Dear Lucas,
I hope you were able to attend the fantastic World's Fair Anniversary festival held Sunday, May 18 in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. I was privileged to co-chair the World's Fair Anniversary Committee with Assembly Member Margaret Markey.
More than 60,000 people attended the festival, which took place from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. under clear skies and comfortable temperatures. It was held to commemorate the 50th and 75th anniversaries of the 1964 and 1939 World's Fairs, which were held on the grounds of what eventually became the park.
The World's Fair Anniversary Committee organized the festival in collaboration with NYC Parks. The committee includes representatives from Queens' cultural organizations and other stakeholders who have organized a six-month long series of events to celebrate the World's Fair anniversaries.
The festival rekindled memories of the two fantastic World's Fairs and reminded us that the Borough of Queens, the most diverse county in America, remains "The World's Borough." It is truly a special place where people can experience the incredible variety of cultural traditions celebrated by Queens residents who have come here from more than 100 countries and speak about 160 different languages. (Read more here and here.)
Among the many events at the festival was a mid-afternoon ceremony during which Assembly member Markey and I joined Queens Parks Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski in honoring Gilmore D. Clarke, the landscape architect who designed the Unisphere, the huge steel globe that was the centerpiece of the 1964 World's Fair and continues to be an iconic symbol of Queens that is recognizable worldwide. Clarke also was involved in designing many other elements of the 1939 and 1964 Fairs.
During the ceremony, Assembly member Markey and I presented proclamations honoring Mr. Clarke to his widow, Dolores Clarke. Commissioner Lewandowski also unveiled a new NYC Parks plaque that explains the history of the Unisphere and Mr. Clarke's role in its creation. (Read more about the ceremony and the entire festival in this article.)
Later on I was honored to deliver introductory remarks prior to the start of a free concert by the Queens Symphony Orchestra (QSO) early Sunday evening. The QSO was founded by my father, David Katz, the orchestra's first conductor, so it holds a very special place in my heart.
I was happy to be joined at the concert by Assembly member Markey and by Congressman Joseph Crowley, Assembly members Michael Simanowitz and Michael DenDekker, City Council Member Julissa Ferreras, Queens Parks Commissioner Lewandowski, Flushing-Meadows Park Administrator Janice Melnick, and Queens Symphony Orchestra Conductor Constantine Kitsopoulos (pictured above).
The QSO concert was immediately preceded by a performance by the Beatles tribute band "Liverpool Shuffle" and immediately followed by a spectacular festival-concluding fireworks show. (Photos from the QSO concert and fireworks accompany the news article here.)
Earlier in the day, festival attendees were able to tour historic World's Fair sites such as the New York State Pavilion, which I am committed to preserving so that future generations may appreciate its unique history and enjoy its distinctive Space Age architecture. The festival also offered displays of World's Fair memorabilia, 50-cent rides on the historic Flushing Meadows carousel, a display of one of the video telephones unveiled at the 1964 World's Fair, an exhibit of restored classic cars (including one of the "Batmobiles" used in the 1960s Batman television series), great food from around the world and many international music and dance performances.
I hope you have a wonderful summer and are able to enjoy some of other the upcoming World's Fair anniversary events and at least a few of our Borough's other amazing and diverse attractions. There is so much to see and do here, which means you never have to cross a bridge or drive through a tunnel to experience the best entertainment, culture, cuisine and shopping that New York City has to offer. My office is involved on a daily basis with making sure that folks from all over the world realize that if they don't visit Queens - The World's Borough, they haven't seen New York.
Sincerely,
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Queens Borough President Melinda Katz
120-55 Queens Boulevard
2nd Floor
Kew Gardens NY 11415 United States