If you had plans to visit the Queens Night Market this Saturday, here is the update you need: the May 9 event is canceled due to weather safety concerns, per the official Queens Night Market website. The next market date is Saturday, May 16. But that does not mean Queens has nothing going on this weekend — far from it. Here is where to head instead.
31st Avenue Open Street in Astoria
Every Saturday and Sunday from late April through mid-December, 31st Avenue between 33rd and 35th Street in Astoria closes to vehicle traffic and becomes one of the most pleasant outdoor gathering spots in the borough. This weekend — Saturday, May 9 and Sunday, May 10 — the Open Street runs from 12 PM to 8 PM both days.
The 31st Avenue Open Street is a neighborhood-run program that has become a genuine community institution in western Queens. On any given weekend, you will find outdoor dining from the avenue’s restaurants spilling onto the car-free stretch, local vendors, lawn games, and low-key programming. It is family-friendly, free to attend, and one of those New York experiences that feels genuinely unhurried.
Astoria’s 31st Avenue has always been one of Queens’ most interesting commercial strips — Greek tavernas, Egyptian bakeries, Brazilian steakhouses, and Korean grocery stores all within a few blocks of each other. When the street closes on weekends, the neighborhood’s character comes out in a way that is harder to feel when cars are bumper-to-bumper. If you have never made the trip to Astoria on a weekend, this is a good occasion to do it.
Getting there is straightforward: the N and W trains stop at 30th Avenue and at Astoria Blvd, both within easy walking distance of the Open Street. The R train runs to Steinway Street as well. From Midtown Manhattan, the N or W to Astoria is about 25 minutes.
Mother’s Day Sunday in Queens
Sunday, May 10 is Mother’s Day, and Queens has some of the best and most affordable brunch options in the city for the occasion. Jackson Heights — accessible via the 7 train to 74th Street-Broadway — has a dense concentration of South Asian and Latin American restaurants that are generally less crowded on Mother’s Day than their Manhattan counterparts. Flushing’s food courts along Main Street are another excellent option for a meal out of the ordinary.
Astoria Park, overlooking the Hell Gate, is also worth a visit on a May Sunday. The park has some of the best water views in the entire city, and while the pool will not open until later in the summer, the surrounding lawns and walking paths along the waterfront are a relaxed and scenic place to spend a Mother’s Day afternoon. For details on what is available at Astoria Park year-round, including pool opening timelines, see the Astoria Park guide on HelpNewYork.
Planning Ahead: Queens Night Market Returns May 16
The Queens Night Market runs at 47-01 111th Street, Flushing Meadows Corona Park (behind the New York Hall of Science), every Saturday from 4 PM to midnight. With the May 9 date canceled, the next market is May 16 — and if you have never been, it is worth circling on your calendar.
The market features more than 100 independent vendors, the overwhelming majority of which sell food representing countries and culinary traditions from across the globe. Dishes are intentionally kept affordable. It is one of the most genuinely diverse food experiences in New York, and on a clear May evening in Flushing Meadows, the setting is hard to beat.
Getting Around Queens This Weekend
Weekend subway schedules are in effect. The 7 train, which runs from Flushing down through Jackson Heights and into Midtown, is typically reliable on weekends. Check the latest weekend subway service update for any Queens-specific changes before you head out.
What You Need to Know
- Queens Night Market: CANCELED May 9 — weather safety; next date is May 16, 4 PM–midnight at Flushing Meadows Corona Park
- 31st Avenue Open Street — 31st Ave between 33rd and 35th St, Astoria; Saturday and Sunday May 9–10, 12 PM–8 PM; free
- N/W trains to 30th Ave or Astoria Blvd for the Open Street
- Jackson Heights and Flushing are excellent Mother’s Day dining options without the Midtown crowds
- Astoria Park waterfront is open and free for a Sunday afternoon walk
