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The annual Astoria Park Carnival is back this June
From stoop-ball games to ice-cream cones, summer in NYC brings out the kid in all of us, and nowhere is that more apparent than at a summer carnival, those overwhelm-the-senses bacchanals of amusement rides, ring-toss games and funnel cake. And this June, one of New York’s favorite carnivals, the annual Astoria Park Carnival, returns to the titular Queens neighborhood.
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Taking place at the corner of Hoyt Avenue North and 19th Street under the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge, the carnival will run for five days, from Wednesday, June 7 through Sunday, June 11. Thrill seekers can get their adrenaline fix with heart-pumping rides from Dreamland Amusements, each of which are LED-enhanced and change between 250 different colors throughout your ride. If you’d rather have your carnival fun with your feet firmly planted on the ground, you can eschew the high-flying amusements for tamer, more kid-friendly stuff like fun houses, bumpers cars, merry-go-rounds and a new-for-2023 monster trucks attraction.
Your usual array of balloon-popping, basketball-throwing carnival games will be accounted for, as will classic fair foods (think chicken tenders, cheesesteaks, cotton candy and all manners of fried treats), which you can enjoy at picnic areas throughout the park.
Single tickets will set you back $1.50 or opt for a ticket book: 20 tickets for $40 and 50 tickets for $60, the latter of which saves you 15 bucks and includes one free ride. (Rides cost two or more tickets each.) Tickets are sold until one hour prior to closing, and hours of operation are 4pm through 11pm on weekdays and Sunday, and 4pm until midnight on Saturday.
Other upcoming summer carnivals in the New York area include the Citi Field Spring Carnival, which runs this weekend through May 14, as well as Long Island-set amusement parks at the Merrick Train Station (May 25 to May 29), the Herricks Community Center (June 1 to June 4) and the big Empire State Fair (June 30 to July 16).
NYC is getting its first-ever soccer stadium
From Yankee Stadium to Madison Square Garden, New York sports fans have numerous hallowed halls with which to cheer on their most beloved teams. Add one more to the mix: NYC is officially getting a soccer stadium.
On Wednesday, May 10, Related, Sterling Equities and New York City Football Club (NYCFC) unveiled proposed renderings for the Willets Point Revitalization Plan, a project that will bring 100-percent affordable housing as well as a 25,000-seat soccer stadium to Queens, set to debut during the 2027 MLS season.
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News of a NYC-set soccer stadium was first reported by The New York Times back in 2020, but then, the construction deal was set for another borough all together, the Bronx. However, the recent plans have moved the “future forward” soccer stadium and NYCFC headquarters to Willets Point, with the Queens attraction sharing a subway station with fellow sports centers CitiField (home to The New York Mets) and the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
The stadium will welcome soccer fans through an activated cube entranceway, with the cube illuminating with “vibrant imagery” on match days, says the NYCFC. “The design of NYCFC’s new stadium celebrates diversity, community and the love of the sport, creating a hospitality-driven experience unique to its location in Queens, the world’s borough,” said Rashed Singaby, principal and senior project designer at HOK. “Our design team has created a sustainable, technology-driven experience and integrated the stadium into the context of a future district. Our goal is to establish a connected urban amenity for the community and an unprecedented live event experience. We’re looking forward to the stadium becoming a centerpiece for the vibrant Queens community.”
“From the beginning, New York City Football Club has understood the importance of strong communication and collaboration with Mayor Adams, Councilmember Francisco Moya, Borough President Richards, and the local Queens community as we move forward with plans for a privately financed soccer-specific stadium,” said Marty Edelman, Vice Chairman, New York City Football Club. “This continued investment in New York City will create a long-overdue home for our First Team, and create a new neighborhood for Queens.”
Along with the soccer stadium, the Willets Point project will also include over 40,000 square feet of public open space, a 650-seat school, a 250-key hotel, and ground-floor retail shops.
Check out more renderings of the proposed stadium space below!
