This Week in Chelsea: Week of June 13-19, 2022

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In This Week’s “THIS WEEK IN CHELSEA”

The Big Mix / Stop Neighborhood Destruction Rally / West Side Community Fund Grants / The Tribeca Film Festival  / Down to Earth Farmers Market Chelsea / Early Primary Voting  / Events From Earlier in the Week: Understanding Monkeypox / Stargazing on the High Line /

See Secret Society Dance Co. at Little Island’s BIG MIX event. | Photo courtesy of Little Island

The Big Mix Performance Party: Thursday, June 16—Sunday, July 3 on Little Island, in Hudson River Park by West 13th Street | This three-week, three-holiday, one-of-a-kind performance party was conceived and directed by Little Island Artist-in-Residence and Tony Award nominee,Tina Landau (SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical). In the offering: A unique show centering around and celebrating Juneteenth, LGBTQIA+ Pride, and Independence Day. The Big Mix – Juneteenth will playthrough June 19 at 8pm. It’s hosted by Tony and Grammy Award nominee Joshua Henry (Into the Woods, Waitress, Carousel), with performances from Tony Award winner Tonya Pinkins (Mother Courage and Her Children), Mykal Kilgore (Motown: The Musical and Hair), and special acts including parkour artists Reap Genius & Falco, fire artist Sage Sovereign, dance performances from Step It Up/HANAC Secret Society Dance Company, choral performances from Vy Higginsen’s Sing Harlem Choir, and marching band performances by The Empire Marching Elite. For more info, click here.

Stop Neighborhood Destruction Rally and Press Conference: Wednesday, June 15, 11:30am at Saint John the Baptist Church (213 W. 30th St. btw. 7th & 8th Aves.) | Residents, business owners, and commuters–whether members of the Empire Station Coalition (ESC) or simply in synch with their way of thinking–will gather at the site of a place of worship slated for removal, according to the ill-advised, NY State Governor Kathy Hochul-supported land grab masquerading as a means to upgrade poor old Penn Station. “(We don’t usually editorialize in this events column, but these are unusual times.) “It’s important to have a good showing at this event,” said Pamela Wolff, in an email that saw the longtime Chelsea resident and ESC member share a promotional poster for the June 15 rally while noting Saint John the Baptist Church is “beautiful and well-maintained” with “a vibrant congregation doing good work in the community. Calling it ‘blighted’ is just false.” Advocates of the Penn Station plan as put forth by Hochul and supported by main benefactor Vornado have found in “blight” and other strategically chosen words the sheep’s clothing of urban renewal that might ultimately see dozens of homes and businesses demolished in order to accommodate Vornado’s desire to have a vertical campus where decades-old structures like Saint John the Baptist Church used to stand. This rally, its organizers noted, is your opportunity to take a stand against the destruction and displacement that would render the Penn Station area unrecognizable. 

West Side Community Fund Grants: Applications Accepted Through Friday, June 17 | As original members of the small business-focused seed money initiative that ran from 2018-2020 (and whose last cycle focused on pandemic-impacted businesses vital to the areas they served), Google, Jamestown, and Related/Oxford Hudson Yards have returned for this reactivation of the West Side Community Fund. They’re joined by new members Amazon and Cooley, along with over a dozen other local businesses. This time around, however, the area the Fund serves expands, with Hell’s Kitchen joining Chelsea and Hudson Yards. The scope of eligibility has also broadened: Potential candidates set to share a minimum of $100,000 in funding include neighborhood organizations, city agencies, health clinics, New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) projects, and individuals who work for the betterment of their community.  The first of two yearly West Side Community Grant cycles is happening right now. Applications are being accepted through June 17, and winners will be announced in early July.  For the full list of eligible applicants and to submit your application, visit  www.wscf.nyc. Find out more about the Fund, including the role that Hudson Guild is playing, by clicking here to access our recent feature story.

Image via the Tribeca Film Festival
The Tribeca Film Festival: Wednesday, June 8 to Sunday, June 19, In Person & Online | The brick and mortar film festival that was founded to bring people Downtown after 9/11 made the prospect of arts below 14th street (let alone Canal St.) a difficult one reasserts its commitment to the in-person experience this year, with a combination of live and online options. Locally, that means two longtime anchors of the festival’s live screening element are once again active: Chelsea’s SVA Theatre (333 W. 23rd St. btw. 8th & 9th Aves.) and Cinepolis Chelsea (260 W. 23rd St. btw. 7th & 8th Aves.). For all of the essential info, click here.
Photo courtesy of Down to Earth Farmers Market Chelsea
The Down to Earth Farmers Market Chelsea: Saturdays, 9am-2pm on the north side of W. 23rd St., off Ninth Ave. | New York area growers and artisan food makers return to Chelsea every Saturday through Dec. 17. This Market was created with the support of nearby Church of the Holy Apostles, with the mission of bringing wholesome and delicious foods to the neighborhood’s shoppers and supporting local small farms and food businesses. “The Chelsea Farmers Market is a grower-producer market,” its fouders note, “meaning that vendors must be farmers or make food with ingredients purchased from local farms. The few exceptions to this rule are olive oil, chocolate and coffee vendors who can document their sourcing.” The Market’s ninth season will offer fruits, vegetables, and meats from area farms. Market favorites PickleLicious and Orwashers Bakery are returning, along with fresh faces including Love the Soup! from Morristown, NJ and Ideal Fish from Waterbury, CT. SNAP EBT is welcome (visit the manager’s tent to get tokens; matching Health Bucks are available). Farmers Market Nutrition Program checks, issued by WIC offices and Seniors’ centers, can be used from June through November. Get the latest Market news by signing up for their email newsletter via the Down to Earth Markets website (click here to access it) or by following the Chelsea Farmers Market on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/dtechelseafarmersmarket/).
Image via Board of Elections
Early June Primary Voting: Saturday, June 18 to Sunday, June 26 | The June Primary is scheduled for June 28, 2022 and will include elections for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, State Assembly, Judges, and Party Positions. Early Voting is conducted June 18-20, Sat.-Mon., 9am-5pm; June 21-22, Tues.-Wed., 10am-8pm; Thurs., June 23, 10am-6pm; Fri., June 24, 7am-3pm; and June 25-26, Sat.-Sun., 9am-5pm. Voting locations in the Chelsea area are Bayard Rustin High School (351 W. 18th St. btw. Ninth & 10th Aves.); FIT Dubinsky Student Center (217 W. 27th St. btw. Seventh & Eighth Aves.; and The Mall at Hudson Yards (20 Hudson Yards). Note: You are required to wear a mask/face covering and maintain six feet of distance when entering any Board of Elections facility. The August Primary is scheduled for Aug. 23, with Early Voting from Aug. 13 to 21 and will include elections for U.S. House of Representatives and State Senate. For more info, click here.
EVENTS FROM EARLIER IN THE WEEK
Understanding Monkeypox Community Q&A Online Forum: Monday, June 13, 5pm | If you have concerns about an increase in Monkeypox cases or aren’t entirely sure what Monkeypox is—or both—this online forum was created to provide such essential information. Experts will be on hand to answer your questions and let you know what Monkeypox means for NYC, as well as how you can protect yourself. Also expected to be in attendance: Event co-sponsors Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, District 3 City Councilmember Erik Bottcher, and New York State Senator Brad Hoylman. To register, click here. Also see the below flyer.
Stargazing on the High Line, Tuesdays Between Dusk and 9:45pm | Members of the Amateur Astronomers Association take you through the paces of peering through high-powered telescopes to see rare celestial sights. This free program takes place on the High Line at 13th St. just south of The Standard Hotel. Overcast conditions or inclement weather may cause cancellation. If a session needs to be cancelled, a post will appear on @highlinenyc’s Twitter feed by 3pm on the day of the event. For more info, click here.

—Compiled by Scott Stiffler

This Week in Chelsea: Week of June 13-19, 2022 is posted on

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