WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES JANUARY 3, 2019 15
BUZZ
Here’s some of the biggest
events in Queens this new year
BY ROBERT POZARYCKI
RPOZARYCKI@RIDGEWOODTIMES.COM
The confetti has fallen; the new
year’s buzz is wearing off . Now
it’s time to start looking ahead
to some of the most important dates of
the year.
Jan. 1 marked the start of new terms
in government for statewide offi ces.
Governor Andrew Cuomo begins his
third term in offi ce today; joining him
are incoming Attorney General Letitia
James, the fi rst African-American woman
to hold statewide offi ce, and State
Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, who
also starts his third term in the post.
Queens has several new Assembly
members and State Senators assuming
offi ce today. They include State
Senators John Liu of the 11th District
(northeast Queens) and Jessica Ramos
of the 13th District (Corona, Elmhurst,
Jackson Heights and Woodside); and
Assemblywoman Catalina Cruz of
the 39th District (Corona, Elmhurst
and Jackson Heights), who is the fi rst
DREAMer to hold public offi ce in New
York State.
Thursday, Jan. 3, marks the fi rst day
of the 116th Congress on Capitol Hill,
and a new era in the federal government.
Democrats will once again be
in control of the House of Representatives,
having gained 40 seats and the
majority in the chamber. The Senate
remains in Republican hands, and the
divided Congress will have to fi gure
out how to reopen the government
amid an ongoing partial shutdown that
The Ridgewood-Glendale-Middle Village-Maspeth (RGMVM) Little League will celebrate the start of their season
took eff ect on Dec. 21 — the result of an
impasse with President Trump on the
border wall he wants to fund.
Seven people represent Queens in
the House of Representatives, and Jan.
3 marks the fi rst day in offi ce for the
lone rookie in the delegation: Alexandria
Ocasio-Cortez, who defeated
10-term incumbent Joe Crowley last
year for the right to represent the
14th District, which includes much of
northwest Queens and the Bronx.
Beyond politics, there are plenty of
other notable dates ahead for Queens.
Here are just a few of them:
Western Queens plays host to a
spectacular St. Patrick’s Day Parade in
March. On March 3, thousands more
will line the streets of Sunnyside and
Woodside for the annual St. Pat’s for
All Parade.
Back by popular demand, The
World’s Fare will return for its second
stint at Citi Field in Flushing the
weekend of May 18-19. More than 100
vendors representing cuisine from all
corners of the world will be serving
up delicious treats to thousands of
guests. There will also be a huge beer
garden with sampling sessions as well
as an array of entertainment acts. Visit
worldsfare.nyc for more details.
Memorial Day celebrations in
late May mark the unoffi cial start of
summer in Queens and the rest of the
country. Before you head out to the
beach or fi re up the grill, be sure to
take the family to one of the many Memorial
Day parades and ceremonies
held across the borough on Sunday,
May 26, or Monday, May 27, and salute
those who served and gave their lives
in defense of the country.
The colors of the rainbow will fl y
through Jackson Heights on Sunday,
June 2, during the Queens Pride
Parade and Festival. Members of
the LGBTQ community will parade
through the streets celebrating love
and freedom. This year’s march will
include a 50th anniversary commemoration
of the Stonewall Riots in 1969,
a pivotal moment in the LGBTQ equal
rights movement.
Queens plays hosts to two spectacular
fi reworks shows in the days leading
up to Independence Day, July 4. The
Central Astoria Local Development
Corporation holds their fireworks
extravaganza near Astoria Park, while
the Bayside Historical Society and City
Councilman Paul Vallone sponsor a
similarly colorful pyrotechnic display
at Fort Totten in Bayside. Further details
about both shows will be posted
on QNS.com at a later date. Of course,
thousands of people will gather in
Long Island City on the night of July
4 to witness the Macy’s Fourth of July
Fireworks Extravaganza on the East
River waterfront.
Queens will again pause on Sept. 11
to mark the anniversary of the terrorist
attacks that occurred 18 years ago at
the World Trade Center, the Pentagon
and on board United Airlines Flight
93. The borough lost hundreds of residents
at the Twin Towers on that day of
infamy in 2001, and will host a number
of vigils and memorial services in the
days leading up to the anniversary.
The streets of Queens will host
numerous Halloween parades in the
days leading up to All Hallows Eve, on
Thursday, Oct. 31. Parades are typically
held in Glendale, Jackson Heights
and Howard Beach, featuring ghosts
and goblins of all ages enjoying some
not-so-scary fall fun.
in April with an Opening Day Parade through Glendale.
The American Cancer Society will hold its annual Relay for Life in June at
Juniper Valley Park in Middle Village.
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