Up & Coming

Sorry to have missed writing The Weekender last week. I dropped the ball. But after having gotten rejection number 2 from grad school, the only thing on my mind Friday was getting through a bottle of wine. Excuses, excuses. So I’m attempting to find all the nifty things I can for the week and let you know about them now.

This Wednesday from 6-9pm The Chocolate Factory Theatre is hosting their Taste of LIC benefit. $35 gets you: food and drink from Lounge 47, Communitea, Tournesol, Bella Via, Dorian Cafe, The Creek & The Cave, Manetta's Ristorante, LIC Bar and more! Also enjoy a wine tasting from Vine Wine, auctions and raffles, performances and exhibitions! Talk about a cheap date.

If that’s too much for your wallet, you can catch indie songstress Julia Darling doing a free show at Rockwood Music Hall at 9pm. Or you can hit the Taste of LIC first, get your fill, and pop on over to the LES to catch her show. If you’re unfamiliar with her, check out her website, I’ve been fond of her tunes since I saw her at a South Street Seaport Music Festival.

Our good friends at Waltz Astoria are keeping us entertained this week with all sorts of events. Tuesday is their Comedy night. Check out local comedians work their funny at the mic (side note: John and I were spotted on TV when Last Comic Standing aired the first round of try outs-we were in the audience). Wednesday is their open mic, and Thursday is their “Let’s Watch a Movie” night. As of now, the selection had not been posted. I’m really bummed that I didn’t get to check their calendar for this weekend and I missed another Jewelry party. Then again I would have missed it anyway since I ventured out to Brooklyn to celebrate Christina’s graduation from law school. John rediscovered the wonders of roasted pig-his first taste having been at the Puerto Rican (that’s right!) food stand at last week’s street fair on Broadway.

Also around town things are in full swing for the summer. The River to River festival has already kicked off. Check the website for full details.

Next week Bryant Park gets the big screen ready for their Monday night Movies in the Park. Always packed, but always a good time. Pull up a patch of grass and enjoy a flick. Click here for the full schedule.

This weekend will be quite the busy one for me what with the wedding I must attend on Saturday but I will get the Weekender out for you so that you aren’t sitting at home wondering what there is to do in Astoria because I didn’t get my tushie to the computer.