Queens' Diversity Seen in Annual Celebrations from Various Faiths, Cultures

November 8, 2005

Source: Queens Chronicle

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1860&dept_id=567485&newsid=15537463&PAG=461&rfi=9

On November 8, 2005 the Queens Chronicle reported, "Everyone knows that Queens is famous for its diversity. You can see it on the faces of its residents, in ethnic restaurants and shops and in places of worship. Politicians brag about the multicultural aspects of the borough, but its cultural and social landscape are best demonstrated through a variety of special events that draw record crowds every year. From parades to festivals, residents can attend these fun-filled events almost every month of the year... During one of the Hindu holidays known as Holi in India, Richmond Hill is turned into a spectrum of pinks, purples and yellows during the Phagwah Parade down Liberty Avenue in March... Since the beginning of the last century, Queens has held a Saint Patrick’s Day Parade in the Irish enclave of Woodside every March. Reflecting the diversity of Jackson Heights, which has the city’s second largest gay population, after Greenwich Village, the Queens Lesbian & Gay Pride Parade draws more than 70 gay and non-gay groups, from Queens and elsewhere during the first week of June... In August, Meadow Lake at Flushing Meadows Park hosts the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Races, in which hundreds of participants from 30 countries compete for the world championship."