Events and Projects
Upcoming Events
5th Annual Beautification Day
POSTPONED — SATURDAY, APRIL 29, 2023, 10 AM – 2 PM
Please join us on Saturday, April 29 from 10 AM to 2 PM to plant in our beds and on our sidewalk and beautify the garden for our new growing season.
We'll have creative arts and crafts and STEM activities for young people. Lots of information shares on things like beekeeping, curbside composting, and a local CSA share opportunity. Big Reuse will be giving away FREE 1-lb. bags of compost and kitchen food scrap containers. We'll be selling treats to raise funds for the garden. And of course, a chance to be part of planting veggies, herbs, and flowers in our neighborhood space.
Look forward to seeing our community come out to learn and grow together! 🌱 🌎 ♻️ 🌸 ☀️
Your Next Event Here
To inquire about having an event at our community garden, email us at moorejacksonnyc@gmail.com. We can share more details with you when we learn more about your event.
Ongoing Projects
Paint-By-Number Shed Mural
Continuing Throughout the Fall 2022 // Join us during open garden hours as we continue to paint a mural on our shed, designed by our Artist-in-Residence Kim!
Our Little Free Pantry
When COVID-19 hit, this Little Free Library was transformed into a Little Free Pantry helping those with food insecurity in our neighborhood. Give what you can, take what you need.
Our Little Free Library
We also have a brand new Little Free Library donated by the Rolling Library (it's red) so fiction and nonfiction books go inside for all age groups. Bring one, take one is the concept. And if it's a mess in there, feel free to channel your inner librarian and tidy it up for us.
Past Events
FREE Halloween Community Event
Saturday, October 29, 2022, 10 am–1 pm (free and open to the public)
Trick-or-Treating at our Fun Stations, Potion Making, Spooky Storytime, Witch Hat Ring Toss, Costume Contest (by age group at 11:00 am), and an original Puppet Show written by Tony Andrea and Kim Dabney, puppets performed by Twig, Tony, and Satoko (12:00 noon).
Sinderkids Open Mic
Friday, September 30, 2022
3:00 PM
(free and open to the public)
3:00 PM
(free and open to the public)
Come share you poetry, song, or other talent at our Open Mic hosted by Sinderkids. There are snacks.
LGBT+ Clothing Swap
Saturday, October 15, 2022
11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
(free and open to the public)
11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
(free and open to the public)
FREE CLOTHES! Recycle and revamp your wardrobe! Find something that fits who you are.
Thursday Zumba with Treena
Hopefully returning in the Spring (last Zumba was October 20, 2022) // Join us at the garden to get some evening exercise in after work or toward the end of your day. Treena works will all levels and will guide you to fun in a great outdoor space. Wear comfortable clothing and closed-toed shoes due to our wood chip flooring.
Thanks to a grant from City Parks Foundation.
The Motor Company Community Picnic
Sunday, September 25, 2022
(free and open to the public)
(free and open to the public)
You can signup to tell us you are bringing a dish. It's going to start right after the final play of the festival and we are going to celebrate the Communal Spaces project, the theatre company, our volunteers, our garden's progress, and acknowledge the space we occupy that was originally taken care of by the Lenape people. Please join us!
Saturdays and Sundays, September 10–25, 2022
(free and open to the public)
(free and open to the public)
The Rusty Wheelbarrow // 1:30 PM
Lead Artist: David M. de León
@ Rusty Wheelbarrow Farm, 72-02 Woodside Ave.Fort Sunny // 2:30 PM
Lead Artist: Angela Santillo
@ Sunnyside Community Garden, 38-01 50th St.What Grows? // 3:30 PM
Lead Artist: Ben Holbrook
@ Moore Jackson Community Garden, 31-57 51st St.Listen While You Walk: an audio experience while you walk from one garden to the other
Lead Artist: Lillian Meredith
TikToks you shouldn't miss:
Pre-festival walk-through by Ben Holbrook, playwright of "What Grows?"
Nearing end of festival share by Ben Holbrook, playwright of "What Grows?"
Brought to us by The Motor Company.
This event is made possible (in part) by the Queens Council on the Arts (QCA) with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.
Queens of Queens: Women of Woodside
Modern Day Folk Songs by Rashmi
Saturday, September 17, 2022, 4:30 pm
FREE and open to the public
EverythingRashmi.com, @everythingrashmi on Facebook and Instagram
This event is made possible (in part) by the Queens Council on the Arts (QCA) with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council. We'd like to thank the Puffin Foundation for their support of this project.
MOVIE NIGHT: "Sing 2"
Saturday, August 20, 2022, 8:00 PM
The Thomas family are doing it again. Come see "Sing 2" at the garden with a FREE concession stand of ice cream, pop, and popcorn!
All are welcome for this FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC event.
31-57 51st St. between 31/32 Aves
Thrak, the Cyclops Puppet Show
Saturday, August 20, 2022, 10:30 AM
Come meet Thrak the Cyclops and Puppeteer Karl Custer for a short puppet show (Peach Boy) to introduce Thrak to our garden.
Donations to the artist are encouraged
Teen Open Mic
Saturday, August 6, 2022, 4–7pm
Hosted by Logan Ayala, this event was our first of many (we hope) featuring young voices sharing their amazing talents with our community.
Sign up was at 3:30 pm, first come, first serve (lottery style order)
PG-13 content
25 performances max, up to 5 minutes each
Thrash Press presents Summer Nights
Thursday, August 4, 2022, 7:00 PM
A reading featuring:
Sherese Francis
Emily Alta Hockaday
Michael Steigman
Christine Kandic Torres
Also...
Open Mic
Limited edition zines and broadsides
Light refreshments and free book table
Rizzo's Nature School
Saturday, June 4, 2022, 9am–12pm
Rizzo’s Nature School installment of PREDATOR / PREY where we dissected owl pellets with friends.
All are welcome
Supplies are limited
Book Launch and Poetry Reading
Friday, May 27, 2022, 6:30 PM
Readings by:
Carrier Conners
Laura Tanenbaum
Arden Levine
Dania Rajendra
Sonia Rodríguez
Copies available at https://mainstreetragbookstore.com
Peter Rabbit Operetta
SATURDAY, MAY 7th, 2022, 11 AM - 1 PM // Woodside Arts Collective PRESENTS the New Camerata Opera's adaptation of Peter Rabbit at Moore Jackson Community Garden
This special Mother's Day event also includes a local maker's market with special gifts for mom as well as arts and crafts!
5th Annual Beautification Day
Saturday, April 30, 2022, 10 AM–3 PM
Planted trees, shrubs, vegetables, herbs, and flowers with neighbors in the morning or afternoon.
Got our faces painted by The Cheeky Chipmunk (11am–1pm)
Listened to nature adventures at our Storytime Logs.
Learn about mushrooms at Rizzo’s Nature School (Ages 3–8, Noon–3:00)Browsed our bake sale and kid-crafted bracelet pop-up shop
Asked the Island Bee Project beekeepers questions about our busy queens
Book Launch and Poetry Reading
Sunday, April 10, 2022, 3:00 PM
Beach Vocabulary by Emily Hockaday
Beach Vocabulary examines beach, island, marsh, and human ecosystems while both centering and distancing the human emotional experience.
Harbinger by Jackie Sherbow
"From the Salem witch trials to the shores of the Long Island Sound, from Queens diners to dreams of California, Sherbow's journeying is intellectually generous and emotionally engaging." — Monica Wendel
Story Stones Project and Mural Project
OCTOBER, 21, 2021 // Artbridge is an artist fellowship that is partnering with Woodside Houses to CREATE & EXHIBIT PUBLIC ART in its urban spaces for the community.
Art for the community by the community. Your stories by you.
To learn more visit us at www.art-bridge.org
Our Masquerade Mask Craft Party
SATURDAY, October 26, 2019 10–12 // Everyone had a blast painting hand-crafted masks with our artist-in-residence Kim. Such a beautiful array of masks coming from our creative group of young people from the community.
Paint Your Own Mini Pumpkin
Saturday October 5, 2019, 10–12 // Fun was had by all painting and decorating mini pumpkins to take home or display at the garden.
First Outdoor Movie Screening
Saturday, September 21, 2019, 6:15 pm // Moore-Jackson Community Garden hosted its first outdoor movie night for the neighborhood to enjoy. We screened the animated film, Coco. Over 100 people turned out.
First Hosting of a Film Crew (PBS/thirteen)
The crew and actors for Cyberchase on PBS/thirteen filmed at our community garden this summer. The animated portion of "A Garden Grows in Botlyn" episode was about Ren and the Cybersquad working together to make and unlikely space into a beautiful garden. The "For Real" segment was about germinating seeds in the Winter to plant in the Spring. The crew appreciated the room they had for equipment and taking breaks, and we even got to consult on the logistics of planting in raised garden beds so the content was as accurate as possible. The show aired Valentine's Day, 2020.
If you're a location scout looking for a community garden or open green space in the city, please email us.
Bake Sale/Lemonade Stands
Arts & Crafts Events
What We Need Help With
- Bake sale donations (any baked goods that are easy to sell individually)
- Flyer distributors / chalk message artists (before and during events)
- Volunteers to help plant/till/weed
- Donated tools/equipment/supplies (we always need contractor bags but contact us for details on other types of donations like plants)
- Solicitors of donations such as bottled water and snacks for our volunteers from neighborhood businesses.
- Garden stewards to open the garden on weekdays.