Meeting Announcement: Album

October 2016

2016 SGCA Board You can find photos of the amazing pile of dirt on the park website in our members-only photo Deb McGowan, President Meeting Announcement: album. Natalie O’ Sullivan, Secretary Janis Kavanagh,Treasurer Please join us for the next General Membership All of our committees always welcome volun- meeting on Monday 10/24/16 at 8:00PM at Phipps Zone 1 Reps: teers, so please contact the park office if you’re Social Hall, 51-01 39th Avenue. interested in helping out with any of our park Tom Farnham Kathleen EspositoiMcAndrew initiatives. Our board members do much more Jeremy Kareken than just meet one Monday a month--each one President’s Letter also participates in a committee and supports in Zone 2 Reps: planning our events. We need members to par- Welcome back! It’s been a busy summer. Our ticipate in our Nominating Committee so that Matthew Abbott John O’Sullivan park is thriving with 492 membership accounts- we can get a great board in place for 2017. Kathleen Nesdale -that means we have around 2,000 people! 50 years ago, in baby boom era 1946, then-park But I’m not ready to say goodbye to 2016 yet- Zone 3 Reps: President I. M. Galanis reported similar mem- -we still have so much to look forward to, from bership numbers (see page 10). our Halloween Parade to the Chili Bowl, our MaryAnn Joyce Soja Bobrow Tailgate Party and finally our traditional Holiday Dorothy Cavallo In July, the Temporary Sprinkler Committee Boutique. Many more chances to volunteer and came through to cool things off with our yellow make your own mark on our beloved park. Phipps Management Rep: mushroom sprinkler. It was an instant hit when it showed up in July, and will get us through Sincerely, Bill Eichhorn while the Splash Park Committee works on a Homeowners Rep: more permanent solution. At the same time, Debra McGowan Pool Committee Chair Kathleen Esposito has 2016 President Eileen Connolly been selflessly working on figuring out how to get our pool back up and running. Inside this issue: Park Office hours are Wednesday- Our sports lovers can get ready for our fall Saturday, 10am-6pm. See Robin Fine for From the President 1 athletics season. Steve Leamer is head coach for Saturday morning t-ball, and Adam Gurzynski table/grill reservations and for any billing Social / Fire Fly Night 2 will be leading flag football for kids on Sundays. questions. If emailing outside park hours, Out of School BBQ 3 Tennis pro Carlo Carlin has expanded the kids’ ([email protected]), please allow extra tennis program to make the most of the courts time for a response. Camp Out 4 before they close down on November 1st. And, as always, Shannon Gaels will be back. Shakespheare 5 Yard Sale 6 Speaking of tennis, Carlo and park member Now Hiring! Mark Guest took on the daunting task of regrad- Jazz and Flicks 7 ing our Har-Tru tennis courts. This needs to be The Hiring Committee is seeking a Park done every 10-15 years, and using a professional Baseball 8 Associate. Responsibilities include data- contractor is very costly. Using Mark’s carpentry base maintenance, website management, Events Calendar 9 skills, he and and Carlo have been working since billing and invoicing, event support, and early June on scraping the surface to a gentle facilities maintenance. Will report to the Park History 10 slope. We’re all grateful for their efforts. Park President and Park Manager. Appli- Contest Winner 11 cants must be skilled in communication, I’d also like to call attention to the men, wom- administration, organization, health/safety, Fall in Queens 12 en, and children who came out on a hot August and multi-tasking. day to shovel and rake 14 tons of baseball clay. Page 2 Firefly Night / Summer Social 2016 By Adam DeGraff

Unfortunately there was a heavy rain a few hours nice moment was an a capella rendition of Shawn before the Firefly Night this year. Fortunately the Mendez’s “Stitches” performed by Riley Sweet- rain passed quickly and the weather was perfect man. Really sweet, man! And it was great to hear during the event. Unfortunately, after a summer some classics from back in the day too, “Dream a rain you get mosquitoes en masse. Fortunately, for Little Dream of Me,” Pat Benatar’s “We Belong,” some reason, they weren’t bad at all. Unfortunate- Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall” (“Hey, ly that reason is probably global warming. Unfor- teachers! Leave them kids alone!”), “House Of The tunately, and possibly related, there were also less Rising Sun,” and a very expressive and goth rendi- fireflies. Fortunately the kids did manage to catch tion of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” a few anyway--unfortunately for the fireflies! So while the kids were off playing in the park Dawn Sweetman and Julie Nover did a bang-up (doing whatever, really) the parents were busy job organizing the event this year. The addition mixing it up. I meet more park members during of the Talent Show was brilliant in that it allowed this event than any other during the year. I had a kids with a bent toward performance a safe avenue great conversation with Jason Marr, director of the of expression, as well as positive feedback from excellent Queens Shakespeare company, Hip to an audience of 75-100 people, generating the kind Hip. I told him I had seen the Pergamon exhibit at of moment that can change a kid for life. And the Met earlier in the day, which lead to a conver- the organizers found a perfect host in Jersey Joe sation about Hellenistic theater. He told me that Orecchio. Joe’s been honing his chops doing stand the main reason they used masks in theater back up comedy gigs lately, and it showed as he helped in those days was because there were primitive keep the crowd entertained between acts. microphones built into the masks and the actors could be better heard in the big amphitheaters. The highlight of the talent show for me was hear- Jason said he toyed with the idea of using simi- ing the two girls performing Rachel Platten’s lar masks for Shakespeare In The Park (another “Fight Song.” They really got fired up as they sang, terrific Sunnyside Gardens event.) In the end, he “This is my fight song! Take back my life song! said, they invested in actual wireless microphones, Prove I’m all right song! My power’s turned on! and that it has made a huge difference. This in Starting right now I’ll be strong! I’ll play my fight turn lead to learning the interesting tidbit that song!” All of the kids in the audience seemed theater actors put their wireless microphone packs to be singing along too, even 4 year old Maeve in condoms to keep them from getting ruined Pierce sitting in the front row. It was an explosive with sweat. Jason said he had to stock up from moment of girl power and I admit I got a little Costco soon for the summer season. The things choked up. This is the hope of the future! Another you learn! Page 3 I also had a great conversation with Robert Ken- You and the Out of School BBQ nedy and his wife Tammy Arnstein about our the By Paul Roer vibrant community of film and art lovers. Our conversation ranged from raga to Stan Brakhage. I suppose this epitomizes a big part of what the summer social is all about, making community connections, even among the weirdos.

The Firefly Night was a magical event. I wish we could do it every weekend. Ah well, rarity breeds verity. To next year then. Cheers!

And in case you are wondering, the contest winners were: You can’t help but have a little Alice Cooper rat- tling through your skull, the day that school is out (for the summer). And with the Sunnyside First Place: Gardens Park Out of School BBQ, a classic rockin’ Paul Pennington song is a perfect tune to hum your head. As you walk through the grounds, you rejoice in Second Place (tie): tugs of war and puffy slides all about. You yearn Kristin Burns & James Arnold to join the horseshoe throwers and queue up for the Candy Playground, but those are for the little graduates, not you! Third Place: Ellery Sandhu Instead you have a cold one with some local dads named Kevin and Jeff, whose bestie daughters Ellie and Aggie just wrapped up kindergarten. “Gentlemen,” you ask, “how do you plan on keep- ing them occupied for the next two months?” In response, you get nothing but aggravated glances.

You observe a food line that seemingly never ends, along with the latest bout of tug-o-war. The artsy crowd create sculptures from foam stars while the athletically bent gear up for a third round of HORSE on the courts.

You wonder how all of the amazing volunteers were able to pull off such a fab event. You recall reading the names Celena & Anton Rodriguez DItchev and Caitlin Graham (who you learn is Celena’s sister) as a family trio of event chairs and thank them for their superb efforts.

You see the sun start to sink into the earth, along with the inflatable rides. But your feelings do not sink along with the surroundings, as the smiles around the grounds tell a happy tale about another school year winding down. Page 4 Feeling The Vibe at Camp Sunnyside By Paul Roer Enter Zootopia. The Disney dramedy drew the crowds away from the campground and into a space that served as a communal unwinding from an energetic afternoon. Minus the mini power failure and con- sistent shifting of children from front to back, left to right, the film proved a huge success in bringing The Vibe down to a cool and soporific state.

With The Vibe now shifted from exhilaration to ex- haustion the story would end here…for most. For those whose fortune was not sleep, the hours ticked on - One, Two, Three, Four - mirroring the number of monkeys jumping on the air mattress (“OK OK it’s time for bed! Back to your own tents now) and the There is certainly a general feeling that one gets being antes tossed into the makeshift poker pit. Whichever a member of Sunnyside Gardens Park thanks to the way the night progressed for the families sleeping warming role it plays in our lives and our community. under the Sunnyside stars, the early dawn still came as At Camp Sunnyside this past weekend, unfolding un- expected, too fast and without sympathy. der the sunbeams, billowing clouds and starlight, that general feeling came alive and transformed into: Despite the lack of respite, the morning left everyone with a memorable, shared experience and perhaps a bit The Vibe. of back pain. And with that, The Vibe at Camp Sunny- side came to define what it means to be a member of a You could feel The Vibe’s clear presence as our chil- fun, loving and caring community. dren ran, jumped, bounced, swung, sang, danced the evening through. Summer-y eats passed to and fro, lips awash with drinks (both adult and non), the entire field dressed up in mounds of technicolor polyure- thane ready for a night of laughter, joy and camarade- rie.

By early evening, the glitter and gluey paint from the arts and crafts area depleted as glowsticks and silly antics welcomed the dusk. The Vibe took its time shoo- ing away the S’more smoke and looked to settle in for a more quiet night.

URNA SEMPER ! ______! Looking to take Pilates Mat Classes in the Sunnyside area? Take with instructor Jennifer Radcliffe, All levels are welcome! www.pilateswithjennifer.com

Avery 5371 Page 5 All the Park’s A Stage By Patrick J. Burns Shakespeare returned to Sunnyside was seeing the kids run the bases chant- Gardens Park again this summer ing “Caesar! Caesar! Caesar!” as they with Hip to Hip Theatre, co-found- whipped up excitement for Act 1, Scene ed by Park Members Jason and 1. Joy Marr, staging a pair of plays— “Julius Caesar” and “As You Like “Julius Caesar” has probably done as It”—for the “die-hard theater goers much as any other work to keep the idea and park lovers.” The shows are a 1st-century Rome alive in the minds of wonderful example of SGP’s recent commitment to arts modern audiences. Hip to Hip kept that tradition alive alongside Flicks and Jazz in the Park and the enthusi- filling the Park with Corinthian columns and actors asm for this kind of programming showed: the ballfield in togas and armor. Park Member Joy Marr stood out was covered with blankets and lawn chairs as people among many excellent performances for her seamless from the entire community, including a lot of children transition from Brutus’ super-confident wife Portia in under 10, enjoyed an evening of open-air theater. the first half to the ambitious future emperor Octavian in the second. Hip to Hip’s “Julius Caesar” was action- The evening began with “Kids and the Classics”— packed and it was particularly wonderful to find the members of the production company taught the chil- same kids who I’ve seen other nights playing Wiffle-bat dren a bit about the Roman Republic and Elizabethan “swords” on the ballfield riveted by similar face-offs England, rehearsed lines from the soon-to-be-per- during the play’s restaging of the Battle of Philippi. formed play, and reviewed the fundamentals of iambic pentameter (including this line so well instilled in my It is fair to say that most of us would consider the Park daughter’s head that she remembers it two weeks later: more Forest of Arden than Roman Forum, and so “As “I am a pirate with a wooden leg.”!) They played games You Like It” was a perfect fit. With the exception of the like telephone and a parachute circle, but the highlight occasional LIRR train or Mister Softee jingle, the ballfield took on its pastoral setting beautifully. Another Park Member (another Marr, in fact!) was the highlight of this show—Sabrina joined the company this year and impressed the crowd with a lovely solo in the play’s final act.

Sunnyside Gardens Park is one of several venues throughout Queens that have hosted Hip to Hip’s performances each summer for the last decade. This includes amazing sites such as nearby Gantry Park and Socrates Sculpture Park, but there is something so special about the Sunnyside shows. It is the bit of magic that comes from seeing Jason and Joy light up the stage when the day before you were chatting with them on the 7-Train stage. The Park is lucky to have such talent among us and even more so because of their generosity in bringing “free, professional theater” to 39th Avenue. Speaking of generosity, the summer shows received support from City Councilman Jimmy van Bramer and Borough President Melinda Katz as well as the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs. The Park thanks all of the above for bring the arts to our summer nights. Thanks are also due to event chairs Courtney Newman and Andrea Rose, and the volunteer crew of ticket- takers, drink-sellers, security guards, and so on. Page 6 Hot, But Very Cool--Yard Sale 2016 By Liz Madans breads, delicious scones and other baked goods pro- vided by members of the park. Throughout the Sale, ingenuity abounded—cleverly constructed tables and racks caught shoppers’ attention, and enterprising younger members hosted a craft table, offering lessons in craft for a price that couldn’t be beat. (Five dollars for thirty minutes!)

A highlight of this year’s Yard Sale was the live music. Many came for the Sale, but stayed for the music performed by the perfectly named youth band The Hand-Me-Downs. The band set up in the train car and played song after song of well-chosen, crowd-pleasing hits, including hits from the White Stripes to Van Morrison to The Animals. The music drifting through the park added to the relaxed vibe as kids and adults danced and bopped to the tunes. Event chairs Soula Huderski and Soja Bobrow kept everything well organized so that vendors could focus on sales.

Though it was a hot day on September 10th, people of Overall, Park members and people new to the park all ages found cool bargains and music at the annual had a good time and came away with not a few trea- Yard Sale in the park. People snapped up everything sures gleaned from the basements, cellars and storage from toys and kid’s clothes (some still with tags, and spaces of our neighborhood. The Yard Sale gives any- some gently loved) to rare record albums and fabulous one a chance to better get to know your neighbors and high heels. Children and adults alike had a great time fellow park members, and is a beautiful way to spend a perusing, chatting and buying. Saturday.

Tables set up under the trees offered a wide variety of wares as people enjoyed the shifting shade and occasional breeze. Bargain-hunters feasted on sweet Page 7 6th Annual Flicks & Jazz in the Garden Draws Largest Crowd to Date By Elizabeth Streich

Illuminated by a full moon on a nearly cloudless, com- goodies for the event, and who worked the tables selling fortable 70 degree early fall evening, hundreds of fami- the food and drink. lies from throughout NYC gathered at Sunnyside Gar- dens Park on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016 for the 6th annual At dusk, families and friends arranged blankets and Flicks & Jazz in the Garden event. chairs in the baseball field—snuggling together to en- joy a collection short contemporary animated films and Event co-chairs Tammy Arnstein and Jennifer Porter vintage silent movies, against a backdrop of well-timed and their team of volunteers put together a fun-filled music arranged by local musician Robert Kennedy’s evening that brought families and friends from near group The Flushing Remonstrance. After the conclu- and far—drawing the largest attendance the event has sion of the set, Tommy Jose Stathes’ curated vintage seen to date—900 people—that featured live music, cartoons featuring favorites such as Popeye, Betty Boop cartoon-inspired arts and crafts, and a showing of vin- and Felix the Cat ended the evening. tage cartoons curated by renowned Queens-based early animation collector, curator, and historian Tommy Jose Elyse Orecchio noted that the event seems to improve Stathes. each year, since it first began in 2011. “The event organizers have really upped their game every year, which is Doors opened at 4:30 p.m. for arts and crafts led by park why we keep coming back year after year.” She shared volunteers. Melody Orecchio, age 8, who has attended that her favorite part of the event is listening to the live the event every year with her parents, Joe and Elyse music, particularly the arrangement accompanying the Orecchio, and brother Theo, especially enjoyed the films. “I really like the innovative music, and especially movie flip book crafts station led by Melissa Johnson. the xylophone.” Instead of making a book at the event, Melody said that she plans “to make my own at home; it’s cool that you The music inspired Elyse and Melody to jump up from draw your own book and when you flip it, it looks like their blanket and dance along with the electronic music a cartoon movie!” When asked what she plans to make on the grass behind the crowds. They listened closely to hers about she said, “I want to make ones of kittens run- the tunes and put on an impromptu mother-daughter ning and eating pizza.” modern dance performance, adjusting their movements according to the notes and rhythm of the music—giving At 4:30 p.m., attendees enjoyed (and some danced!) the appearance that they were highly skilled, elegant ro- to live music featuring children’s entertainer Rich- bots moving to the music. ard Younger, follows by performances by local musical groups the Project Hansori (led by Jeff Fairbanks), Special thanks to Tammy Arnstein, Jennifer Porter, Brooklyn Raga Massive and The Flushing Remon- Robert Kennedy, Vin Scialla, Jeff Fairbanks and Ty Sul- strance. livan, and the rest of the event committee that pulled off yet another terrific event. We can’t wait until next year’s Sales of homemade baked-goods and entrees such as Flicks & Jazz in the Garden! rice-krispie treats and pasta salad, cinema-style pop- corn, and pizza from nearby Uncle Jimmy’s Pizzeria And very special thanks to event sponsors The Globe filled tummies and raised money for the park. As well, Tavern, Queens Council on the Arts, the Artist & water, beer and wine was available for purchase. Special Craftsman Supply Store, the Butcher’s Block Irish Su- thanks to park members who contributed homemade permarket, Bar 43 and Uncle Jimmy’s Pizzeria. Page 8 Summer Baseball By Brendan I. Koerner

There are few sweeter sounds than the crack of The season culminated in a pizza party a baseball as it zooms off a deftly swung bat. The after the last Wednesday practice. A large num- park was fortunate to be filled with that gorgeous ber of the program’s participants are now racking and quintessentially American noise all summer, up impressive statistics in their respective Little thanks to a popular baseball program that was Leagues—a fitting testament to all the hard work organized by Joe LoBello and Michelle Brown. that Joe, John, and the other volunteer coaches put Twice a week throughout July and August, in this summer. over two dozen kids ranging in age from 6 to 10 would descend on the park’s diamond to hone their hitting, fielding, and baserunning skills. Wednesday evenings were primarily reserved for instructional drills, which were led by LoBello and John Scalzo: The coaches taught the finer points of how to secure pop flies, turn the classic 6-4-3 double play, and tame a high-bouncing Baltimore chop. Saturday mornings, meanwhile, were set aside for competitive games that featured first- rate pitching from the next generation of Jacob deGroms and Masahiro Tanakas, as well as the occasional inside-the-park home run (perhaps partially assisted by the official scorer’s lax attitude toward ruling errors). No matter the outcome, every game ended with all players circling the bases at full speed, a joyous ritual that also helped teach everyone how to make the proper turn from first to second. Page 9 SGCA 2016 Calendar of Events March 19, 2016 Easter Egg Hunt (Sat) March 21, 2016 General Membership Meeting May 7, 2016 Mother’s Day Plant Sale (Sat) May 14, 2016 New Member’s Breakfast #1 May 16, 2016 General Membership Meeting May 18, 2016 Memorial Day Fair (Sat) June 11, 2016 Father’s Day Campout (Sat) June 20, 2016 General Membership Meeting June 28, 2016 Out of School BBQ (Tues) July 16, 2016 Summer Social / Firefly Night (Sat) July 26, 2016 Shakespeare Dress Rehearsal (Tues) August 5, 2016 Shakespeare in the Park (Fri) August 12, 2016 Shakespeare in the Park 2 (Fri) TBD Star Gazing September 17, 2016 Flicks in the Garden (Sat) September 10, 2016 Yard Sale (Sat) October 1, 2016 Oktoberfest (Sat)- Cancelled October 24, 2016 General Membership Meeting October 29, 2016 Halloween Party (Sat) November 5, 2016 Chili Bowl (Sat) November 20, 2016 Tailgate (Sun) December 3, 2016 Holiday Boutique (Sun) December 19, 2016 General Membership Meeting

Attention Writers! Annie Frisbie, Spark Editor, [email protected] The Spark is always looking for reporters, writers, and photographers, and we’re offering lots of ways for you to use your love of words and pictures to earn volunteer hours. We “pay” ½ hour per paragraph for articles and event coverage, and ½ hour for one event photo or 1 hour for 3 event photos.

If you are planning to attend an event and would like to cover it for Spark, please reach out to me directly (annie- [email protected]) and I’ll get you going. You can also ask at the park office or talk to the event chair and they can sign you up and put you in touch with me.

I also welcome your article pitches for new content for Spark. If you have an idea for a piece that would benefit our wonderful community, please let me know! Page 10 A Little Park History

AND THE WINNER IS… By Tai McShane

Last spring we put out the call for young writers to tell us why they love the park. As parents, we appreciate that SGCA allows unstructured play time and how our children can safely roam free, join pick up games, catch up with their neighborhood friends after a long day at school. But how do they feel about the park? Do they recognize how special it is?

Turns out, they do. And if you take a moment to read this charming and eloquent essay by Bix Bilger you’ll get a glimpse of the park’s magic through the eyes of one our young members. It’s about his favorite park memory.

Well done Bix. And congratulations. You’re the winner of Spark’s spring writing contest! Page 11 Page 12 Queens Falls Forward with a Flurry of Fantastic, Fascinating, Family-Friendly Fun By Rob MacKay

There’s not as much free time in autumn, thanks to for New York Cares, a nonprofit which sends volun- academics, extracurriculars, and the wonderful New teers to 1,350 social service agencies. York Jets. So quality has to cover for quantity. Don’t Dine In Queens, Boroughwide, Oct. 17-Nov. 7, itsin- worry, Queens is up to the task yet again with a wide queens.com/restaurantweek array of enriching and unique family activities. Here’s a list of the crème de la crème over the next few months Go around the food world in 21 days. Dine In Queens in chronological order. is basically a local Restaurant Week, but because there are so many fantastic eating options in these parts, it lasts three weeks. More than 100 restaurants will Oktoberfest Flushing Style, Voelker Orth Museum, participate this year. Most establishments will offer a Oct. 1, 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm, vomuseum.org three-course, prix fixe dinner for $25. Some will add lunch for $14. However, some restaurants will modify Ah, pickled cabbage! It’s healthy, savory, and tangy. the prices and dates. Plus, it’s been a big part of the borough’s cuisine for centuries, beginning with 19th century German sauer- Diwali Motorcade, Richmond Hill, Oct. 22, sun- kraut and continuing with modern day Korean kim- down, lakshmee.com chee.

The Voelker Orth Museum, a Flushing historic house with a bird sanctuary and a Victorian garden, will host a Queens-style Oktoberfest with an outdoor grill firing up German and Korean specialties. Beer will be everywhere, of course, and as he does every year, local musician Norman Curtis will play classic, toe-tapping Teutonic ditties on his keyboard. Plus, visitors can tour the house and view Summer Glory Inside and Out, a It’s illuminating! The Diwali Motorcade brings color- floral photography exhibition by Dora Sofia Caputo ful clothes, drumming, incense, and ornately designed with appearances by other artists. floats to the Little Guyana section of Richmond Hill. Diwali, which is also known as the “Festival of Lights, NYC Cupcake Run, Astoria Park, Oct. 15, 11 am, is an international Hindu celebration that commemo- nyccupcakerun.com. rates the triumph of good over evil. In Queens, the fun begins with a multi-hour religious ceremony – imagine On your mark...Get set...Go...Eat...Go...Eat...Go... booths decorated with Hindu deities, burning pyres, Eat! The NYC Cupcake Run will fill Astoria Park with chanting, oil lamps, etc -- in honor of Lakshmee, the not-so-serious racers and countless carbohydrates. The Goddess of Light, at the Arya Spiritual Center Grounds friendly competition will take participants on a five- at 104-20 133rd St. Then a procession of marchers, kilometer (3.1-mile), double-loop course with three floats, cars, dancers, and Tassa drummers slowly rolls checkpoints where volunteers will hand out treats from down Liberty Avenue from 133rd Street. the Sweets First Bakeshoppe & Café. Protocol calls for consuming one cupcake halfway through the first lap, The Haunted Waters of Hell Gate, Astoria, Oct. 29, another one at the end of the first lap, and a third one noon, astorialic.org halfway through the second lap. The event raises funds Page 13 Take a walk on the wild side. Greater Astoria Histori- to draft, design, bake, build, and decorate. He won a cal Society board member Richard Melnick will lead a Guinness World Record for the largest gingerbread vil- murder-and-mayhem tour along the East River wa- lage in 2013, 2014 and 2015. He has already indicated terfront. While strolling, Melnick will point out sites that he wants to contend for another record in 2016. of mysterious deaths, tragic fires, devastating natural Plus, GingerBread Lane will be taken down on Jan. 15, disasters, mass hysteria, chilling whirlpools, pirates, 2017, and given away piece by piece the next day. and even electric eels. Meet under Hell Gate Bridge at Shore and Ditmars boulevards. There’s a $10 discount A Christmas Carol, Queens Theatre, Dec. 9-22, for those in costume. titantheatrecompany.com

NYC Marathon Queens Cheering Station, Long Scrooge has a Queens date with the Ghosts of Christ- Island City, Nov. 6, 10:30 am, contact Wendy Phaff at mas Past, Present, and Yet-To-Come. Titan Theatre [email protected]. Company will present eternal holiday classic A Christ-

mas Carol at Queens Theatre over two weeks. This Root, root, root for the home team and the away run- version boasts an original musical adaptation by Lenny ners. NYC Marathon’s Queens segment is a notorious, Banovez and Emily Trask, a fast pace, and powerful two-mile stretch through Long Island City where participants realize that their pre- race adrenaline is gone dialogue. Banovez, who lives in Woodside and hangs and they still have 12 miles to go. To re-energize the out at Aubergine Café, founded Titan specifically to pack and spread borough love, the Queens Tourism breathe new life into classic plays. He recently used an Council and Queens Distance Runners will organize a all-female cast for Othello, which many consider to be cheering station at 44th Drive and 21st Street. Starting Shakespeare’s most masculine play. about 10:30 a.m., volunteers will gather to roar words of encouragement, wave pompoms, rattle cow bells, hold signs, and hand out water. All are invited.

GingerBread Lane, New York Hall of Science, Nov. 11, 2016 until Jan. 15, 2017, nysci.org

Even the strictest dentist will approve of this sugar pile. On Nov. 11, the New York Hall of Science will unveil this year’s GingerBread Lane, a 500-square-foot mini-metropolis with more than 1,000 houses bridges, stores, trees, trains, and other structures made of gingerbread, royal icing, and candy. The annual exhibition always includes Candy Cane Place, Eggnog Bay, Gum Drop Row, Peppermint Central Park, and Toffee Boulevard. It takes Chef Jon Lovitch the entire year