40 St – Lowery St Station. (Google Maps)
Oct. 23, 2019. By Shane O’Brien
A pop-up market celebrating Latinx culture is coming to Sunnyside this weekend.
La Placita will take place from noon until 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26 and Sunday Oct. 27 at Lowery Plaza at 40th Street and Queens Boulevard under the elevated 7 subway train.
The market will feature more than a dozen vendors selling handmade artisanal and local goods and will also incorporate live music and arts & crafts activities.
Shoppers can buy anything from ceramics to candles and from leather goods to 3D printed jewelry.
Live music on Saturday will come from the Afro-Latineers – a Latin jazz group with African rhythms – and Israel Martinez, who will provide salsa music and mini salsa dance lessons. Sunday’s live performers have yet to be announced.
Artists Cristina Ferrigno and Maria Liebana will be providing arts and crafts lessons on both days of the market.
Jaime-Faye Bean, executive director of Sunnyside Shines who is organizing the market, said that the event is an opportunity to celebrate the culture of a number of Sunnyside residents.
“La Placita is a way to recognize and honor the heritage of a large number of our neighbors here in Sunnyside, with activities that people of all ages and backgrounds can enjoy, all while supporting local small businesses, artists, and entrepreneurs,” she said.
Children are invited to attend the event in costume and “trick or treat” around the vendor’s tables between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday. Every child who dresses up will receive a free cookie from the Sunnyside Shines table and parents can capture the moment at a DIY photo booth. There will also be a best costume competition.
Sunday, meanwhile, will feature a Halloween costume pageant for pets between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., with prizes for the best dressed furry friend on offer.
Market vendors will have dog treats and all animals in costume will be entered into a raffle to win prizes for their owners.
The market will also include a daily raffle of six prizes, including dinner for two at Arriba Arriba and a beauty basket from Ultimate Day Spa.
La Placita is being organized by Sunnyside Shines in collaboration with Queens Night Market.
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13 Comments
Dominating white culture? Not for long. Take a look around, there are more people of color in Sunnyside than whites.
Stop giving us a reason to be “afraid of you”.
Give it a rest. Every time you insert the word white into one of your comments, it shows what a racist you are.
Yes, it is. Just because other cultures want to celebrate their heritage that doesn’t mean the dominating white culture is left out. Get over it.
Why all the negative comments regarding this beautiful event. Racism by white people. Stop being afraid of us.
Quiero taco !!!!!
Finally, the beautiful Hispanic culture gets recognition here. Everyone should come out and see our beautiful and lively culture and great food. And have a taco on me!
“Latinx” culture does not exist. Pandering is pointless and a stain on an otherwise normal event.
Maybe you can snag an invite from the White Supremacist in Chief at the White House.
Wow, that is great! I hope to hear lots of Spanish spoken! It will be a beautiful event for the Hispanic population of SUNNYSIDE. We have so little in SUNNYSIDE.
When is WhiteX happening?
I wanna celebrate my culture too!
that’s celebrated every day…..
Excellente! Yay for Latin culture!