SUMMER FUN ’19
Enjoy a little night music all season
Queens has plenty of great and free outdoor concerts lined up in local parks this summer
BY JENNA BAGCAL
Warm weather is finally
here and what better way to
soak up the sun than enjoying
a free outdoor concert?
The New York City Parks
Department is offering free
concerts around the borough
this spring and summer.
From classical music and jazz
to reggae and disco, music
lovers are sure to find a genre
they’ll enjoy for New York
Music Month.
“We are so pleased to
present New York Music
Month, back for a third
year with a terrific slate
of diverse programming
for musicians and music
lovers of all ages. This
initiative is a celebration of
all that our city’s thriving
music industry has to
offer, whether you’re an
artist trying to make your
mark, a sound engineer
interested in honing your
craft or a music fan looking
for free concerts and musicrelated
activities this
summer,” said Anne del
Castillo, the commissioner
of the Office of Media
and Entertainment.
While not all of these
events are part of the New
York Music Month Concert
Series, concertgoers are
welcome to check out the
following 10 free outdoor
concerts happening in
Queens this June.
New York Music Month
Concert Series: Family
Fun and Music
To kick off New York Music
Month, the Mayor’s Office
of Media & Entertainment
and NYC Parks are hosting
this family-friendly concert
series. On Saturday, June
1, The Dirty Sock Funtime
Band and Alex and the
Kaleidoscope will perform
for the kids at MacDonald
Park in Forest Hills. The
free concert runs from 1 to
3 p.m.
New York Music Month
Concert Series: Reggae
On Sunday, June 9,
concertgoers can enjoy the
stylings of several reggae
artists at St. Albans Park.
From 3 to 6 p.m., renowned
artists British Dependency,
Mr. Kool and Paul Brown
Enjoy jazz music at Socrates Sculpture Park in Long Island City this June. Photo courtesy of NYC Parks
will come together for a
celebration of reggae music,
which originated in Jamaica
in the 1960s.
Jazz at Socrates
In the mood for some jazz?
Then head over to Long Island
City’s Socrates Sculpture
Park on Thursday, June 13,
from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The Danny
Mixon Quartet featuring
Antoinette Montague will be
performing at this concert
series that first started in
2016. Harlem-born, Brooklynbased
pianist Danny Mixon,
who has been described
as “one of NYC’s jazz
treasures,” will collaborate
with vocalist Antoinette
Montague of Jazz Woman to
the Rescue!
New York Philharmonic
Concerts in the Parks:
Cunningham Park
The New York
Philharmonic will delight
listeners with a classical
music exhibition at Fresh
Meadow’s Cunningham Park
on Thursday, June 13, from
8 to 9:30 p.m. Didi and Oscar
Schafer will be presenting
this concert under the stars
as they have been since
1965. The hour-and-a-half
program, conducted by Jaap
van Zweden, will include such
pieces as Rossini’s “Overture
to La Gazza,” Ladra,Copland’s
“Hoe-Down, from Rodeo,”
Rachmaninoff’s “Symphony
No. 2” and a series of works
by the Very Young Composers
of New York City. Volt Live
will provide fireworks after
the performance.
New York Music Month
Concert Series: Latin
Music
If Latin music is more
your speed, head over to
Gorman Playground in
East Elmhurst. The NYMM
concert series continues
with a performance by the
Connecticut-based band
Orquesta Afinke. The show
is on Saturday, June 15, from
7 to 9 p.m.
Jerry Costanzo and His
Gotham City Swingers
This Father’s Day,
take dad out to see Jerry
Costanzo and His Gotham
City Swingers. Councilman
Eric Ulrich is sponsoring
this evening of songs by
some of the best crooners
and kings of swing. Herry
Costanzo and his band will
perform the hits of legends
like Frank Sinatra, Dean
Martin, Sammy Davis Jr.,
Nat King Cole, Count Basie,
Duke Ellington and Benny
Goodman. The performance
is on Sunday, June 16, from
5 to 6:30 p.m. at the George
Seuffert Bandshell in
Woodhaven’s Forest Park.
Metropolitan Opera
Recital
For the ninth season,
the Met’s Summer Recital
Series returns to Socrates
Sculpture Park in Long
Island City. On Monday, June
17, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., the
concert will feature young
Met singers who will perform
a series of arias and duets
from several operas.
New York Music Month
Concert Series: The
History of Rock and Roll
On Saturday, June 22,
the Mayor’s Office and
NYC Parks presents a
performance by the History
of Rock and Roll band as
part of the NYMM Concert
Series. The concert takes
place at MacNeil Park in
College Point from 1 to 3
p.m.
New York Music Month
Concert Series: Disco
Music
This celebration of disco
music is for those who
can’t get enough of Donna
Summer, the Bee Gees
and Gloria Gaynor. This
concert will feature Disco
Unlimited, the “hottest disco
show and dance band on the
East Coast.” The band has
shared the stage with disco
greats including Maxine
Nightingale, George
McCrae, The Trammps and
France Jolie. The concert
is on Saturday, June 29,
from 7 to 9 p.m. at Hunter’s
Point South Park in
Long Island City.
Queens Symphony
Orchestra
On Sunday, June 30,
from 3 to 5 p.m., the Queens
Symphony Orchestra will
be performing a “symphonic
salute to America.” The
event is sponsored by
Councilman Robert Holden
and will take place at the
George Seuffert Bandshell
in Forest Park.
Reach reporter Jenna
Bagcal by email at jbagcal@
qns.com or by phone at (718)
224-5863 ext. 214.
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