LIC Happenings

June 21, 3-8 p.m. - Smiling Hogshead Ranch celebrates the summer solstice with "Make Music Day," a unique festival of free concerts in public spaces. Details

June 21, 6 p.m. - The Baroness Bar hosts a pride-themed dog beauty pageant parade hosted by local drag queens Gigi Deetz and Pussy Willow. Details

June 24, 12-3 p.m. - HarborLab is hosting their rescheduled "Pride Paddle," a free pride-themed paddle boating event along the LIC waterfront. Details

June 24, 1 p.m. - Experience a celebration of Caribbean heritage at "CariBites," a Caribbean food and music festival at Culture Lab LIC. Details

June 24, 4-8 p.m. - Join Kupferberg Center for the Arts for a fantastic day of free live latin jazz music at Gantry Plaza State Park. Details

June 24, 5-6:30 p.m. - Swing into summer at Culture Lab LIC with a jazz concert presented by Pitches Brew. Details

June 24, 8 p.m. - Dance with Cucala Dance Company at their June salsa social featuring an open bar, performances, and a free class. Details

June 25, 2-4 p.m. - Court Square Civic Association and Queensboro Dance Festival present "Jazzy Jams," a plaza dance party, at Murray Playground. Details

Community Fair - Weds. June 28

Join Rise Light and Power and Attentive Energy One for a community fair to talk about the clean energy future of Ravenswood Generating Station. Drop by any time on Wednesday, June 28 from 5-8 p.m. at Jacob A Riis Neighborhood Settlement in Queensbridge Houses in Queensbridge, 10-25 41st Street. This is an opportunity to learn more about Renewable Ravenswood and Attentive Energy One, share feedback, and connect with the Rise Light & Power and Attentive Energy teams! For more information email renewableravenswood@hesterstreet.org. Details

New York State Mentoring Program

Are you looking for a volunteer opportunity? Perhaps your company is interested in a community engagement experience for employees? The New York State Mentoring Program (NYSMP), a statewide provider of mentoring program services and site-based mentoring models, is seeking mentors and community partners to expand programing in and around Long Island City.

The NYSMP creates supportive mentor relationships for school aged children throughout New York. Mentors are role models who support students with compassion and respect to build positive life skills. The program is free to partners, organizations, and volunteers.

For more information about how to get involved please contact, Diane Urso, at diane.urso@ocfs.ny.gov or 518-469-0452. Details

WeWork

WeWork was founded in New York City in 2010 with the vision to create environments where people and companies come together and do their best work. Since then, its become one of the leading global flexible space providers committed to delivering technology-driven turnkey solutions, flexible spaces, and community experiences.

WeWork has two locations in Queens, located at Gotham Center in Long Island City and 3537 36th Street in Astoria. With modern flexible workspace, comfortable lounges, conference rooms, and community events, WeWork offers solutions for all the ways people like to work in Queens. Learn more

Pride Month Spotlight on Gigi Deetz

Here we highlight one of LIC’s LGBTQ+ personalities.

Gigi Deetz, drag performer at LIC's The Baroness and The Huntress, shares more on the importance of Pride Month – and what performing in LIC means to her.

Q: What does part of the LIC community mean to you?

A: While I live in Astoria, I spend a lot of time in LIC. I am one of the few performers bringing the artform of drag to LIC, and showcasing queer culture in this neighborhood. I love that I get to bring visibility to our queer community, and hopefully educate patrons outside the community, all while providing a big dose of entertainment. I hope that we continue to see growth of experiences in LIC that reflect the large queer community that lives in the area.

Q: What does Pride Month mean to you?

Pride for me is usually a month where the city really comes alive. The weather changes and residents of NYC are ready to party – whether they be from the LGBT+ community or not. We have a lot of issues to address this year, which bring on a feeling of sadness during what is supposed to be a festive season. By that I mean we’re dealing with issues such as anti-trans, drag and queer laws taking effect across the nation. But I do hope that by next year we’ll see a shift, and we’ll have more reason to celebrate the many strides the LGBT+ community has made in our country – and locally.

See Gigi at The Baroness Wednesdays at 7 p.m. and The Huntress Sundays at 2 p.m.!

Long Island City Partnership Unveils Dog-Themed Art Installations Highlighting Neighborhood’s Canine Friendliness

LIC Post

LICP Business Assistance Program

Our Business Assistance team provides free, one-on-one assistance to businesses in the greater Long Island City area, covering a variety of issues. We can help you: Access Financing, Find Real Estate, Grow Your Business, Navigate Government and Incentives, and much more. Details