What to Do in Astoria This Week: Republican Debate Watch Party, Yoga Workshops, St. Pat’s For All, and More

Each week we bring you highlights and ideas for what to do in Astoria for the week through our What to Do This Week Series.  Got suggestions of your own? Share in the comments!

Want your event included? Submit it here: weheartastoria.com/share-a-scoop

MARCH 6-12—As I mentioned last week, Tuesday, March 8 is International Women’s Day, an important holiday celebrated in many—but not all, unfortunately—countries around the world. This year’s theme is Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality. More about the day’s events from the UN can be found here.
Did you know that March is also
National Multiple Sclerosis Education and Awareness Month?

And Thursday, March 10 is World Kidney Day. I can’t recommend enough that you listen to this Freakonomics podcast about kidney donation (start at about the 16:10 mark, and here’s the full transcript of the episode).
Humans only need one kidney, BTW, and altruistic donors can save multiple lives.

Hip Opening Workshop

Led by Anne-Margaret Redding. Open to the creative energies with this juicy, hip-opening workshop! Unleash freedom and receptivity in the hips which house our creativity, sexuality, and relationship patterns!

Sunday, March 6, 1:30-3:30pm
The Giving Tree Yoga Studio | 22-56 31st Street
$35 (Members $20)

Learn more, here.

Fertile Ground New Works Showcase

Fertile Ground is a new works showcase for emerging and established artists now in its 10th season, producing the work of over 50 choreographers each year. This non-curated performance event features five or six choreographers each evening and includes a post-performance discussion with wine and cheese, moderated by Green Space’s Artistic Director, Valerie Green.

Featuring: ASHA Dance Company
Deane Movement Project
Grazia Capri
Kalamandir Dance Company
Katelyn Halpern
Rain Ross Dance

Sunday, March 6th, 7pm
Green Space | 37-24 24th Street, #301
$12 (ticketing link). Tickets are available at the door or online.

Learn more, here.

St. Pat’s for All Parade

Join us on March 6th in Sunnyside/Woodside for the 17th Annual St. Pat’s for All parade. ALL ARE WELCOME! Register your groups now at www.stpatsforall.com

Saturday, March 6, 1pm
Skillman Avenue, Sunnyside
Free

Learn more, here.

4th Annual Irish Music Festival

Kick off St. Paddy’s day festivities early! The 4th Annual Irish Music Festival presented by Sunnyside’s Boulevard Bars will take place Sunday, March 6th, starting at 3 PM after the St. Pat’s for All Parade on Skillman Avenue. Join us for authentic Irish food, drink specials, bagpipers, Irish dancing, and live Irish music. Music lineup:

• Maggie Mae’s – Eddie McCabe @ 3pm
• Bar 43 – John Malone @ 4pm
• Jack’s Fire Dept. – Joe & Declan & the Invisible Band @ 4pm
• The Gaslight – Krash @ 5pm
• Arriba Arriba – DJ Lao @ 6pm
• The Courtyard Ale House – The Prodigals @ 8pm
• McGuinness’s Saloon – John Henshaw & Friends
• Molly Blooms – Music TBD

Sunnyside’s Boulevard Bars most recently raised more than $5,000 for charity with its annual Santathon pub crawl and delivered toys to local organizations helping families most in need during the holiday season, including The Floating Hospital, Hour Children, Inc., Queen of Angels RC Church, St Raphael’s Church, Block Institute, and Inspiracion En Cristo/Christian & Missionary Alliance Church.

Sunday, March 6, 3pm
Location: Various (see above)
Food and drink specials available

Learn more, here.

Community Voice Meeting

Join us next week, March 8th, for our monthly Community Voice meeting at Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden.

Our monthly meetings are the best way to stay in the know about Astoria Park happenings. We cover upcoming events, advocacy topics, and other important updates for the community.

Tuesday, March 8, 7-8:30pm
Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden | 29-19 24th Avenue
Free

Learn more, here.

LIC Reading Series

LIC Reading Series is proud to present John Leguizamo, Mira Jacob, and Tracy O’Neill.

Due to limited seating, we invite you to guarantee your spot at the reading by pre-purchasing one or more of the author’s books (1 book = 1 seat). A book purchased for guaranteed entry to this event will be available for pick up at LIC Bar on March 8th, starting at 7pm.

Please select the Store Pickup option at check out and write “LIC Reading Series” in the Comments section of your order. Plan to arrive at LIC Bar by 7:30pm to pick up your book & your wristband. After 7:45pm, we’ll move to any waitlist.

Books not picked up at the event will be available for pick up at Astoria Bookshop starting March 9th, 2016. If you are unable to attend but would like a signed copy, please indicate that in the comments field and we will be happy to oblige.

Tuesday, March 8, 8-10pm
LIC Bar Carriage House | 45-58 Vernon Boulevard
Free

Learn more, here.

Drink & Draw

Mark your calendars for Drink & Draw night! Let your creative juices flow while sipping the drink of the gods. BYO-drawing materials! We will also have drawing materials on hand in the form of paper, crayons, & markers.

We will get started at 7pm and feel free to show up anytime after and get your draw on! The event goes until 10pm. See you Wednesday!

Wednesday, March 9, 7-10pm
Astoria Bier and Cheese – Ditmars | 35-11 Ditmars Blvd
Free

Spring Softball Kickoff & Signups

Spring softball is almost here! Join us Wednesday night as we welcome the start of the 2016 spring season! At this awesome event you will be able to:

Sign up in person (Season dues: Returning players $35, new players $45*)
Meet and talk with league officials
Purchase Astoria Social merchendise like can coozies and T-shirts
Enjoy the generous drink specials!:
$16 all pitchers
$5 happy hour well drinks
$6 Apple whiskey sour
$20/6 Bud, BudLight, Coors buckets
$20/5 Corona, Heineken, Amstel buckets
And after stick around to hear our very own Joe McCarthy (DJ Jazzy Joe) hosting karaoke starting at 9:30pm

So come out and meet some new friends and get ready for softball at Whitey Ford Field this April!

*Please bring cash or check for registration or merchadise purchases. Online signups will allow credit card payment but won’t be open until after the event, and space will be limited!

Wednesday, March 9, 7pm
ZBar Astoria | 26-12 Hoyt Avenue South
Drink specials

Learn more, here.

Boundless Tales Reading Series

Hosted by Audrey Dimola, this month’s readers are:

George Held is a former Queens College professor and a Fulbright lecturer in the former Czechoslovakia. An eight-time Pushcart Prize nominee, he publishes poems, fiction, and book reviews, both online and in print, and Garrison Keillor read one of Held’s poems on A Writer’s Almanac. His recent books include Neighbors: The Water Critters (2015), the third volume of animal poems for children illustrated by Joung Un Kim. About his poetry chapbook Bleak Splendor (2016), Anton Yakovlev writes that it “bear[s] the full weight of a master poet’s devastating wit and lifelong wisdom.”

Leona Godin is a writer, performer and doctor of philosophy. She received her PhD in Early Modern Literature from NYU’s English department and currently lives in Astoria, Queens. She has written and produced two plays: The Star of Happiness, about Helen Keller’s time on vaudeville and The Spectator & the Blind Man, about the very sexy history of the invention of braille. Her writing has recently appeared or is forthcoming in FLAPPERHOUSE, Newtown Literary, Danse Macabre, and Quail Bell Magazine, where she is a regular contributor. Read all things Godin at DrMLGodin.com.

Andrés Castro is Brooklyn born, Bronx raised, has been a Kew Gardens resident along with his wife for over 35 years, and self-identifies as a Nuyorican Latino American. His son is a public school teacher in Queens and his daughter and son-in-law teach in the U.K. He is a PEN member; listed in the Directory of Poets and Writers; founding editor of The U.S. Latino Review (1999-2002) and The Teacher’s Voice (2004-2014); a member of his local NYC OEM Community Emergency Response Team (CERT); a Poetry Workshop Facilitator at the Kew Gardens Community Center; and a USPTA certified tennis pro since 1980. He states that he has looked for meaningful paying work since being laid off in 2013 for not being a pretty and compliant 25 year-old female who fit a newly hired manager’s talent search; and that approaching the age of 58, only unpredictably compliant and predictably male, with two undergraduate degrees (Psychology & English), an MFA, and recently completing the Antioch Post MFA Certificate program in Creative Writing Pedagogy, he would simply like to give introductory poetry writing workshops. Andrés just renewed his NY State Security Guard License, so is planning to return to work that he found strangely enjoyable years ago while working at the Met Museum of Art, if all else fails. He asks to be contacted at andrescastroworks@gmail.com to commiserate or to offer him legal, hopefully, ethical employment.

Steven T. Licardi is the author of “Death By Active Movement” (Local Gems Press, 2013), and is a spoken word poet, actor, motivational speaker, and activist from Long Island. Steven uses his work to engage in political discourse in order to positively impact communities and bring about social change. He believes in the power of art to teach love, altruism, selflessness, and compassion. For more, visit his website: www.TheSvenBo.com

Thursday, March 10, 7-8:30pm
Astoria Bookshop | 31-29 31st Street
Free

Learn more, here.

Japan Week 2016 NYC

Uncover Japan’s Best-Kept Secrets

Japan Week is back at Grand Central Terminal on March 10-12, 2016!

This year, discover Hokkaido and Northern Tohoku, home to natural and man-made wonders that even seasoned travelers miss.

Organized by Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), Japan Week is a promotional tourism event in New York City that celebrates Japan as a premiere travel destination. Free and open to the public, visitors are invited to discover exciting locales all across Japan and to experience the art, crafts, food, and technology of Japanese culture. Japan week is a cooperative effort between JNTO, diverse businesses in both New York City and Japan, and local Japanese governments. For more information on travel to Japan, go to www.us.jnto.go.jp

Thursday March 10 – Saturday March 12, 1-7pm each day
Vanderbilt Hall – Grand Central Station | New York
Free

Learn more, here.

Social Branding for Entrepreneurs

For attending this workshop, all attendees will receive discounts from Jasmine on her Social Branding books, videos and online courses. Who is this for? Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners Topics to be covered: What is a Social Brand ? How Can You Define Your Own Powerful Social Brand How Do You Prepare for Your Brand What Are the Benefits of Social Branding Examples of Successful Social Brands Initial, Actionable Steps an Entrepreneur can Take to Create Their Own Social Brand

About the speaker: Jasmine Sandler, with over 15 years’ of Senior-level B2B client Digital Marketing Consulting and CEO experience at her own Digital Agency, is an Internet Marketing industry awarded Top 40 Digital Marketing Strategist (2012, 2013, 2014); Top SEO Influencer on Twitter (2014) and Top Content Marketer (2014).She is a global keynote speaker, consultant and trainer on B2B Social Media Marketing Strategies, LinkedIn Selling, SEO and Online Branding for Key Executives. Jasmine is the author of (2) successful Amazon books on Online Branding and Social Selling strategies: “Branding & Sales: The LinkedIn Way”, and “How to Brand Yourself Online like a CEO”. She is the CEO of Agent-cy Online Marketing and creator of multiple Digital Marketing training programs for B2B Sales and Marketing teams.

Jasmine Sandler’s training topics, published articles and whitepapers, presentations, sample speaking videos, audio interviews, client testimonials and digital marketingconsulting services can be found at www.jasminesandler.com/. Follow her on Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, Google +, Pinterest, Instagram, & YouTube

Thursday, March 10, 7pm
QNS Collective | 36-27 36th Street
$40 non-members, $30 members (ticketing link)

Learn more, here.

Joe Jung & Friends

A night of tunes at Rest-Au-Rant. Want to join in? Bring your axe and a song and let’s have a hootenanny!

Thursday, March 10, 9pm-midnight
Rest-au-Rant | 30-01 35th Ave
No cover charge

Learn more, here.

Republican Debate Watch Party

Join us for what is sure to be a hilarious viewing of the Republican Debate here at QED. We will be screening the event “Mystery Science Theater 3000” style as comedians/ political commentators add their two cents over a microphone during the debate.

Featuring pre-show comedy and debate commentary by*:
Frank Conniff (Mystery Science Theater 3000)
John Fugelsang (Sirius XM, America’s Funniest Videos)
& Myka Fox (Senior editor @distractify & freelance contributor for SNL Weekend Update)

*Lineup subject to change.

The comedy starts @ 8:30pm. Mingle and discuss, get something to eat and drink and get ready for the main event!

Thursday, March 10, 8:30-11pm
(Start / end time may adjust based on CNN’s air time which is still TBD as of today.)
Q.E.D | 27-16 23rd Avenue
$8 in advance / $10 day of
SPECIAL EVENT — COUPONS, DISCOUNTS, AND COMPS NOT VALID

Learn more, here.

LAB – Celebrating Queens Women Artists

A tribute to women artists of Queens, this LAB event creates a space for performance, collaboration, and networking. Writer/educator Joan Willette of the Enchanted Goddess has curated a dynamic list of 12 featured female poets, singers, writers and musicians across diverse backgrounds, ages, and genres. Performers will share their work and collaborate on the spot, and the audience is also invited to share thoughts/affirmations and make community connections throughout the evening.

Thursday, March 11, 6:30-9pm
Queens Council on the Arts | 37-11 35th Ave, Entrance on 37th St.
Admission: $10. QCA Members: Free

Learn more, here.

Pilates & Wellness Spring Kick Off

What better way to kick off your weekend than with a 60 minute Pilates Mat Class to get your core in gear, with Pilates Instructor Jennifer Radcliffe. We’ll follow up the class with an informational workshop on How to Kick the Sugar Habit once and for all, taught by Health Coach Holly Toronto. You’ll have the opportunity to join us after for Happy Hour, which includes drink specials, light fare and a beautiful view of the NYC skyline.

Night Includes:
60 Minute Pilates Mat class (please bring your own mat)
30 Minute Kick the Sugar Habit workshop
A Happy Hour Ticket (includes 1 complimentary drink, light fare and happy hour drink specials – $15 value).
Access to club gym, steam rooms, saunas, lockers and lounge area.

Friday, March 11, 5:45pm (Pilates starting at 6pm)
CityView Racquet Club | 43-34 32nd Place
$35 per person in advance, $40 at the door (ticketing link http://www.pilateswithjennifer.com/#!classes/xeih7)

Learn more, here.

D.B. Rielly at McLoughlin’s

Award-winning singer/songwriter D.B. Rielly and his band will perform a wide-ranging collection of Americana music, spanning several genres including Roots, Zydeco, Blues, and Alt-Country. D.B. promises his listeners an “instantaneous cure for all afflictions.”

Saturday, March 12, 10pm-1:30am
McLoughlin’s | 31-06 Broadway
Free

Learn more, here.

Backbending Workshop

Led by Anne-Margaret Redding. They say that you need 5 BACKBENDS for every hour of the news you watch! Join us for an alignment-based exploration and learn simple tips to safely glide you in and out of the most challenging of backbends!

Saturday, March 12, 1:45-3:45pm
The Giving Tree Yoga Studio | 22-56 31st Street
$35 (Members $20)

Learn more, here.

Queen of Astoria St. Paddy’s Barcrawl

The bar crawl will be kicking off at Sissy McGinty’s and feature a new (and shorter) route…we will be ending at Rocky McBride’s for food (included in ticket price). Bars Include:
Sissy McGinty’s
Albatross
Astoria Tavern
Sweet Spot
Rocky McBride’s

Drink specials will be announced the week prior. The $20 ticket fee gets you a green crew neck sweatshirt, drink specials, and a buffet at the end compliments of Rocky McBride’s.

Saturday, March 12, 1-6pm
Sissy Mc Ginty’s | 25-67 Steinway Street
$22.09 (includes Eventbrite fee)

Learn more, here.