Fitness Class at RISE

Monday, July 4, 11:00 am to 11:45 am
RISE (outdoors), 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Far Rockaway, NY 11692

Making a positive impact and living a healthy lifestyle includes staying active and maintaining a healthy weight. There is no need to register for this fitness class with Ann Fosteris. Just show up outdoors at RISE on Monday morning at eleven o'clock and join neighbors of all ages and fitness levels. You will feel good and look great in no time!                                 

Chair Yoga at RISE

Tuesday, July 5, 10:30 am to 11:15 am
RISE Hip-Hop Community Garden, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Far Rockaway, NY 11692

Certified yoga instructor Ruth Graves is offering a free chair yoga class on Tuesday mornings, 10:30 to 11:15, in RISE's Hip-Hop Community Garden. Ruth has practiced all kinds of yoga (chair, mat, Shivananda) for more than twenty years. She studied with Lakshmi Voelker, worked at Rockaway YMCA, and even refined her skills at Shivananda in the Bahamas.

All are welcome! From beginners to seasoned practitioners--and everyone in between--are invited.

Rockaway Market Street @ Beach 60th

Saturday, July 9, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
Under the A train's elevated tracks at Beach 60th Street

RISE is kicking off the Rockaway peninsula’s first outdoor market, ROCKAWAY MARKET STREET @ BEACH 60TH, as a means of bridging that gap and encouraging more locally and regionally grown food and goods to be sold to the Rockaway community.

The market makes use of the A-train underpass/demapped roadway as a space for community events like Rockaway Market Street. After more than two years of isolation and Covid-19 restrictions, any opportunity to bring people together will help improve everyone’s health and wellness.

This year’s market will include Blacksmith’s Breads, Edgemere Farm, Horman’s Best Pickles, Mushroom Queens, Rockaway Soda, Saratoga Peanut Butter Company, and more!

We will have live music each week. On Saturday, July 2, 2022, blues guitarist/vocalist SaRon Crenshaw will be performing.

Make a day of it! Come enjoy our beautiful beaches in the Rockaways; shop our market; and support regional farmers, food vendors, and artisans with your purchases.

Jamaica Bay Kayak Paddle & Shoreline Cleanup

Saturday, July 16, 11:00 am to 1:00 pm
Dubos Point-Bayfield Ave & Beach 65th St (Jamaica Bay)

Join RISE for a clean up and paddle day along Jamaica Bay. Local residents and children of all ages are encouraged to participate in this stewardship event.

There will be a limited number of kayaks for the public to use at no cost. Kayaks will be assigned on a first-come first-served basis to those who participate in the clean up. Participants are required to sign waivers on the day of the event. Children under 18 must have a parent present to sign their waiver. Masks are required, and safe physical distancing must be maintained. 

Special thanks to NYS Dept of Environmental Conservation for sponsoring this event.

Community Cleanup

Saturday, July 30, 11:00 am to 1:00 pm
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Far Rockaway, NY 11692

Come join RISE for a cleanup to help make your community a cleaner place for everyone. We will be cleaning the vacant lot areas east of the RISE Center for our future Native Plant Nursery.

To insure a safe and effective cleanup RISE will be handing out gloves and bags to all participants. Masks are required, and safe physical distancing must be maintained. Registration is not required. 

Jamaica Bay Community Cleanup & Kayak Paddle

Saturday, August 6, 11:00 am to 1:00 pm
Dubos Point-Beach 65th Street & Decosta Avenue (Jamaica Bay)

Join RISE for a cleanup and paddle day along Jamaica Bay. Local residents and children of all ages are encouraged to participate in this stewardship event.

There will be a limited number of kayaks for the public to use at no cost. Kayaks will be assigned on a first-come first-served basis to those who participate in the cleanup. Staff will also lead a marine science seining to do onshore for those who do not want to go on the water.

Participants are required to sign waivers on the day of the event. Children under 18 must have a parent present to sign their waiver. Masks are required, and safe physical distancing must be maintained. 

Special thanks to NYS Dept of Environmental Conservation for sponsoring this event.

International Coastal Cleanup

Saturday, September 17, 11:00 am to 1:00 pm
Beach 59th Street & the Boardwalk

Join RISE for the annual International Coastal Cleanup in partnership with the American Littoral Society. People of all ages are encouraged to participate. All trash collected at this event will be entered into the national database, which goes to help establish legislation to reduce trash along our shores. Students can receive community service hours for their efforts.

Masks are required, and safe physical distancing must be maintained. Registration is not required. This event is hosted rain or shine! 

Special thanks to NYS Dept of Environmental Conservation for sponsoring this event.

Jamaica Bay Community Cleanup

Saturday, September 24, 11:00 am to 2:00 pm
Dubos Point-Beach 65th Street & Decosta Avenue (Jamaica Bay)

Join RISE for a cleanup along Jamaica Bay. Local residents and children of all ages are encouraged to participate in this stewardship event. For this cleanup we will be clearing the area of any litter in order to prevent marine debris in our waterways.  As active members of our community we need to do our best to keep our bay clean for all visitors and wildlife. 

Students can receive community service hours for their efforts. Registration is not required. This event is hosted rain or shine! 

Masks are required, and safe physical distancing must be maintained.

Special thanks to the New York State Dept of Environmental Conservation for sponsoring this event.

Foraging Tour with Steve Brill

Saturday, October 1, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Far Rockaway, NY 11692

RISE will be hosting a tour with America's go-to foraging team, "Wildman" Steve Brill and his daughter Violet. The vastly under appreciated natural habitat of the Rockaways offers all the best wild foods of the seashore.

The sandy soil of the Rockaways is poor, limiting tree and grass growth, but benefiting other species that can take advantage of the unblocked sun and nutrient-poor soil. Wild greens will be doing great here, and there are dozens of species that thrive. 

This event is free but registration is required, as this event fills up fast. This event is rain or shine. Masks are required, and safe physical distancing must be maintained. 

Daffodil Giveaway

Saturday, October 1, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Beach 60th Street & Rockaway Freeway

Join the 21st anniversary of the Daffodil Project – sign up now to get free bulbs! This event is in partnership with New Yorkers for Parks. A living memorial to the victims of 9/11 and the largest civic effort in city history, the Daffodil Project gives out bulbs for free to plant in public spaces across all five boroughs. RISE is hosting one of the Queens distribution sites. Advanced registration is required. 

Masks are required, and safe physical distancing must be maintained. Supplies will be distributed to those who registered in advance. 

Registration will open later this year. Check back in the fall. 

Beach 60th Street Community Cleanup

Saturday, October 1, 11:00 am to 1:00 pm
Beach 60th Street & Rockaway Freeway

Come join RISE this Fall for a cleanup to help make your community a cleaner place for everyone. To insure a safe and effective cleanup, RISE will hand out gloves and bags to all participants. 

Adults and kids alike are welcome to participate in this event.  Masks are required, and safe physical distancing must be maintained. 

Registration is not required but students looking to do community service hours are encouraged to bring paperwork from their schools.

Special thanks to NYS Dept of Environmental Conservation for sponsoring this event.

9th Annual Hip Hop Halloween & Harvest Celebration

Saturday, October 15, 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Far Rockaway, NY 11692

Join RISE for our 9th Annual Hip Hop Halloween & Harvest Celebration, as we celebrate Halloween with family and friends in the RISE Community Garden. Come take part in painting a pumpkin, face painting, music, dancing, festive food and more!

This event is free and open to the public. No registration required.

Sandy Anniversary Cleanup & Planting

Saturday, October 22, 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm
Beach 44th Street & the Boardwalk

For the 9th Anniversary of Storm Sandy, RISE is bringing people of all ages together to care for our shoreline and create a natural protective buffer for the Rockaway community.

As we learned from the storm, the natural vegetation and dunes that exist off our shores serve as a protective buffer to the homes and businesses in the area. Many of these dunes are compromised by storms and shoreline erosion and need to be cared for to be effective.

Families and people of all ages are welcome to participate in this dune planting & restoration project. Students can receive community service hours. No registration is required. This event is rain or shine, so please dress accordingly. Masks are required, and safe physical distancing must be maintained. 

Special thanks to L&M Development and Bluestone Group for sup,porting this event.