In This Astoria Insider Issue…
🕯️ Fire Destroys Historic 138-Year-Old Astoria Church
🌱 Sky Farm LIC Reopens for a Bigger 2026 Season
🏛️ Fresh Faces on Your Community Board — Here's What That Means
🌸 Your Complete Guide to Astoria's Spring Outdoor Markets
Astoria Area Events
Wednesday, April 29
Brisket King NYC -- 5:00-9:00 pm, Pig Beach BBQ, 35-37 36th St, Astoria. 14th annual all-you-can-eat brisket throw-down with 20+ chefs, open bar, and craft beer. VIP $85, GA $65.
Saturday, May 2
31st Ave Open Street -- Third weekend of the season (runs every Sat & Sun through Dec 14). Maker markets, live music, and car-free community fun along 31st Avenue.
Sunday, May 3
31st Ave Open Street -- Another Sunday on the street. Grab a coffee, browse the vendors, and enjoy the neighborhood car-free.
Ongoing All Week
Socrates Sculpture Park -- Free admission daily, 9 am to sunset. The 40th anniversary season, "Begin Again," is up now with new art installations through 2028.
Museum of the Moving Image -- 36-01 35th Ave, Astoria. Check their calendar for screenings and exhibitions this week.
Q.E.D. Astoria -- Nightly comedy, storytelling, and arts events at NYC's #1 neighborhood comedy venue.
Coming Up -- May 16
Socrates x Noguchi: Green Spaces Terrarium Workshop -- 11 am-1 pm at Socrates Sculpture Park. Build your own terrarium with air plants and succulents. Registration opens May 1.
GOT AN EVENT YOU WANT US TO PROMOTE?
Fire Destroys Historic 138-Year-Old Astoria Church
The Astoria skyline lost a 138-year-old landmark Thursday evening -- and the neighborhood is still in shock.
A five-alarm blaze broke out around 6:45 pm at the vacant rectory attached to the First Reformed Church of Astoria on 12th Street, then rapidly spread into the main sanctuary. More than 270 FDNY and EMS members battled the flames for nearly four hours before bringing them under control around 10:30 pm. Six firefighters were injured. What remained was a hollowed-out shell -- walls scorched, roof collapsed, interior gutted. City officials say the building will have to be demolished.
The church's roots go back to 1835. The founder of Astoria itself worshiped here and is buried in the cemetery behind it. Though the building had been vacant for years, the loss hit the community hard. Former head deacon Kevin Harris told local media: "It hurts; it hurts my whole family." Residents are already calling for the site to be preserved rather than turned over to developers.
Sky Farm LIC Reopens for a Bigger 2026 Season
One of western Queens' most beloved community programs is back on the rooftop -- and this year it's got serious new infrastructure behind it.
The Variety Boys and Girls Club of Queens kicked off the 2026 season at Sky Farm LIC on April 23. The one-acre rooftop farm atop the Standard Motor Building in Long Island City got a $798,000 upgrade from the New York Power Authority (NYPA): new greenhouses, improved pathways, a covered wash-and-pack area with a freezer, and a brand-new indoor classroom where students learn about sustainability, healthy eating, and climate change.
The goal for 2026: serve 1,500 children and produce 5,000 pounds of fresh food, weather permitting. It's a meaningful milestone for a program that brings real farm experience -- and real vegetables -- to kids who might never otherwise set foot on one.
Fresh Faces on Your Community Board -- Here's What That Means
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards has announced his 2026 class of community board appointees -- and he's describing the group as the most diverse the borough has seen in years.
For western Queens residents, that means new and returning volunteers are now seated on Community Board 1 (Astoria and Long Island City) and Community Board 2 (Sunnyside, Woodside, and parts of LIC). Community boards are the lowest rung of NYC's formal civic structure, but they punch above their weight: they weigh in on land use, zoning variances, liquor license applications, and quality-of-life complaints -- the decisions that shape your block.
If you've ever wondered who's actually representing you in those conversations, now's a good time to look up your board. CB1 meets at 45-02 Ditmars Blvd; CB2 at 43-22 50th St in Woodside. Both hold monthly full-board meetings open to every resident.
Your Complete Guide to Astoria's Spring Outdoor Markets
Spring has officially unlocked Astoria's outdoor calendar -- and the lineup is stacked.
QNS just published a comprehensive spring guide to Astoria's outdoor markets and events, timed perfectly to the season's kickoff. The anchor is the 31st Ave Open Street, which now runs every Saturday and Sunday through December 14, giving the neighborhood a reliable weekly hub for makers, food vendors, live music, and community programming. Beyond the open street, the guide rounds up rotating weekend markets, seasonal pop-ups, and parks-based events running from now through September.
Whether you're into local makers, street food, or just getting outside, Astoria's spring market scene has something for every weekend. The full guide has dates, locations, and what to expect at each stop -- bookmark it for the months ahead.
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