38 The Queens Courier • may 22, 2014 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com Thousands relive past World’s Fairs at anniversary festival, call for third Fair THE COURIER/Photos by Liam La Guerre Thousands of people packed Flushing Meadows Corona Park for the anniversaries of the 1939- 40 and 1964-65 World’s Fairs. BY LIAM LA GUERRE lguerre@queenscourier.com/@liamlaguerre It wasn’t quite a third New York World’s Fair, but Sunday’s anniversary festival left that impression. An estimated 60,000 people flocked to Flushing Meadows Corona Park, the site of the 1939-40 and 1964-65 World’s Fairs, to honor the 75th and 50th anniversaries through a myriad of free activities, exhibitions and food, sponsored by the Queens borough president’s office and the Parks Department. People mostly from around the city, Tri-State area and Long Island came to relive the memory of the World’s Fair and pass along that feeling to the next generation. “For me, just to come back and pay respects 50 years later is great,” said Carlos Rios, a Harlem native who attended the 1964-65 World’s Fair. “It’s déjà vu.” Surrounding the iconic Unisphere, there were inflatable rides for children, international food courtesy of LIC Flea & Food, free tours, exhibitions from Queens educational institutions, memorabilia from past Fairs, fireworks and music from various bands — including Beatles tribute band, the Liverpool Shuffle. Despite the festivities, the celebration just didn’t compare to an actual World’s Fair, some said. “This is not a World’s Fair, this is just a reunion-type thing,” Marc Cutler, a Brooklyn resident who collects World’s Fair memorabilia said. “There’s no comparison.” But the festival triggered so many memories of the fairs, some people are now calling for a third Fair, and politicians are already on board. “We need conservation, preservation, and more economic development in Queens, and I think a World’s Fair would do all of that wrapped up in one,” Public Advocate Letitia James said.
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