What to Do in Astoria This Week: Dance, Tree Lighting, Chef’s Dinner, 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

DECEMBER 6-12—HAPPY HANUKKAH! 
Today is also the Second Sunday of Advent.
For some of you, St. Nicholas Day today is a big deal (we hope your children avoided Krampus last night).
The Feasts of the Immaculate Conception (12/8) and Our Lady of Guadalupe (12/12) are also this week.

December 10 marks the anniversary of the UN General Assembly adopting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Holiday Toy, Food, and Coat Drive

Help children and families in need during this holiday season by donating holiday toys, non-perishable food, and winter coats. Donations can be made now through December 11th. Winter coats, also being collected by the offices of State Senator Michael Gianaris and Assemblymember Aravella Simotas, will be donated to New York Cares. Toys will be donated to Urban Upbound and Toys for Tots. Non-perishable food will be donated to a local food pantry.

Until December 11
Office of Costa Constantinides | 31-09 Newtown Ave
Email mcorbett@council.nyc.gov for more information.

Fertile Ground New Works Showcase

Fertile Ground is a new works showcase for emerging and established artists. Now in its 10th season, it produces 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: Gabriella Carmichael, Harlem Dance Club, Kimberleight Costanzo, Muliebris, NYC Dance Arts Professional Dance Company, Ydhelca Perez Dance

Sunday, December 6, 7pm
Green Space Studio | 37-24 24th Street, #301
$12 (Tickets are available at the door or online, here)

Learn more, here.

Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony

While Rockefeller Center may have a large tree for the holiday season, Astoria will now have one of its own (albeit smaller) holiday tree when The Kaufman Arts District hosts its first ever holiday tree lighting ceremony right outside the front gates to Kaufman Astoria Studios. The tree will be adorned with ornaments decorated and donated by students from the neighboring Frank Sinatra School of the Arts, PS 166 and Our World Neighborhood Charter School as part of their seasonal community service project. The event will also feature carols performed by singers from the Astoria Performing Arts Center, with students from PS 166 also attending the event.

Tuesday, December 8, 4pm
Kaufman Astoria Studios Front Gate on 35th Avenue
FREE

Frank Conniff’s Cartoon Dump

Frank Conniff (TV’s Frank on Mystery Science Theater 3000) hosts a variety / stand-up show in the guise of a fake kid’s show. Frank hosts the show in character as Moodsy, the Clinically Depressed Owl, and shows a bunch of weird and crappy old cartoons between stand-up, music and sketches.

Tuesday, December 8, 8:30pm
Q.E.D. | 27-16 23rd Ave
$5

Learn more, here.

Chef’s Table Dinner

Join Sac’s for an exclusive Chef’s Table dinner & wine pairing hosted by owner & chef, Domenico Sacramone. The focus is on the cuisine and wines of Venice, Italy. Five courses, five wines, interactive dinner with the owner.

Thursday, December 10, 7:30-11pm
Sac’s Place | 25-41 Broadway
$149.00 per person (tax included, plus gratuity)
Reservations with a 20% deposit required—Please call (718) 204-5002 to make reservations for this exclusive event.

Learn more, here.

Cumbia River Band

Cumbia River Band, Martin Vejarano’s (CHIA’s Dance Party, La Cumbiamba eNeYé) new project draws from a festive repertoire of Colombian Cumbia standards. These all time favorite Cumbia hits will take you back to the golden years of the genre as well as inspire you to dance and contemplate the joy and energy that this Cumbia River brings along. Featuring tuba, accordion, clarinet, percussion and voice, the band delivers a captivating fresh sound.

Performing: Sonia de los Santos/ Voice; Mary Knapp / Accordion; Andrew Madej / Tuba; Juan F. Montoya / Drums; Cristian Rodriguez / Percussion; Martín Vejarano / Clarinete

Friday, December 11, 10:00pm
Terraza 7 | 40-19 Gleane St
$10 cover charge for mezzanine

Learn more, here.

Star Wars Parody

I’VE GOT A BAD FEELING ABOUT THIS: Star Wars A New Hope! Located at the Chain Theatre in LIC, join us on December 11, 12 and 19! So hop in that old bucket of bolts, the Millennium Falcon, stop staring at that binary sunset with a glass of blue milk in hand, and kiss your brother claiming it’s ‘for luck,’ its time to save the galaxy. May the Force be with you! 6 ACTORS. EVERY ROLE. DREAMS FULFILLED. LIVES SAVED. GAME ON.

Friday December 11, 12, and 19, 7pm
Chain Theatre | 1-28 45th Rd
$15—ticket orders for December 11, December 12, December 19. Each ticket buys you two free drinks and a raffle ticket to win awesome prizes. 21+

Learn more, here.

Getting Stuck & Sticking With It

The LAB program at Queens Council on the Arts presents “Getting Stuck & Sticking With It,” an event that addresses the challenges that artists face during the process of creating new work. Musicians Eleanor Dubinsky and Frank Ponzio will investigate and explore how artists across disciplines can meet these challenges and move through them. Artists are encouraged to bring in a project or an idea in which they are struggling with creative roadblocks. The workshop will also feature a musical performance by Eleanor and Frank. Participants will leave with new tools that help them move through challenging moments in the creative process and a list of resources that Frank and Eleanor will provide (including quotes, books and videos).

Friday, December 11, 6:30-8:30pm
Queens Council on the Arts | 37-11 35th Ave (Entrance on 37th Street)
$10, QCA Members Free

Learn more, here.

Noguchi Talks—“The Story of the Stones: A Record of Obsession in Four Vignettes” with Joseph Scheier-Dolberg

As part of Museum of Stones, we have turned The Noguchi Museum’s floating galleries (Areas 9/10) into a microcosmic outpost of the Asian Art Department of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This has been possible thanks to the support of Maxwell Hearn, Chairman of the Department of Asian Art, and our collaboration with Joseph Scheier-Dolberg, Assistant Curator of Asian Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Join Joe for a walk-through of this installation of rock-related masterpieces of Chinese Art–including a spectacular selection of scholars’ rocks–from the Met’s peerless collection. Joe will be presenting a short, walking version of his exhibition catalogue essay “The Story of the Stones: A Record of Obsession in Four Vignettes,” a brilliantly engaging survey of Chinese petromania (rock madness) over the last 1,000 years.

Saturday, December 12, 1-2pm
The Noguchi Museum | 9-01 33rd Road
Free with Museum admission

Learn more, here.