Upcoming events in and around Long Island City

The 4th Annual Taste of LIC, June 9th, 6:30pm, Gantry Plaza State Park, LIC

Tuesday 6/2

• Bar Domaine hosts the local Steve Blanco Trio twice a week on Tuesday and Friday. 9p-midnight. 50-04 Vernon Blvd, LIC, 718.784.2350
  
  

Wednesday 6/3

• Shi Restaurant is hosting karaoke on Wednesday nights. 4720 Center Blvd, LIC, 347.242.2450

• LICBDC‘s Spring Gathering, an evening of wine, hors d’oeuvres, and networking at PS 1 Contemporary Art Center, accompanied by the David Perrott Jazz Trio. 6-8:30pm, $45 for members and $55 for non-members. 22-25 Jackson Ave at the intersection of 46th Ave, LIC, 718.784.2084

• ‘History & Geography in the Environment of the Queensboro Bridge’ tour with historian Jack Eichenbaum. Part of the QB Bridge Centennial celebrations. 6pm. Reserve online. NW Corner of 21 St & 41 Ave, LIC

• ‘Queensboro Bridge – a Vision Realized’, a lecture, exhibit, and reception hosted by artist Antonio Masi at The Space‘s Fardom Gallery. Part of the QB Bridge Centennial celebrations. 6:30pm. Reserve online. 21-17 41 Ave at 21 St, LIC

• Wednesday Night Rock Climbing at NYC Outward Bound‘s Queens Plaza location. Climb the 5-story outdoor rock wall and enjoy the city views for $24, which will fund free NYC Outward Bound climbing programs for public school students. Register online. Also on June 10, 17. 5-9pm. 29-46 Northern Blvd, LIC, 718.706.9900

Thursday 6/4

• It’s Ladies Night every Thursday night at Shi Restaurant, offering 2 for 1 drink specials. 4720 Center Blvd, LIC, 347.242.2450

• Manducatis Rustica is hosting live music from 7:30-10pm in the form of a jazz/funk band recreating classic old Italian songs. 46-33 Vernon Blvd, LIC, 718.937.1312

• ‘Construction Impact of the Bridge’ lecture and slideshow at the Greater Astoria Historical Society. Part of the QB Bridge Centennial celebrations. 7pm. Reserve online. 35-20 Broadway at 35 St, 4th FL, LIC, 718.278.0700

Friday 6/5

• Bar Domaine hosts the local Steve Blanco Trio twice a week on Tuesday and Friday. 9p-midnight. 50-04 Vernon Blvd, LIC, 718.784.2350

• Noguchi Museum presents First Fridays 2009. Enjoy beer and wine in the sculpture garden. FREE. 6-8:30pm. 9-01 33 Road at Vernon Blvd, LIC, 718.204.7088

• Queens Plaza walking tour with Greater Astoria Historical Society president, Richard Melnick. Part of the QB Bridge Centennial celebrations. 10am. Reserve online. East Side of Crescent St at Queens Plaza North, LIC

• SculptureCenter‘s ‘Building Structures and Sculptures Out of – You Guessed It – Trash’. Part of the QB Bridge Centennial celebrations. Parents & children of all ages, 1pm. 4419 Purves St between Jackson & Thomson Aves, LIC, 718.361.1750

Saturday 6/6

• 2nd Annual LIC Bike Parade beginning at Socrates Sculpture Park. Workshops from 11am-2pm (including NYC DOT safety tips, helmet giveaway, bike decoration, and bike safety check with Recycle-A-Bicycle). Parade from Socrates Sculpture Park to Queensbridge Park from 2-3pm (with a special performance by the Sunnyside Drum Corp, cyclists from Circus Amok and City Reliquary’s Civic Riders Bicycle Club). Celebration continues at Queensbridge Park. Rain or shine, FREE. 32-01 Vernon Blvd, LIC, 718.956.1819

• Queensboro Bridge Centennial Celebration at Queensbridge Park featuring music, Greater Astoria Historical Society tours, arts & crafts, food, games, Recycle-A-Bicycle’s Urban Art, a TheaterSmarts performance, and more. 1-6pm. 41 Ave & Vernon Blvd, LIC

• At Junk-It!: Family Day at SculptureCenter, you can make your own recycled paper and paper-pulp sculptures with artist McKendree Key at SculptureCenter‘s University of Trash. Bring your old newspapers and construction & copy paper. 1-3pm, FREE. 4419 Purves St between Jackson & Thomson Aves, LIC, 718.361.1750

• Queens Council on the Arts presents Queens Art Express, a multi-day, multi-venue art extravaganza featuring exhibitions, performances, and special events clustered around the 7 train. Check the Events Calendar for QAE happenings and a 7 train map of participating locations. Weekends through June 14. This weekend: ‘Building Bridges’ and ’100 Degrees’ at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center, ‘Multiformity’ at Green Space Dance Studio, and ‘Fiesta Mexicana’ (and an all-female Mariachi band) at Thalia Spanish Theatre.

• Two Coves Community Garden presents their first Growing and Learning Day, featuring bird watching, flower pressing, tree care, organic gardening and seed collection, and more. Rain date is June 7, call 646.932.3363 or 212.373.3383 with any questions. 11am-6pm. Garden is located in the triangle where 30th Ave meets the intersection of Astoria Blvd and 8th St

• Astoria’s Hell Gate Social presents DJ Belladonna’s monthly old skool, funk, trip-hop and soul party, GROOVESKOOL, this month also featuring Astoria native (and birthday boy!) DJ Johnny Storm. 10pm-4am, FREE. 12-21 Astoria Blvd, between 12 & 14 Sts, Astoria, 718.204.8313

Sunday 6/7

• Thalia Spanish Theatre kicks off their 15th Annual Thalia Free Outdoors Festival with Ballet Fiesta Mexicana, featuring a program of Mexico’s dance and music with costumes and live mariachi music. 1-2pm, FREE. Thomson Hill Park/Noonan Playground, Greenpoint Ave, Sunnyside, between 42nd and 43rd Sts, Thalia Theatre #: 718.729.3880
  
  

Continuing

• ‘Trans-positions along the Queensboro Bridge’ exhibition at 5 LIC locations: Henry DeFord III Gallery at CitiGroup (One Court Sq 44th Dr at Jackson Ave), Space Realty Group, Packard Square Lobby, Holiday Inn Manhattan View, and the Clocktower Building (29-27 Queens Plaza N, ground FL). On view 9am-5pm, Mon thru Fri at all 5 venues. Through July 31. QB Bridge Centennial events continue through early June, certain exhibitions through late June/July.

• Now Playing at Chocolate Factory: Target Margin Theater’s ‘The Theater of Tomorrow.’ Running through June 6. 7pm, $15. 5-49 49th Ave, LIC, 718.482.7069

• Socrates Sculpture Park‘s State Fair exhibition is “themed around American rural life and uses the platform of the state fair as a means to examine topics such as animal husbandry, specialized horticulture, small scale farming, culinary arts, and the pageantry within these fields that occurs at fairgrounds across the country.” Running through August 2. 32-01 Vernon Blvd, LIC, 718.956.1819

• Socrates Sculpture Park has launched their various weekend fitness programs from now until September. On Saturdays, you can check out Yoga in the Park from 9:30-10:30am (1st session) and 11am-12pm (2nd session), as well as Capoeira in the Park from 12-1:30pm. On Sundays, you can check out Pilates in the Park from 10-11am, as well as Tai Chi in the Park from 11am-12pm. Rain or shine. FREE. 32-01 Vernon Blvd, LIC, 718.956.1819

• In partnership with the Long Island City Community Boathouse (LICCB) and Partnerships for Parks, Socrates Sculpture Park also hosts FREE boating in Hallets Cove run by LICCB. Participants are invited to kayak and canoe from Socrates Sculpture Park’s beach. For more info, check LICCB’s website or call 718.228.9214. Through October 25.

Beyond

• The Fourth Annual Taste of LIC, June 9th, 6:30pm, Gantry Plaza State Park. “Join us on the waterfront to celebrate Long Island City’s best food & drink venues, shops, spas and more as we raise funds for The Chocolate Factory Theater’s year-round cultural programming.”

• LIC’s Secret Theatre and The Queens Players present a ‘Macbeth’ you’ll never forget, running from June 11-14, 17-21, and 24-27.

• Yoga, Raw Chocolate, Live Music & Candlelight Workshop at LIC’s The Yoga Room on June 13, 2:30-5pm.

• Also in LIC on June 13: gallery/performance space Texas Firehouse presents their first show of the season, ‘Stored and Filtered: Technology, Time, and Landscape.’

• In Astoria on June 13: Exit 44 music festival at Wonderland Collective, starting at 3pm.