Events

Rockaway Market Street @ Beach 60th

Saturday, August 20, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
Under the A train's elevated tracks at Beach 60th Street

Join us for the Rockaway peninsula’s first outdoor market, ROCKAWAY MARKET STREET @ BEACH 60TH. Piano player/vocalist/songwriter Gabriel Aldort will be performing on August 20, 2022!

The market is located by the A train's Beach 60th Street subway entrance and makes use of the underpass as a community space protected from the sun, rain, and foul weather.

Market vendors are Alomaloni, Althea's Tropical Delights, Blacksmith’s Breads, Cassey's Cookies and Cobblers, Crazy Ed Art 84, Edgemere Farm, Godiva Valley, Muddy Living, Mushroom Queens, My Grandma's Kitchen, Otherwordy Services, Pure Earth Magic, Rockaway Microgreens, Rockaway Soda, and Saratoga Peanut Butter Company.

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

Move & Groove with Maria Spizuoco

Monday, August 22, 11:00 am to 11:45 am
RISE (outdoors), 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Far Rockaway, NY 11692

Maria Spizuoco's Move & Groove begins with stretches and slower movements, followed by interactive faster rhythmic dance, inspired by various international dance forms. Class winds down slowly, ending with gentle relaxation.

Move & Groove is unique in its ability to create unity and community. No prior dance experience required.

Chair Yoga at RISE

Tuesday, August 23, 10:30 am to 11:15 am
RISE (outdoors), 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, right outside RISE. 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.

Cooking with Claudette

Wednesday, August 31, 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Far Rockaway, NY 11692

Master Chef Claudette Flatow of Cuisine by Claudette is hosting free cooking classes as part of our summer series (August 3, 17, 31) for the community!

Registration is required as space is limited! Come and enjoy the company of others in creating a simple, but healthy and affordable, meal.

Masks are required inside RISE.

This event is full. Please contact us at info@riserockaway.org if you wish to attend.

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 every age are encouraged to participate. All trash collected 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.

Registration is not required. This event will take place rain or shine!

Special thanks to New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for its sponsorship.

Register

Bird-watching Tour Fundraiser

Saturday, September 24, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Far Rockaway, NY 11692

Join us for a bird-watching tour with birder, naturalist, and RISE Youth Development Program Manager Russell Jacobs. The Rockaways offer excellent birding during migration, particularly in the fall, when south-migrating birds wing their way along the coast. Expect to see migrating shorebirds, seabirds, and songbirds making their way toward their winter habitats!

RISE will provide binoculars, but feel free to bring your own scoping equipment and cameras. You will receive A Field Guide and Handbook on the Rockaways as a keepsake.

All funds raised by this event will support RISE youth programs.

After the tour, we invite you inside RISE’s renovated firehouse to enjoy light refreshments. Masks are required inside RISE, but they are not required for the walk itself. If you feel any signs of COVID-19, please test yourself before joining the tour or refrain from attending. We will offer you a refund, if you choose.

Tour will be limited to 20 registrants.

Register

Jamaica Bay Community Cleanup

Saturday, September 24, 11:00 am to 2:00 pm
Dubos Point, Bayfield Avenue & Beach 65th Street

Rockaway residents of all ages are encouraged to participate in this stewardship event along Jamaica Bay. For this cleanup, we will be clearing the area of any litter in order to prevent marine debris in our waterways. As 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 will take place rain or shine!

Special thanks to New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for its sponsorship.

Community Workshop: Greater Rockaway Coastal Plan

Thursday, September 29, 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Far Rockaway, NY 11692

Join RISE for an updated presentation and status meeting on the Greater Rockaway Community & Shoreline Enhancement Plan. Local stakeholders and partners will review the final designated areas for restoration and first draft of conceptual designs.

Registration is required. Light refreshments will be served. Click here for more background about the project.

Masks are required inside RISE.

Register

Foraging Tour with "Wildman" Steve Brill

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

RISE will host a tour with the go-to foraging team of "Wildman" Steve Brill and his daughter, Violet. The natural habitat of the Rockaways offers all the best wild foods of the seashore.

The sandy soil limits tree and grass growth, but it benefits other species that can take advantage of the sun and nutrient-poor soil. Wild greens and dozens of species thrive here.

This event is free and will happen rain or shine. Registration is required because this event fills up fast.

Masks are required inside RISE.

Register

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. The Daffodil Project is a living memorial to the victims of 9/11 and the largest civic effort in New York City history. Free bulbs are given out to plant in public spaces across all five boroughs. RISE is hosting one of the Queens distribution sites.

Bulbs will be distributed to those who register in advance. Please register using this link.

Beach 60th Street Community Cleanup

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

Come and join RISE for a cleanup to help make our community a spotless place for everyone. To ensure a safe and effective cleanup, RISE will hand out gloves and bags to all participants.

Adults and kids alike are welcome!

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

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

Fitness Class at RISE

Monday, October 3, 11:00 am to 11:45 am
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Far Rockaway, NY 11692

Ann Fosteris's Fitness to You embraces making a positive impact and living a healthy lifestyle, which includes staying active and maintaining a healthy weight. There is no need to register. Just show up 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!

Masks are required inside RISE.

Larry Racioppo's "Sandy Diary"

Friday, October 14, to Friday, November 18, 2022
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Far Rockaway, NY 11692

Rockaway resident/photographer Larry Racioppo will host a reception for his brand-new exhibit "Sandy Diary" on Saturday, October 22, 2022, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., at RISE. Peruse his collection of before and after the storm, and exchange stories of our collective experiences.

"Sandy Diary" will be available to view Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Masks are required inside RISE.

Special thanks to Queens Council on the Arts.

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 the 9th Annual Hip-Hop Halloween & Harvest Celebration, as we celebrate with family and friends in Rockaway Hip-Hop Community Garden. Come and take part painting pumpkins, face painting, music, dancing, festive food, and more!

This event is free and open to the public. Masks are required inside RISE.

Guided Bike Tour Fundraiser

Saturday, October 15, 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Boardwalk at Beach 116th Street, the Rockaways

Join Tom Finkelpearl, former commissioner of New York City’s Department of Cultural Affairs and longtime part-time Rockaway resident, for a private bike tour focusing on the history and development of the western end of the Rockaway peninsula, which is now part of Gateway National Recreation Area. The ride will cover ten miles, beginning and ending at the boardwalk on Beach 116th Street. After the tour, we invite you for light refreshments and to meet Jeanne DuPont, RISE executive director. You will receive a RISE drawstring bag and water bottle to take home as mementos.

RAIN DATE: Sunday, October 16, 2022

FAQs:

Meet & end at boardwalk on Beach 116th Street.

Tour limited to fifteen (15) registrants.

Bring your own bike and helmet, and fill out a liability waiver form.

Metered street parking available on Beach 116th Street and in a lot near subway station.

Register

Sandy Anniversary Cleanup & Planting

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

For the tenth anniversary of Superstorm 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 Sandy, 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, friends, and neighbors are welcome to participate in this dune planting and restoration project. Students can receive community service hours. This event is rain or shine, so please dress accordingly.

Special thanks to L&M Development and Bluestone Group for supporting this event.