34 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • AUGUST 20, 2020 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
buzz
Free drive-in movie nights begin in Flushing Meadows Corona Park
BY JASMINE PALMA
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
Acting Queens Borough President
Sharon Lee announced the start of “Free
Wednesday Movie Nights at the 2020
Queens Drive-In,” a series of seven drivein
fi lm screenings at the New York Hall
of Science in Flushing Meadows Corona
Park.
Th e drive-in theater is part of a multiborough
Courtesy of Rooftop Films
Queens Drive-In is coming to the New York Hall of Science parking fi eld beginning next month.
Ray Romano narrates tribute to Queens small businesses impacted by COVID-19
BY BILL PARRY
bparry@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Forest Hills’ favorite son Ray Romano
paid video tribute to the small businesses,
essential workers and frontline heroes that
served Queens residents during the height
of the COVID-19 pandemic declaring
“Queens Stands Strong Together.”
Th e video, titled “Queens Rising,” was
narrated by the Emmy Award-winning
comedian produced in conjunction with
the Queens Chamber of Commerce.
In addition to releasing the video, the
Chamber announced a multi-pronged
eff ort to get Queens’ businesses and economy
back on track, including several new
initiatives to support existing businesses
across the borough while attracting new
businesses to Queens.
“Th e last few months have been incredibly
diffi cult for Queens, but we got
through it because Queens doesn’t quit,”
Queens Chamber of Commerce President
and CEO Th omas J. Grech said. “We
owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to
the frontline heroes, essential workers
and small businesses who continued to
serve Queens residents in the face of this
unprecedented pandemic. We are thankful
to Ray Romano for his support of
Queens’ small business community.”
Romano was raised at the family
home at 70-17 Nansen St. and studied
at Archbishop Molloy High School in
Briarwood for two years before transferring
to Hillcrest High School. Aft er graduating,
he studied accounting at Queens
College before becoming one of the highest
paid actors on television, starring on
the hit show “Everybody Loves Raymond.”
“No matter where you are — Sunnyside,
Astoria, my hometown Forest Hills,
Jamaica, the Rockaways, let’s do what we
all do best, what I know Queens does best,
and that is support each other,” Romano
said.
Among the initiatives announced by
the Chamber include QueensCare, a day
care program to support working parents;
Adopt a Small Business, allowing corporations
to sponsor local small business;
and QueensShoring, a collaboration with
NYC Small Business Services to bring
manufacturing back to Queens.
Other programs include
QueensChamberBites, an eff ort to support
Queens’ restaurants and food service
industries; QueensChamberTech, a campaign
to attract, retain and grow a techbased
ecosystem in strategic locations
throughout the borough; and more.
“Now is the time to get back to work,
and we are excited to announce that these
new initiatives to help our local businesses
rebuild our economy stronger than ever
before,” Grech said.
Th e video was produced by Queensnative
Emma Leavy, and features footage
from a number of beloved local
businesses including Bourbon Street in
Bayside, Kimmy Ma Art Studio in Fresh
Meadows, Great Bear Auto in Flushing,
Martha’s Bakery in Bayside, Laundry
Stop in Queens Village, Patel Brothers
Supermarket in Jackson Heights and New
Golden Wine & Liquor in Bayside.
drive-in fi lm festival, in partnership
with NYC Parks, the New York
City Comptroller, Rooft op Films, the New
York Hall of Science, the Museum of the
Moving Image, and the Queens Night
Market. Free screenings will run for seven
consecutive Wednesdays from Aug. 19 to
Sept. 30.
“It certainly has been an unusual New
York summer without concerts and other
large-scale events at our beloved city parks,
like the ‘Only in Queens Summer Festival’
in prior years,” Lee said. “Together with
key partners, we’re delighted to bring this
series of free movie nights at the 2020
Queens Drive-In as a fun throwback for
the ‘Borough of Families,’ while prioritizing
safety in the midst of the ongoing
pandemic.”
“Flushing Meadows Corona Park is a
vibrant community hub that off ers a welcoming
escape from stress and anxiety,”
said NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell
J. Silver. “We’re proud to host this exciting
fi lm series for Queens residents and families
to enjoy. Special thanks to our partners
for their commitment to prioritizing
safety and bringing a new summertime
tradition to this historic park.”
Financially supporting “Free
Wednesday Movie Nights at the 2020
Queens Drive-In,” the nonprofi t Flushing
Meadow Park Improvement Fund provided
$70,000 for the screenings. Th e Fund is
overseen by Lee, Silver, and Comptroller
Scott M. Stringer.
Pre-registration will be required, available
two weeks prior to each showing. Th e
event has a 200-vehicle limit per screening.
Registration is available here. A display
of registration confi rmation, whether
a printed copy or via mobile device, is
required for entry.
Social distancing will be enforced.
Guests arriving by foot and unregistered
vehicles will not gain admission.
Contactless purchase of food and beverages
will be available through vendors that
participate in the Queens Night Market,
an annual event held in the New York Hall
of Science parking lot but postponed due
to the pandemic.
“We know that an unprecedented number
of New York City businesses have
closed or will close as a direct result of
this pandemic, so we’re always looking
for opportunities to help our vendors stay
afl oat during these challenging times,”
said Queens Night Market Founder John
Wang. “Our Fuel the Frontlines initiative
with Borough President Lee earlier
this year was a fantastic success for a really
great cause, and we’re delighted to partner
again with the borough president and
with our usual host, the New York Hall
of Science, for this drive-in movie series.
Great food along with great fi lm!”
In an eclectic collection, the series of
drive-ins will feature a series of diff erent
fi lms. Features will be displayed in a
60-foot screen and will be shown regardless
of the weather. Short fi lms, some by
local fi lmmakers, will be displayed before
the main fi lm.
Th e screening schedule is as follows:
• Wednesday, Aug. 26: “Up” (2009)
• Wednesday, Sept. 2: “Th e Lunchbox”
(2013)
• Wednesday, Sept. 9: “WALL-E” (2008)
• Wednesday, Sept. 16: “Th e Farewell”
(2019)
• Wednesday, Sept. 23: “Iron Man” (2008)
• Wednesday, Sept. 30: “Men in Black”
(1997).
As Queens regains in footing following the COVID-19 economic crisis, actor Ray Romano pays tribute
to small businesses, essential workers and frontline heroes.
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