Community Dune Planting

Saturday, April 13, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm
Beach Way & Beach Front Road

Join RISE for a community volunteer day, culminating in a celebration of the land and the water.

We will be cleaning the shoreline and planting native plants and shrubs as part of "Greater Rockaway" Coastal Resilience Plan, to create a natural protective buffer of dunes along the east end of the Rockaways.

Adults and kids alike are welcome to participate. Please dress accordingly.

Students who are looking to do community service hours are encouraged to bring paperwork from their schools.

Special thanks to National Fish & Wildlife Foundation for sponsoring this event.

Community Dune Planting

Saturday, April 6, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm
Beach Way & Beach Front Road

Join RISE for our community planting of "Greater Rockaway" Coastal Resilience Plan. To strengthen our natural protective buffer of dunes, we are planting native grasses and shrubs along the east end of the Rockaways.

Adults and kids are welcome to participate in this event. Please dress accordingly.

Students who would like to do community service hours are welcome to bring paperwork from their schools.

Registration is encouraged!

Special thanks to National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and City Parks Foundation Green Fund Tree Tops Program.

CANCELED: Community Spring Cleanup

Saturday, March 23, 11:00 am to 1:00 pm
Beach 60th Street & Rockaway Freeway

Because of flood watch and hazardous conditions in the forecast, this spring cleanup is canceled.

Join RISE for a spring cleanup to help make our community a better place!

We will be cleaning debris and removing invasive plants to prepare for the spring season. This event is rain or shine, so please dress accordingly and expect to get your hands dirty.

Adults and kids alike are welcome to participate. Students who want to do community service hours are encouraged to bring paperwork from their schools.

Special thanks to City Parks Foundation/Green Fund Tree Tops and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

Spring Bird Walk

Saturday, March 2, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Far Rockaway, NY 11692

RISE is teaming up with NYC Plover Project!

We invite you to an engaging and informative spring bird walk. Get ready to enjoy the crisp air as we head out on an exciting bird-watching expedition. This promises to be an unforgettable experience for all nature enthusiasts.

Please dress appropriately for the weather. Registration is required.

Winter Bird Walk

Saturday, December 9, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Far Rockaway, NY 11692

Brace the cold, and scout for some birds!

Join RISE for a delightful and educational adventure as we collaborate with NYC Plover Project to bring you a winter bird walk. Get ready to embrace the crisp, invigorating air and embark on a thrilling bird-watching expedition, which promises to be a unique and memorable experience for all nature enthusiasts.

Please dress appropriately for the weather. Registration is required.

Project Underway Community Visioning

Thursday, December 7, 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Far Rockaway, NY 11692

Join RISE and Living City Project for a night of youth-led community visioning around Project Underway. Reimagine the space underneath the elevated A train into a safer location for the community to walk, bike, and enjoy open public space.

Featuring presentations by Shore Corps and CityGAP students, art by the Buena Onda Collective, food, raffles, prizes, and more! 

This event is free and open to all! Registration is strongly encouraged.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/L6QCGK7

Art Workshop: Printmaking

Saturday, October 14, 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm
58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard Far Rockaway, NY 11692

Kevin Sudeith will host a printmaking workshop during Rockaway Market Street @ Beach 60th. Sudeith infuses petroglyphs, an ancient art form of stone carving, with contemporary life.

We are excited to welcome Kevin back to the Rockaways! The photo depicts his petroglyph work from last year, and the boulder sits by the entrance of the Beach 60th Street subway stop.

Registration is encouraged. This is a FREE event and open to ALL!

Special thanks to National Endowment for the Arts/Artworks, Radical Imagination for Racial Justice by Hester Street and Surdna Foundation, and New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Cultural Development Fund.

Art Workshop: Buena Onda Collective

Saturday, October 7, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm
RISE Center- 5803 Rockaway Beach Blvd, Rockaway, NY 11692

Oneiromancy, divination through dreams, is an animated augmented reality community world-building experience that transforms a multiblock path beneath the A train in Far Rockaway, New York.

This 2 part workshop series, led by the Buena Onda Collective will teach residents and visitors, alike, how to build 3D models that explore their personal histories, dreams, and ecological relationships to the Rockaways.

Registration is encouraged. This is a FREE event and open to ALL! 

Special thanks to NEA Artworks, Radical Imagination for Racial Justice by Hester Street and Surdna Foundation, and New York City Department of Cultural Affairs - Cultural Development Fund. 

*POSTPONED* A-Train Serpent Sculpture Unveiling

Saturday, September 30, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm
Beach 60th Street & Rockaway Freeway

**This event is postponed due to weather conditions.**

Join RISE for the unveiling of Zaq Landsberg's A-Train Serpent Sculpture! (The photo is only a rendition of the project, not a final.)

The A train is an integral part of the Rockaways, and waiting on the platform for that glowing blue “A” is a unifying experience for all residents. This project takes a universally recognized object and twists it, to put it in a new context.

Landsberg is a New York City-based artist, who specializes in site-specific, large scale sculptures.

Special thanks to National Endowment for the Arts/Artworks, Radical Imagination for Racial Justice by Hester Street and Surdna Foundation, and New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Cultural Development Fund.

*POSTPONED* Art Workshop: Buena Onda Collective

Saturday, September 30, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm
Beach 60th Street & Rockaway Freeway, under the elevated A-train tracks

**This event is postponed due to weather conditions.**

Oneiromancy, divination through dreams, is an installation and animated augmented reality community world-building experience that transforms a multiblock path beneath the A train in Far Rockway (Queens), New York.

The first of a three-workshop series, Buena Onda Collective will teach residents and visitors, alike, how to build 3D models that explore their personal histories, dreams, and ecological
relationships to the Rockaways.

Registration is encouraged. This is a FREE event and open to ALL! 

Special thanks to National Endowment for the Arts/Artworks, Radical Imagination for Racial Justice by Hester Street and Surdna Foundation, and New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Cultural Development Fund. 

Art Workshop: Paper-cutting

Saturday, September 23, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm
Beach 60th Street & Rockaway Freeway, under the elevated A-train tracks

Amelia Marzec will host a paper-cutting workshop during Rockaway Market Street @ Beach 60th. Marzec is an artist focused on rebuilding and engaging with local communications infrastructure to prepare for an uncertain future.

Paper-cutting is a Slavic form of decorative folk art common in eastern Europe, and we are excited to share this art form to the Rockaway community!

Registration is encouraged. This is a FREE event and open to ALL!

Special thanks to National Endowment for the Arts/Artworks, Radical Imagination for Racial Justice by Hester Street and Surdna Foundation, and New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Cultural Development Fund.

Plants As Medicine Workshop

Saturday, September 16, 10:30 am to 1:00 pm
Beach 60th Street & Rockaway Freeway, under the elevated A-train tracks

Nicole Brooks from Pure Earth Magic will host a workshop on how to use plants as medicine.  In this case, mugwort! There will be two sessions: 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

This workshop is free and open to all!

Registration is required.

Decorate Your Own Cupcake!

Saturday, September 2, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm
Beach 60th Street & Rockaway Freeway, under the elevated A-train tracks

Stop by the Rockaway Market Street @ Beach 60th to decorate your own cupcake for FREE! We are partnering up with Cassey's Cookies and Cobblers to bring a little bit of creativity and a little bit of sweetness to the farmer's market. 

Bring your friends and family and create a memory that will last a lifetime! 

*This will run from 10am-1pm or until the supplies run out.*

Art Workshop: Blob-Flying Insects and More!

Saturday, August 5, 10:00 am to 12:30 pm
Beach 60th Street & Rockaway Freeway, under the elevated A-train tracks

The Rockaways' very own Norma Allende is hosting the first ever Art Workshop of Rockaway Market Street! Start your weekend on the right note, and create watercolor insects and animals with your family and friends.

There are two one-hour sessions from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., and from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Registration is suggested but not required. This is a FREE event and open to ALL. Spread the word!

Special thanks to National Endowment for the Arts/Artworks, Radical Imagination for Racial Justice by Hester Street and Surdna Foundation, and New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Development Fund.

Greater Rockaway Coastal Plan Exhibition Reception

Tuesday, June 13, 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Far Rockaway, NY 11692

**UPDATE** Due to the smoke and poor air quality, the event has been rescheduled from June 8 to Tuesday, June 13. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and we appreciate your understanding and flexibility in this matter.

Join us in celebrating the hard work of all who have contributed to Greater Rockaway Community & Shoreline Enhancement Plan.

We will have a short presentation of the plan by RISE, eDesign Dynamics, and W X Y architecture + urban design, as well as an exhibition of the project followed by a reception for all the gardeners, school groups, local community partners, and stakeholders to celebrate the incredible work accomplished this year!

Light food and refreshments will be served. RSVP is appreciated.

Community Plant Swap

Saturday, April 29, 10:30 am to 12:00 pm
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Far Rockaway, NY 11692

Join plant enthusiasts from the Rockaway community to swap and share--plants, tools, pots, soil, tips, and more!

No registration required.

Rockaway Bird Outing

Sunday, March 26, 11:00 am to 1:00 pm
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Far Rockaway, NY 11692

Join us for a spring birding tour, led by RISE's and NYC Plover Project's knowledgeable and experienced staff. Come see plovers, oystercatchers, terns, and more as they arrive to nest on the Rockaway shoreline. Whether you are an expert or just starting out, all levels of birders are welcome!

This event is FREE. We will meet at RISE at 11:00 a.m. to begin the tour. Please dress for the weather with warm layers and bring a water bottle. Binoculars will be provided, on a limited basis, and you are welcome to bring your own.

Photo courtesy of NYC Plover Project.