68 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • AUGUST 30, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
buzz
World Maker Faire set to return to the New
York Hall of Science in Queens this September
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
edavenport@qns.com / @QNS
DIY-enthusiasts and fans alike are gearing
up for an annual event that celebrates
of invention, creativity and curiosity that’s
coming to Flushing Meadows Corona Park
this fall.
On Sept. 22-23, the New York Hall of
Science, located at 47-01 111th St., will host
the ninth annual World Maker Faire. From
10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day, attendees can
explore the works and creations of over
1,000 presenters and exhibitors from the
New York area and around the world.
“World Maker Faire is the East Coast’s
biggest celebration for grassroots innovation
and creativity. Walking around the
Faire, attendees oft en report a sense of
inspiration, but also empowerment,” said
Sabrina Merlo, managing director for
Maker Faire. “It’s a feeling that it’s possible
to design solutions, to make change — to be
a Maker. Oft en times, people leave the Faire
inspired to go home and tackle that idea or
project they’ve always wanted to try.”
Th is year, Faire attendees can look forward
to the following new attractions:
• Th e Hand of Man: Creator Christian
Ristow’s 26-foot-long, hydraulically actuated
human hand and forearm controlled
by a glove device, which is capable of
picking up and crushing cars, makes its
NYC debut.
• Tapigami: A contemporary art form created
by artist Danny Scheible, who uses
masking tape to create entire cities.
• Cosplay Contest: For the fi rst time ever,
World Maker Faire will host a cosplay
contest which promises to bring out creative
DIY costumes you’ll have to see to
believe.
• Th e DIY Content Creators’ Stage: a new
stage and lounge devoted solely to the
YouTubers of the Maker Movement.
• Startup Tent: featuring NYC hardware
and maker startups, such as Looking
Glass and Wazer. Come see the Maker
projects that will soon have the business
world buzzing.
• Gaming and Mixed Reality: Th ese new
exhibit areas showcase experiments that
are emerging in the landscape of AR, VR
and game interfaces.
• Sculptor Adrian Landon: Th e hand-hewn
steel kinetic sculptures of this celebrated
NYC Saatchi artist will be on display to
wow attendees.
• Tiny Homes Village: You thought NYC
apartments were small? Wait until you
see these innovative concepts in resourceful
design and architecture.
• Th e Dark Room: An entire exhibit hall
devoted to light-driven, interactive projects
and immersive art.
• Center Stage Talent: see Ayah Bdeir
of LittleBits toy platform; Elan Lee of
Exploding Kittens (the most funded game
in Kickstarter history); YouTube phenom
Backyard Scientist (Kevin Kohler), and
many more!
Tickets for this year’s World Maker Faire
are now available online and can be purchased
at the door. For more information
about ticket prices, visit makerfaire.com/
new-york/buy-tickets/.
For more information, visit makerfaire.
com/new-york.
Photo: Flickr/Maker Faire
World Maker Faire 2017
An Astoria yoga studio will off er classes for Spanish speakers and parents
BY JENNA BAGCAL
jbagcal@qns.com/ @jenna_bagcal
Yoga Agora in Astoria will soon be
off ering weekly classes taught in Spanish
and another for parents and their babies.
Th e two new class options will be available
at their studios (33-02 Broadway, second
fl oor) aft er Labor Day, according to
Yoga Agora founder and instructor Nick
Velkov. Th e fi rst child-friendly class starts
on Saturday, Aug. 8, from 3:30 to 4:30
p.m. and the fi rst Spanish language class
will take place on Sunday, Aug. 9, from
3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Velkov founded the Astoria studio in
2010 aft er having practiced yoga since the
summer of 2005. He said that his original
intentions for starting yoga were the physical
benefi ts, but his focus shift ed toward
yoga as a meditative exercise as he continued
to learn more.
Since he opened Yoga Agora in 2010,
Velkov said that he wanted his practice
to be as “community-minded as possible.”
Over the years, he had gotten calls
from residents — on behalf of themselves
or their parents — asking if the studio
off ered classes in Spanish. Aft er realizing
the demand, he decided that his studio
should off er the option in order to “get
more people to the mat” and be as accessible
to the community as possible.
Velkov enlisted the help of yoga instructor
Juan Gomez, who hails from Colombia
and has been part of Yoga Agora since the
beginning. Gomez is slated to teach the
Spanish language vinyasa classes every
Sunday for $8 a session. Classes will be
“open level” meaning that they will be
open to all regardless of experience.
Another demand that Velkov noticed
was for classes geared toward working
parents. He heard complaints about how
diffi cult it was for parents to get to yoga
classes aft er work and how classes held
on the weekends cut into time spent with
their families. Th e solution? Yoga classes
that are open to children.
Th e kid-friendly classes will be taught
by Yoga Agora instructor and mom Anna
Ahlin on Saturdays and cost $20 per “family
unit.” Velkov described the class as
an environment that “welcomes children
to be children.” Babies and toddlers are
invited to practice alongside their parents
but are also welcome to nap, play, color
or even cry.
“Parents don’t need to be self-conscious
about bringing their children,” Velkov
said.
Velkov said that the studio does not
off er memberships or class packages and
most people drop in for classes when the
mood strikes them. Classes are off ered for
as low as $8 and some accept donations
based on what individuals can contribute.
For more information and a full schedule
of classes off ered as Yoga Agora,
visit yogaagora.com. To contact the studio
directly, call 718-626-0680 or email
yogaagora@gmail.com. Th ose interested
can also learn more on Facebook @
yogaagora.
Photo via Facebook/Yoga Agora
Yoga Agora in Astoria will off er two new classes after Labor Day.
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