cloud cover, the fireworks by the Grucci Brothers begins.
The fireworks are some of the best 4th of July fireworks in the city and generally last about a half hour. And then ... it's over. The community event is organized by the Central Astoria Local Development Corporation [aka CALDC].
On July 4th Queens will have a second opportunity to watch the fireworks, sponsored by Macy's, which are on the East River. Enjoy.
Memorial Day With Chief Joseph
A Conversation in First Calvary Cemetery in Queens
May 24, 2015 / Woodside & Maspeth Neighborhoods / Queens Culture / Queens Fiction / Queens Buzz.
On Memorial Day, I decided to make a trip to the First Calvary Cemetery to visit the graves of those who gave their lives defending this nation where the founding charters promise all [wo]men the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. They fought for a noble cause I thought as I made my way, on a beautiful day, to the Calvary cemetery in Queens.
The First Calvary cemetery opened in the late 1840’s [circa 1847 – 1848] and was located only a short ferry ride away from Manhattan, up Newtown Creek. A couple more cemeteries were opened as the 19th century wore on, as most of Queens was still rural farmlands and woodlands. Many of the burials of the first century of operation were of Catholic Irish, Italian and Polish immigrants - including many children. And many soldiers had been buried here as well, most of whom were from the Civil War era.
As I was viewing a collection of the tombstones, reflecting on the lives sacrificed in the war over slavery, as well as the more recent wars that pulled nearly the entire planet into battle, a human figure in the distance caught my attention. A man appeared to be making his way toward me, in this lonely empty section of the cemetery. I pulled out of my musings, and began to focus on his emerging presence as he made his way up the hill.
He was an old man, of medium height, with long black and grey hair and a weathered, leathery skin. He was wearing an old work shirt and dark trousers and beaten leather shoes. No, they were mocassins.
His countenance resembled that of a legendary Indian: Chief Joseph. Chief Joseph was a tribal leader of the Nez Perce tribe in the Wallowa Valley in northeast Oregon. Chief Joseph was born in 1840, only years before this cemetery was founded. And he had visited New York City in 1897 to march alongside Buffalo Bill in a Wild West Parade.
He slowly raised his right arm, palm open and fingers standing straight up like a Boy Scout, and in a deep full voice he said,
“How.”
I stood a bit at attention as I returned the greeting.
“Hi. How are you doing?”
He spoke again, this time in a language I did not understand.
“Mumba goycha tay.”
I looked at him and shook my head back and forth indicating that I did not understand what he’d just said.
The Memorial Day fiction in Calvary Cemetery in Queens to be continued at a later date.
Liberian President Visits York College
Women's Month: Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Is First Female President Of African Nation & 2011 Nobel Peace Prize Winner
March 16, 2015 / Jamaica NY / Ethnic Culture / Queens Buzz. I had an opportunity to attend a public interview of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the first female president of an African nation. President Johnson Sirleaf won the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize with two other African women for their non-violent work to provide safety to women on the African continent, and for their efforts to include women as full participants in the peace building process.
Author. President Johnson Sirleaf recently published a book entitled, This Child Will Be Great, which carries the message that you can grow up to be whatever you want to be, if you're willing to work at it. And I suppose Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's life serves as a case in point.
Parentage & Education. President Sirleaf grew up the daughter of mixed race, as her father was from a Pakistani / Indian tribe that settled in western Africa, and her mother was a mix of German and African blood. She was born in 1938 in Monrovia, the capital of Liberia, and married at the age of 17 in 1956. She attended college and in 1961, several years after her marriage, she moved to the U.S. with her husband where she attended the Madison Business College in Madison, Wisconsin. She also studied economics in Boulder, Colorado and earned a Master of Public Administration degree from the JFK School of Government at Harvard in 1971.
Click here to read the rest of our story about a Nobel Prize Winner's visit to Queens.
Jackson Heights Halloween Parade Photos
Parade More Like A Community Costume Party
November 3, 2014 / Jackson Heights Neighborhood / Queens Parades / Queens Buzz. I attended the annual Jackson Heights Beautification Group's Kids Halloween Parade on Friday evening. I arrived shortly after it began and started photographing all of the parents and children in costume.
Unlike other parades, given this one was dedicated to the kids, there didn't seem to be the boundaries between parade marchers and the parade audience that one normally encounters. Those in the parade interacted with the audience, many of whom were family, friends and neighbors. And the parade more meandered than marched, with the kids in charge. It kind of felt like one big mega block party / Halloween costume ball.
We took many photos like the one you see to your right. It seems the Girl Scouts dress a bit differently than they did when I was that age. We'll post a photo slide show later today. And I have to give kudos to many of the parents, who seemed to embrace the holiday as much - or more than - their children.
Bolivian Parade In Jackson Heights NYC
Parade Showcases Bolivian Culture In Queens
October 20, 2014 / Jackson Heights Neighborhood / Ethnic Culture In Queens / Queens Buzz. Jackson Heights is the home away from home for many cultures around the world. On numerous occasions throughout the year the community is provided an opportunity to celebrate and enjoy the pageantry showcasing many different cultures from Latin America, Asia and a bit of modern day Americana.
On Sunday, the Bolivians showcased their culture by providing a panoply of dancers and musicians in costumes of eras gone by. It was a cool day and the performers used that to their advantage by performing a number of synchronized dance steps to the great amusement of the parade audience standing on the sidewalks along 37th Avenue.
We'll have a bit more to add at a later date including a photo slide show.
Ecuador Independence Parade Photos
August 2014 / Jackson Heights / Queens Parades / Queens Buzz. I attended the Ecuador Independence Parade a couple of Sundays ago in Jackson Heights & Corona. Ecuador achieved its independence from Spain in 1822 during a time when many of its Latin American neighbors were also fighting for, and winning their independence. These wars for independence took place in the second and early part of the third decades of the 1800's, which was not long after the United States won its war for independence against Great Britain in the late 1700's.
Simon Bolivar was instrumential in leading these rebellions against those in power [Spanish royalty]. Bolivar enlisted English support in these wars for independence from Spain, just as Ben Franklin had enlisted French support in the American War for Independence. In both cases they got it, as France wanted to undermine the English in the late 1700's just as the English wanted to undermine the Spanish in the early 1800's.
In Ecuador the Spanish and the native South American Indians mixed racially, so that today about two thirds of the 12.5 - 14.5 million population is of mixed Spanish and Indian blood. The remainder of the population is a mix of Indian, AfroEcuadorian and Caucasian [primarily Spanish]. Spanish is the official language, but it's estimated that about 15% of the population can speak or understand Quichua, which is the native Indian language of the South American Incas. Ecuador uses American currency as its official currency.
We'll post a slide show at a later date, including the Mayor's late arrival, which corresponded to ours.
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Ethnic & Religious Culture in Flushing & Corona
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Latin Cultural Festival at Queens Theatre In The Park
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Ethnic & Religious Culture in Jackson Heights & Elmhurst
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Colombian Parade Jackson Heights Queens - July 2012
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Jamaica Center For Arts & Learning
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Ethnic & Religious Culture in LIC Long Island City
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Ethnic & Religious Culture In Sunnyside & Woodside
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Memorial Day Parade Woodside Queens - May 2012
St Pats Parade Sunnyside Queens - March 2012
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Turkish Cultural Center in Sunnyside Queens
Christmas Tree Lighting in Sunnyside & Woodside 2010
Thalia Spanish Theater in Sunnyside Queens
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