Happening In Queens! (Dec. 9 to Dec. 15)
Everybody is busy this time of year, including the borough of Queens. Holiday markets compete with holiday concerts and house tours. Then there are the workshops to make wreaths, gingerbread houses, and cards.
Dec. 9, New York Croons for Christmas, 7 pm. Colm Reilly delivers a cabaret-style performance with some of New York’s most esteemed jazz musicians. New York Irish Center, 10-40 Jackson Ave., Long Island City.
Dec. 9, Curators’ Choice Film Series, Jan. 21. More than two dozen movies screen during this annual promotion which shares MoMI curators’ favorite 2022 films. Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave., Astoria’s Kaufman Arts District.
Dec. 9, Three Nights of Dance, Dec. 11. The Pioneers Go East Collective and Emilee Lord perform on the first two nights ($17, 8 pm). Various artists offer new pieces and works-in-progress on the final one ($15, 7 pm). Green Space, 37-24 24th St., Ste. 211, Long Island City.
Dec. 9, Ceramics Holiday Market, Dec. 11. More than 30 ceramic artists peddle their work at accessible prices. Schedule: Dec. 9, 5 pm to 9 pm; Dec. 10, 10 am to 7 pm; and Dec. 11, noon to 5 pm. BrickHouse Ceramic Art Center, 10-34 44th Dr., Long Island City.
Dec. 9, Sunnyside Shines, Dec.23. A full set of vendors. Schedule is Thursday and Friday, 6 pm to 9 pm, and Saturday and Sunday, 10 am to 2 pm. Alewife Brewing, 41-11 39th St., Sunnyside.
Dec. 10, Navidad: A Mexican-American Christmas, Dec. 11. Calpulli Mexican Dance Company presents a story about a young NYC resident whose parents are from Mexico. Through a dream, he attempts to bring the two cultures together with Aztec-inspired dance performed to Christmas carols and Mariachi music melding with Tchaikovsky. Shows are 2 pm and 7 pm (Dec. 10) and 3 pm (Dec. 11). Queens Theatre, 14 United Nations Ave. S., Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
Dec. 10: Murder At The Museum, 5:30 pm. Diner, dessert, and delinquency. Once upon a time, a rich-but-grouchy man was deciding which of his relatives to leave his fortune… when suddenly he was murdered in a museum. Formal attire is recommended. King Manor Museum, 150-03 Jamaica Ave.
Dec. 10, Annual Winter Concert, 7:30 pm. The Queens College Choral Society sings Handel’s “Messiah” as part of an 82nd annual winter concert. Queens College’s Colden Auditorium, 153-49 Reeves Ave., Flushing.
Dec. 10, Say It Ain’t So, 8 pm. A reading of a new play about Sandra, an affluent Black mother who’s on the lam with her deaf sister, Renny. Sandra encounters her ancestors who question if Black women can ever be free in the United States. ASL interpretation provided. Queens Theatre, 14 United Nations Ave. S., Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
Dec. 10, Musiquita, 4 pm. The local children’s group Musiquita offers a special Nutcracker show with tap dance star Demi Remick and Steve “the Wizard of the Upright Bass” Whipple. Maple Grove Cemetery, 127-15 Kew Gardens Rd.
Dec. 10, A Poetry Reading, 2 pm. David Mills reads his poems honoring former African American slaves who are buried in the cemetery. They include George Washington Johnson, Victoria Earle Matthews, Millie Tunnel, and Fannie Anthony. Maple Grove Cemetery, 127-15 Kew Gardens Rd.
Dec. 10, Brace For Impact: A New Play, 7 pm. A staged reading of Paraguayan playwright Maia Nikiphoroff’s one-woman show about a flight attendant who fights to stay focused on the job while her father’s body is being cremated. She gets help from a disheveled clown only she can see. Culture Lab LIC at The Plaxall Gallery, 5-25 46th Ave., Long Island City.
Dec. 10, Queens Craft Brigade, noon. Jewelry, food, crafts, art, fashion, good times. Katch Astoria, 31-19 Newtown Ave.
Dec. 10, Christmas Grand Market: A Caribbean Celebration, 5:30 pm, concert at 7 pm. Vendors sell crafts, drinks, food, toys, and other items with West Indian twists. The event ends with shows by Jodian Pantry (Jamaica), Denise Belfon (Trinidad & Tobago), Braata Folk Singers, Jonkanoo Parade, and others. Merrick Academy Charter School, 136-25 218th St., Laurelton.
Dec. 10, Tree Lighting Ceremony + Holiday Dance Performance, 3 pm to 5:30 pm. Traditional holiday music with energetic street dancers. Santa and a surprise guest appear at the end to take photos. Free, but registration is required. The Shops at Skyview, 40-24 College Point Blvd., Flushing.
Dec. 10, 19th Century Tea Party, 3 pm. Design and construct a paper teacup using examples of real 19th-century cups during this King Manor Museum program. Learn about designs and motifs popular with early Americans and discover where and how popular teas were made across the globe. Queens Public Library, Ozone Park Branch, 92-24 Rockaway Blvd.
Dec. 11, Holiday Historic House Tour, 1 pm. Four Flushing landmarks open their doors to the public during this 35th annual event. The participating sites — Bowne House (37-01 Bowne St.), Flushing Friends Meetinghouse (137-16 Northern Blvd.), Kingsland Homestead (143-35 37th Ave.), and Voelker Orth House (149-19 38th Ave.) — will be decorated as they were during their first holiday seasons. Plus, each one will offer time-honored activities and refreshments.
Dec. 11, Holiday Show, 3 pm. Queens Symphony Orchestra, conducted and directed by Martin Majkut, celebrates the holiday season with everything from Christmas carols to Hanukkah tunes. LeFrak Concert Hall, 153-49 Reeves Ave. Flushing.
Dec. 11, A Christmas Festival, 4 pm. The Sacred Music Society of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church and the Oratorio Society of Queens perform under the artistic direction of Maestro David Close. The program includes selections from Handel’s “Messiah,” beloved Christmas carols, and Holiday favorites. Our Lady Queens of Martyrs Church, Ascan Avenue and Queens Boulevard, Forest Hills.
Dec. 11, Kunqu Society, 2 pm. To celebrate the season of harvest and reunion, the Kunqu Society presents three plays — “Asking for Tea,” “Fleeing Down the Mountain,” and “The Interrupted Dream — featuring resident artists and members in costume and make-up. Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd.
Dec. 11, Holiday at the Castle, 2 pm. The Bayside Historical Society runs a family-friendly event with seasonal crafts, refreshments, storytelling, sing-a-longs, and a visit from Santa Claus. The Castle, 208 Totten Ave., Fort Totten.
Dec. 11 + 18, Astoria Holiday Market, noon. Art, jewelry, toys, chocolates, body care, handbags, clothing, stationery, scarves, hats, and pottery on two days (Dec. 11 and 18). Plus, the host venue offers the Grandmas Kitchen menu, which includes homemade soups, platters, and apple strudel. Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden, 29-19 24th Ave., Astoria.
Dec. 11, Wrap and Ribbon Holiday Market, noon. Local vendors sell gifts of all kinds, including jewelry, clothing, food, and beverage items. Commonpoint Queens Sam Field Center, 58-20 Little Neck Pkwy., Little Neck.
Dec. 11, Christmas Bazaar, noon. Grace Episcopal Church King Hall, 155-24 90th Ave., Jamaica.
Dec. 11, Holiday Brunch + Craft Cocktails Demonstration, 1 pm. Learn how to make a Champagne cocktail while enjoying a pastry basket. The Shops at Skyview, 40-24 College Point Blvd., Flushing.
Dec. 12, Holiday Wreath Crafting, 5:30 pm. Decorate a holiday wreath with a master florist. The Shops at Skyview, 40-24 College Point Blvd., Flushing.
Dec. 13, Adult Holiday Punch Needle Embroidery Craft, 5:30 pm. Learn embroidery with a renowned artist. The Shops at Skyview, 40-24 College Point Blvd., Flushing.
Dec. 14, Quintet of the Americas, Dec. 17. This Jackson Heights-based group — Kim O’Hare Bonacorsa (flute), Matt Sullivan (oboe and English horn), David Valbuena (clarinet and bass clarinet), Barbara Oldham (horn), and Alexander Davis (bassoon) — mixes Mozart with wind music, tango, and a Kwanzaa tune. Shows are Dec. 14, 7 pm, The Church-in-the-Gardens, 50 Ascan Ave., Forest Hills; Dec. 17, 3 pm, Queens Public Library in Jackson Heights, 35-51 81st St.; and Dec. 18, 3 pm, The Center at Maple Grove Cemetery, 127-15 Kew Gardens Rd.
Dec. 14, Monthly Jazz Jam, 7 pm. On the second Wednesday of the month, musicians hone skills and jam with peers and the house band. Don’t play? Don’t worry. Listen! Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd.
Dec. 14, 15 + 16, Made In Queens Market, 11 am to 2 pm. QEDC’s annual, three-day market features borough makers only. Bulova Corporate Center Atrium, 75-20 Astoria Blvd., East Elmhurst.
Dec. 14, Kids Holiday Christmas Card Making, 4 pm to 6 pm. Make holiday cards with free snacks. The Shops at Skyview, 40-24 College Point Blvd., Flushing.
Dec. 15, A Christmas Carol, Dec. 31. Ebenezer Scrooge is unkind to his employees in this classic Dickens play. One cold Christmas Eve, he is visited by the ghost of his old business partner, Jacob Marley, and then by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Future. He ends up filled with holiday spirit. Fifteen shows. Performances at 7:30 pm. Matinees on Dec. 17, 24, and 31at 3 pm. The Secret Theatre, 38-02 61st St., Woodside.
Dec. 15, Kids Gingerbread House Crafting, 4 pm to 6 pm. The Shops at Skyview, 40-24 College Point Blvd., Flushing.
