(Queens, NY) In one way or another, Ella Fitzgerald, Helen Keller, the signers of the Constitution, Shakespeare, and El Gran Combo are heading to Queens this week. They will enjoy a honey festival, a motorcycle show, a drag queen extravaganza, a few flea markets, Chinese hip hop, and German jazz. Here’s the rundown.
Sept. 11, El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, 8 pm. The well known Puerto Rican Salsa orchestra performs live for a night of nonstop fun. $35/$75 VIP. Resorts World Casino New York City, 110-00 Rockaway Boulevard, Jamaica, www.rwnewyork.com.
Sept. 11, A Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald, 2 pm. The Healing Arts Initiative presents singer/actress Tina Fabrique, who starred in ELLA singing Ella’s songs. Free. York College Performing Arts Center, 94-20 Guy R. Brewer Blvd., Jamaica, www.hainyc.org.
Sept. 12, NYC Honey Fest 2015, 11 am to sunset. Returning for a fifth year, this festival features a honey-tasting contest, demos, food, music, kiddie activities and a bee-product marketplace. Free. 97th Street and Boardwalk, Rockaway Beach, www.nychoneyweek.com.
Sept. 12-13, Bushwig, 2 pm to 10 pm. This fourth annual festival features 150 drag queens with different styles and costumes and 20 live musical performances. $40. Onderdonk House, 1820 Flushing Ave., Ridgewood, www.bushwig.com.
Sept. 12, Queen of Astoria Basketball Tournament, 2 pm. Five-on-five, co-ed, full court, post-tournament party. Astoria Park, contact Ashley Dean at queen@queenofastoria.com.
Sept. 12, Remember Me Run, 2 pm. Friendly two-mile race to support the Christopher Santora Scholarship Fund and Community Mayors, nonprofits that support special needs children and provide scholarships to children of the fallen and ill first responders of 9/11. Memorial service follows. $25. St. Michaels, 72-02 Astoria Blvd., East Elmhurst, www.stmichaelscemetery.com.
Sept. 12, Kew Gardens Flea Market, 9 am to 5 pm. All vendor fees benefit Jamaica Hospital Medical Center’s pediatric department. Rain date: Sept. 19. LIRR North Lot, 82-60 Austin St., Kew Gardens.
Sept. 12, Astoria Flea & Food Night Market, 6 pm to 11 pm. A great market returns. Kaufman Astoria Studios Lot, 36th Street and 35th Avenue, Astoria.
Sept. 12, Hands-On History: Founding Fathers, noon to 3 pm. Have you ever wondered why the men who wrote the Constitution had the same hair style? Celebrate the 228th anniversary of the signing of the Constitution by making wigs so you can look like a Founding Father, listen to stories about the writing of the Constitution. Free. King Manor Museum, 150-03 Jamaica Ave., Jamaica, www.kingmanor.org.
Sept. 12, 13, 19 & 20, Shakespeare in the Garden: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, 5 pm. Alex Schirling presents Shakespeare’s fantastical comedy. Free with admission. Queens Botanical Garden, 43-50 Main St., Flushing, www.queensbotanical.org.
Sept. 13, 35th Annual Antique Motorcycle Show, 11 am to 4 pm. This show includes various makes and models of motorcycles that have been out of production for 10 years or more. Music, farmhouse tours, hayrides, and food. $5. Queens County Farm Museum, 73-50 Little Neck Parkway, Floral Park, www.queensfarm.org.
Sept. 13, Brother Blood, 7 pm. Hip Hip and Chinese Pop take center stage when Brother Blood (Chengyu Chang), MC Hotdog, and Urchin MJ116 play Fancy Maker’s concert. $68 – VIP $248. Colden Auditorium at Kupferberg Center for the Arts, 65-30 Kissena Boulevard, Flushing, www.kupferbergcenter.org.
Sept. 13, Film Screening: The Real Helen Keller, 2:30 pm. More than 40 years after her death, Keller is still known internationally as the little deaf-blind girl who triumphed over adversity. Hidden from the public gaze was the real Keller, a writer, radical activist, suffragette, and socialist. $8. Queens Historical Society, Weeping Beech Park, 143-35 37th Ave., Flushing, www.queenshistoricalsociety.org.
Sept. 13, Forgotten NY Tour: Bayside, noon. Visit this suburban neighborhood that is home to waterside parks and ponds and interesting architecture, including the home of one of the greatest prizefighters ever. $20. Meet at Bayside LIRR Station, www.astorialic.org.
Sept. 13, Moon in the Mirror, 3 pm. Join the Queens Council on the Arts for the world premiere of the monodrama opera Moon On The Mirror. Free with $5 suggested donation. Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd., Flushing, www.flushingtownhall.org.
Sept. 13, Bang on a Can, 3 pm. The final concert in this summer’s series features all star cellist Ashley Bathgate playing the heartfelt, hypnotic, hour-long work Stories for Ocean Shells by Australian composer Kate Moore. Free. The Noguchi Museum, 9-01 33rd Rd., LIC, www.noguchi.org.
Sept. 13, Myrtle Avenue Fall Street Festival, noon to 6 pm. More than 200 merchants, antique and custom cars, international food, and entertainment. Free. Myrtle Avenue, Fresh Pond Road to Wyckoff Avenue, Ridgewood.
Sep. 14, Exhibit: Astoria in the 1980s, 7 pm. So much has happened in Astoria over the past 30 years. See it, hear about it, and talk about it. $5. Greater Astoria Historical Society, Quinn Building, 35-20 Broadway, LIC, www.astorialic.org.
Sept. 14, Oratorio Society of Queens Rehearsal, 7 pm. Reservations are required. If you pass the audition, you go directly into rehearsals that night. Temple Beth Sholom, 172nd Street and Northern Boulevard, Flushing, www.queensoratorio.org.
Sept. 16, Kicks & Sticks, Hessen State Youth Jazz Orchestra, 7 pm. Conducted by Wolfgang Diefenbach, this group plays in the traditional big band instrumentation with a brass section consisting of five trumpets, four trombones and five saxophones as well as a rhythm group. Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd., Flushing, www.flushingtownhall.org.
The “It’s In Queens” column is produced by the Queens Tourism Council with the hope that readers will enjoy the borough’s wonderful attractions. More info at www.itsinqueens.com.
