Enjoy a day of unique art, music and mutts
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
Take a journey through
Astoria’s one-of-a-kind arts
district during a free event
this weekend.
On Sept. 21, the Kaufman
Arts District will open its gates
to the public for the Backlot
Festival. Starting at 2 p.m.,
festival guests can explore not
just through the gated section,
but the entire district through
unique, fun activities.
The event is free to
the public.
“The Kaufman Arts District
street with the big gate is like
Willy Wonka’s factory: you see
people go in and out, but there’s
a magical world behind the
gate that shows the uniqueness
of the street and the neighborhood,”
said Jamie Hook, executive
director of the Kaufman
Arts District. “We want to give
the community a chance to get
to know them and play on their
own stage.”
The event will kick off with
an opening ceremony at 2:30
p.m. led by Astoria’s own Fogo
Azul, a 50-woman samba drumline.
The drummers will take
to the district’s catwalk to start
off the festivities. Guests can enjoy
a number of events throughout
the afternoon, including
Live Ice Sculpting from the
city’s largest ice sculptor, Okamoto
Studio, a Japanese Gypsy
rock show from Kaz & Sakai, a
Sesame Street workshop with
the show’s creative director of
character design Louis Henry
Mitchell and so much more.
The event will also feature
performances from talented
musicians such as Alvaro Benavides
and Skins N Strings
over at the Latin stage, plus a
workshop from the city’s only
ukulele-only studio, The Uke
Hut. At the literature stage,
guests can enjoy readings by
Voices of Fortune, a group led
by the Fortune Society to help
incarcerated individuals successfully
re-enter society by
teaching them to write.
One of the festival’s highlights
includes the Queens
Mutt Show. Co-presented by
Chateau Le Woof, the show
seeks to crown the Best Mutt
in Queens, and the winner will
hold on to the trophy until next
year’s show. All proceeds from
Photo courtesy of the Kaufman Arts District
the mutt show will go to support
Animal Cares Centers for
New York.
The Mutt Show will begin
at 4 p.m. All dogs are eligible
to compete, regardless of their
pedigree, however participants
must register their dog before
the festival begins. If you’d like
your dog to compete, register
them backlotfestival.nyc.
The festival will close with
a one-of-a-kind fashion show
led by Tableaux Vivants. The
re-imagined fashion show will
highlight costumed performers
in various surreal situations
using costumes on loan from
the TDF Costume Collection.
“This specific community
deserves and needs a free
event, and what we’re trying
to create here is a space where
the community truly can see itself,”
said Hook. “I’m honored
and grateful to be a part of producing
the festival.”
For more information and
a full lineup of event activities,
visit backlotfestival.nyc.
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