What to Do in Astoria This Week: Pork Fest, Queens Comfort Yard Sale, Night at the Museum, 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

JANUARY 31-February 6—This week brings us Groundhog Day on the 2nd—feel free to watch the titular movie or eat some sausage (“ground hog”—get it?!? Man, I love that pun). And as you know, Superbowl 50 is in just one week, so check out the list of game options we’ve compiled for greater Western Queens.

Finally, the perhaps lesser-known National Freedom Day is tomorrow, February 1—it was created by Major Richard Robert Wright Sr., a former slave, and President Harry Truman signed a bill in 1948, proclaiming Feb 1 as National Freedom Day. This is also the date in 1865 that President Abraham Lincoln signed a joint House and Senate resolution that became the 13th Amendment—that would outlaw slavery.

Queens Comfort Yard Sale

The QC Fam has cleaned out the basement and will be holding a yard sale during brunch this upcoming Sunday. Comics, records, DVD/VHS, big-kid books, toys, antiques, furniture…. You name it, we got it. Everything priced to move, most things under $5! Come and check it out.

Sunday, January 31, 10am
Queens Comfort | 40-09 30th Avenue

Learn more, here.

LIC – Forum – Ravenswood

The Forgotten Neighborhood of Ravenswood – Lecture and Exhibit

Today its known only by a housing project that bears this name, Ravenwood. The community has had many faces. ‘Ravenswood’ was its name from 1830 when it became home to upper class gentry with fine mansions. Later industry moved in and the area became heavily Italian.

Today, it stands again in the cusp of change, with a wall of high rise buildings that will once again control public access to the waterfront as solidly as the farmers and estates and industry or the past 200 years. Get a glimpse before it’s gone!

Monday, February 1, 7pm
Greater Astoria Historical Society | 35-20 Broadway, 4th Floor
$5.00 (GAHS Members: Free!)

Learn more, here.

Community Voice Meeting

Join us for our monthly Community Voice meeting at Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden. Guest speakers Council Member Costa Constantinides and Queens Borough Parks Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski will join us to address the upcoming park season, park amenities, and usage issues. All are welcome, and it is our pleasure to host the Commissioner for this special information session! We hope you will plan to attend.

Please RSVP to GetInvolved@astoriaparkalliance.org as space is limited.

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, February 2, 7pm
Bohemian Beer Hall & Garden | 29-19 24th Avenue
*We will meet indoors, downstairs at the Beer Garden
Free

Learn more, here.

Drink & Draw

Mark your calendars for Drink & Draw night this Wednesday, Feb 3! Here’s your chance to let your creative juices flow while sipping the drink of the gods BYOD (drawing materials)! We will also have drawing materials on hand in the form of paper, crayons, & markers.

Here’s the rules: the subject matter will be announced at the stroke of 7pm Wednesday night. Show up anytime after and get your draw on, event goes until 10pm! Your artistic masterpiece will be on display at ABC Broadway for one week. You’ll get to vote throughout the week on your favorite drawing – best drawing wins a free beer!

Wednesday, February 3, 7-11pm
Astoria Bier and Cheese Broadway | 34-14 Broadway
Free

Learn more, here.

Sunnyside Parents’ Night Out featuring The Mommy Show

The Mommy Show (for Adults Only) is a hilarious moms’ night out or date night for the people who so desperately need and deserve a laugh and a DRINK. Join award-winning music duo Mel & El for pee-in-your pants songs like “White Lady with a Black Baby”, “My Man is Just the Right Amount of Gay”, and “I Ruined You.” It’s like nursery school for grown-ups, but with Merlot instead of milk. There will be amazing audience giveaways from local businesses like The Dog & Duck, Pure Spa & Salon, McManus Irish Dance, Tiny You, Yoga in Sunnyside, Bing’s Hallmark, and a FREE BABY CARRIER from Baby K’Tan AS WELL AS a free consultation from The Functional Pelvis!

Don’t want to shell out the money for a sitter? Drop your potty-trained kids off at Sabrina’s Play Studio from 6 – 9 for an evening of food, arts and crafts, and fun FOR JUST $30! Space is limited so call to reserve your spot today: (929) 522-0104

Comedy! Music! Free stuff! Childcare! BEST NIGHT EVER!

Thursday, February 4, 7pm
Maggie Mae’s Bar – Downstairs | 41-15 Queens Blvd.
$16.52 ($15+ticketing fee—ticketing link)

Learn more, here.

MoMA PS1 presents NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM

MoMA PS1 will open its doors for a unique, late-night celebration of our current exhibition, Greater New York.

In its two year history, Night at the Museum has become one of the city’s most anticipated art events. M. Wells Dinette will be in full swing serving it’s Quebecois-inflected cuisine and our VW Dome will host a cozy lounge with music playing through the night. The exhibitions, food, drinks and music are sure to make this a festive and memorable evening for all.

NOTE: MoMA PS1 requires all large bags to be checked, and will be only able to offer limited bag and coat check facilities to NATM guests. Please keep this in mind as you prepare for what is sure to be a spectacular event!

Friday, February 5, 8pm-midnight
MoMA PS1 | 22-25 Jackson Avenue
Tickets: $12 in advance, $15 at the door (ticketing link)

Learn more, here.

Letterfolding Workshop

There’s more than one way to fold an envelope. Sure, you could just write your letter, put it in an envelope and send it off in the mail, but why not learn some letterfolding tricks? In Victorian England, letters were folded in a variety of ways to conserve paper, incorporating the envelope into the letter itself. The Chinese also developed letterfolding techniques from Origami. There are many different things which can be used as postcards. In this workshop, we’ll learn a few of these techniques, we’ll learn places to find more techniques in the future, and we’ll each write at least one letter or postcard.

Saturday, February 6, 1:30-2:30pm
Q.E.D. | 27-16 23rd Avenue
$10.00

Learn more, here.

Astoria Valentines Tiny Market

After a successful Holiday Tiny Market, we are keeping the spirit of hosting a well-curated market with local vendors as a one-stop shop for all Valentine’s Day gifts: greeting cards, chocolate, cookies, wines and more! We believe that each of our vendors’ products compliment one another, making the Tiny Market a great way our community can shop local products with unique stories and styles.

Participating local vendors:

• Crescent Wines (Great organic and sustainable wine selection)
• Chocolate Dances (Dancers making artisanal chocolate)
• Silly Reggie (greeting card designer with funny cards)
• Single Girl Cookies (kindness cookies)
• WidyCat (Cat and NYC-inspired greeting cards and gifts

Saturday, February 6, 1-6pm
Crescent Wines | 20-40 30th Avenue
Free Admission

Pork Fest 2016

“Masopust” (Porkfest) is an age old Bohemian and Moravian tradition dating back to the 13th century. The word itself translates to “goodbye meat.” Traditionally, “Masopust” takes place before the start of “Lent” (a forty day span of prayer, fasting and penance) and is celebrated for a duration of three days preceding “Ash Wednesday.” These three days are filled with excessive eating, drinking and dancing, as it is believed that if a person ate and drank a great amount during these festive days, good health would accompany them for the entire year.

Welcome to our Porkfest!
Let’s eat and drink to your health!

Friday, February 5 – Sunday, February 7, 5pm Friday, noon on Saturday, Sunday
Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden | 29-19 24th Ave

Learn more, here.

One Comment

Laura February 4th, 2016

I was so dying to go to the MoMA PS1 Night at the Museum. Tickets are all sold out. Sounds like it’s going to be so much fun. Let us know how it is!

Reply