La Cumbiamba will perform at Summer Sundays in The Park on Aug. 14 (Photo via the Jackson Heights Beautification Group Facebook page). Photo of Travers Park (Queens Post)
June 29, 2022 By Michael Dorgan
A free summer concert series featuring local artists is returning to Jackson Heights this weekend.
The series, called “Summer Sundays in The Park,” will consist of weekly concerts taking place each Sunday in July and August at Travers Park, located at 76-9 34th Ave.
Summer Sundays in The Park kicks off on July 3 and will run through Aug. 28. All concerts begin at 6 p.m.
Now in its 18th year, the series is organized by the Jackson Heights Beautification Group, a volunteer organization that works to improve the neighborhood.
The series aims to highlight the area’s local musical talent and bring the community together. It will feature an assortment of classical music, jazz, rock, Indian violin and other musical genres.
The series begins Sunday with a performance by the Jackson Heights Orchestra, an orchestra comprised of more than two dozen local musicians.
Summer Sundays in The Park poster
The series will include multiple performers over the nine weeks, including Sonica, a cutting-edge female vocal trio featuring Grammy-nominated artists; B.I.M. (Brothers In Madness) featuring Fariyah Premaa playing Bangladeshi rock; and Teej & The Sidepocket blasting out hip-hop and neo-soul.
Juan Diego will bring his Latin jazz vibraphone to the park, while the trio of Trina Basu, Arun Ramamurthy and Dan Kurfirst will perform an Indian violin mixed with drums.
La Cumbiamba will play Colombian folkloric music and dance known as cumbia while rocker Carol Thomas will also take to the stage.
Concerts are held in the shaded tennis court area on 78th Street in Travers Park.
This year’s concerts will be expanded to include a number of dance performances by the Queensboro Dance Festival.
There will be four QDF dance performances running from July 17 through Aug. 7. Each performance will begin at 5 p.m. and will be immediately followed by that evening’s Summer Sundays in The Park gig.
Summer Sundays in The Park — which was started by the Jackson Heights Beautification Group in 2004 — is made possible in part by the Queen Council on the Arts with public funds from the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.
More information on Summer Sundays in The Park can be found online or by calling the Jackson Heights Beautification Group at 347-766-9129.
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