FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.queenscourier.com july 17, 2014 • The Queens Courier 39 Fifth annual music, art street festival coming to Sunnyside BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO aaltamirano@queenscourier.com @aaltamirano28 The streets of Sunnyside will be alive with the sound of music and art this summer. The Sunnyside Shines Business Improvement District will present its fifth annual free street festival called Sunnyside Summer Strolls on Saturday, July 26, and Saturday, August 2. Sunnyside Summer Strolls will bring together local businesses, Queens Silk Road food tour reaches Kickstarter goal BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO aaltamirano@queenscourier.com @aaltamirano28 Foodies, get ready: a two-day international Queens food tour is coming to Queens thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign. Astoria resident Adam Edwards turned to the online crowdfunding site last month in hopes of raising enough money to turn his project called “The Silk Road & Spice Route of Queens” into a reality, The Queens Courier first reported. “I always wanted to do something with food that really connects with people, and Queens is a unique food destination in itself,” Edwards previously told The Courier. Edwards’ campaign came to an end on July 15 and raised a total of $2,175, surpassing his goal of $2,000. The idea came to Edwards, originally from Pittsburgh, upon exploring Astoria and seeing the different restaurants featuring international cuisines, such as Mombar located at 25-22 Steinway St. During the food tour, which will take place on August 10 and 17, Edwards said he hopes to highlight the borough’s diversity and modern versions of food that could be found along the ancient Silk Road and spice routes that connected Europe, Asia and Africa. Participants will be able to ride a trolley from midtown Manhattan, at 8th Avenue between 54th and 55th streets, into Queens. “Learn about the history of Queens and the lands where people immigrated from to call New York City home as we try authentic food from the old world right in our backyard,” said Edwards on the food tour’s official website. The first Sunday, August 10, starting at noon, the tour will focus on the Spice Route of Queens dining at restaurants specializing in Italian, Egyptian, South Indian, Malaysian and Cantonese cuisines. The following week, participants will explore the Silk Road tasting food from Greece, the Middle East, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Central/Western China. Tickets are currently on sale for $150 as an early-bird special, up to 10 days before the events, and the full price of the tickets is $200 per day. All proceeds from the food tour will go toward supporting the nonprofit Upwardly Global, for which Edwards has organized fundraisers over the past few years. For more information visit www.silkroadofqueens. com. Image Courtesy of Adam Edwards residents and local organizations under the Sunnyside arch at 46th Street, which has been transformed into a temporary public space with tables and chairs, for scheduled activities. “Sunnyside Summer Strolls is a great community event series, designed to promote our local businesses, bring arts programming to the neighborhood and provide a temporary public space for the day,” said Rachel Thieme, executive director of Sunnyside Shines. “We are excited to partner with Re-Create QNS to bring new energy and arts expertise to the event this year.” On Saturday, July 26, is the Children’s Arts and Crafts Fair from 1 to 6 p.m., produced in partnership with Re-Create QNS, a new coalition of creative Sunnyside organizations. Activities include face painting, water marbling, ballet, Irish step, modern dance and performances by local musicians. Families will also have the opportunity to meet with artists and teachers of neighborhood arts and enrichment programs. “Sunnyside is home to so many innovative and passionate arts groups,” said Nancy Kleaver, Re-Create QNS director. “Re-Create QNS wants to spread the word and make more connections between the public and our local cultural institutions. It will be a fun day for kids and families to be creative together.” Under the elevated No. 7 train, the new Bliss Plaza will host a pop-up library in partnership with the Uni Project, the Sunnyside branch of the Queens Public Library and the Neighborhood Plaza Partnership. The following Saturday, from 2 to 7 p.m., will be the Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Concert featuring a 1920s theme and lineup of jazz musicians and performers including The Sunnyside Wolverines featuring Linda Ipanema, The Sunnyside Social Club, The Pendulum Swings, The Sunnyside Drum Corps, and The Big Apple Lindy Hoppers. There will also be a dance floor set up in the street, a free photo booth and a 1920s costume contest. Local businesses will be on-site offering free giveaways and services. For more info visit www.sunnysideshines. org. Photos courtesy of Sunnyside Shines
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