New York City Council Member Vickie Paladino, the Queens Chamber of Commerce, and the Bayside Historical Society invite the whole community to the Annual Independence Day Fireworks Show and Concert on Tuesday, June 27th at Fort Totten. The gates open at 5 pm. This annual event draws thousands to celebrate a night of fireworks, food and family fun. This year’s celebration promises to be another incredible night with fireworks provided by “Fireworks by Grucci”.
 
“The Independence Day fireworks show and concert is finally returning to Fort Totten! My office has worked tirelessly with the Queens Chamber of Commerce and the Bayside Historical Society to see its return. I could not be more proud to be the Councilwoman who delivers the event back to the community. Now more than ever, the community desperately needs a strong event to celebrate and rally around. The fireworks show and concert at Fort Totten could not have been brought back at a better time. I can’t wait to see the event come together on June 27th ,“ said Councilwoman Vickie Paladino.  ”Thank you to the Queens Chamber of Commerce, Bayside Historical Society, Parks Department, NYPD, FDNY, US Army, CITIBUS Corp., Fireworks by Grucci, Office of Emergency Management, Borough President Richards, and countless others who worked together to help my office organize the event.”
 
“The Queens Chamber of Commerce is excited to partner with Council Member Vickie Paladino to bring this great event to Fort Totten once again,” said Tom Grech, President and CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce. “Year after year, it has proved to be a fun day for families along one of Queens’ beautiful waterfronts. We are grateful to all our partners and sponsors for helping us make it a great evening.”
 
“With funding provided by Council Member Paladino and the Queens Chamber of Commerce, we are proud to announce the return of the BHS annual concert and fireworks show in Fort Totten,” said Paul DiBenedetto, President of the Bayside Historical Society. “BHS at the Castle serves as a cultural destination within the Fort Totten Historic District, and hosting an Independence Day Celebration right outside our front door is a great way for the community to link the past with the present. We look forward to this year’s event being even bigger and better than it’s been in the past.”
 
Admittance to Fort Totten will begin at 5:00pm. There will be fun activities for kids and
food trucks on site. The evening will feature musical performances by Chicken Head Rocks, Phil Costa and the Something Special Big Band, the 380th Army Band and DJ Russell Targove. Guests are encouraged to bring their own blankets and lawn chairs. The fireworks will begin promptly at 9:15pm and attendees must enter the park by 8:30pm.

Guests are encouraged to walk or bus to the event. Limited parking will be available at
Little Bay Park, with additional free parking available at the Clearview Golf Course and the Bay
Terrace Shopping Center. Free shuttles provided by CITIBUS Corp. will begin at 5:30 pm and will bring guests to and from the offsite parking locations until 10:15 pm.

Alcohol is not permitted at the event. All bags, coolers, backpacks, etc. will be inspected by the NYPD upon entrance.

Press release available for download, below.

The debate is settled. Empanadas Cafe is the winner of the inaugural Queens’ Best Empanada Competition, held by the Queens Chamber of Commerce. Over the past several weeks, Queens foodies nominated and voted on their favorite stuffed doughy treats in the borough, with the Corona eatery emerging as the winner. I Love Paraguay Restaurant in Sunnyside finished second, while We Love Empanadas in Jackson Heights, Que Rico Colombian Bakery in Astoria, and The Empanada Spot in Jackson Heights rounded out the top-5.
 
“We’re delighted to honor Empanadas Cafe as the inaugural winner of the Queens’ Best Empanada Competition,” said Tom Grech, President and CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce. “Queens is home to the best restaurants in New York City, and we received entries from a range of restaurants that truly reflects the diversity of our borough’s Latin American community. Congratulations to Patricia Bernard  and the entire team at Empanadas Cafe on winning this coveted title. I just had a few myself, and I can tell you, they are worthy winners!”

"We are honored to have been awarded the winner of the inaugural Queens Best Empanada contest. I want to thank our wonderful, dedicated staff and our loyal customers for this honor.  We invite everyone to come and visit Empanadas Cafe and see why we were named the best place in Queens for empanadas," said Patricia Bernard, co-owner, Empanadas Cafe.
 
Grech and the Chamber visited Empanadas Cafe. Several elected officials were on hand to celebrate with the winners.
 
"If there's any place you can find the best empanadas you've ever had, it's in Queens - the food capital of the world. Congratulations to Empanadas Cafe for the well-deserved win!" said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. "And a big shout out to the other contestants as well as every empanada spot in our borough. Thank you for making our borough a delicious place to eat."


Empanadas Cafe was selected the winner after a public nomination process and vote. In addition to earning the title of Queens’ Best Empanadas, Empanadas Cafe received a complimentary year of membership to the Queens Chamber of Commerce.
 
The top-5 eateries selected by the public were:

1. Empanadas Café (Corona)
2. I Love Paraguay Restaurant (Sunnyside)
3. We Love Empanadas (Jackson Heights)
4. Que Rico Colombian Bakery (Astoria)
5. The Empanada Spot (Jackson Heights)

                                             
Press release available for download, below.

On Tuesday, May 9, dozens of business, government, education and tech leaders gathered at LaGuardia Community College for the Spring 2023 Queens Tech Breakfast. The breakfast, which provided attendees with the opportunity to network and hear from industry leaders, was hosted by the Queens Chamber of Commerce, Queens’ oldest and largest business organization, and the Queens Tech Council.
 
“Whether you're a fledgling start-up, or an established industry leader, Queens is the perfect home for tech companies,” said Tom Grech, President and CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce. “We have the diversity, energy, and educational institutions like LaGuardia Community College that are producing the talent that companies need to grow and thrive. We are delighted to be here today with our partners in government, education and business to discuss how to create a stronger tech ecosystem in Queens. Fostering this tech ecosystem is vital to our borough’s economic future.”
 
Attendees heard from LaGuardia Community College President Kenneth Adams, and were treated to a panel discussion moderated by Cara Eisenpress, Senior Tech Reporter for Crain’s New York Business on the future of tech in Queens, featuring NYC Council Member Julie Won, Octavius Moore, Director of Partnerships for Tech:NYC and Kathirvel Kumararaja, President and Founder of DevJee Inc. Speakers touched on topics ranging from artificial intelligence to workforce development to affordability. All were bullish on the potential for the tech industry to continue to grow in Queens.

“LaGuardia has at least five different business assistance departments making us one of the largest providers of small business and entrepreneurship training in the city. It’s the part of work that reminds me of the second word in our name, the ‘community’ part,” said Kenneth Adams, President of LaGuardia Community College. “We have an obligation of the highest order to turn around and face Queens and leverage our instructional assets and our physical assets and attributes to really promote economic and workforce development all across the state and we do that under our business department.”
 
“Start-ups in the tech design, creative, and design industries find boundless opportunities for growth and collaboration within the vibrant ecosystem of Long Island City, New York,” said Assuanta Howard, Interim Assistant Dean of Business Services/Workforce Development and Executive Director of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program at LaGuardia Community College/CUNY. “By leveraging the invaluable resources available at NYDesigns, our on-campus business incubator space, and by fostering partnerships with the Queens Chamber and Queens Tech Council, entrepreneurs can incubate their ideas, unleash their creativity, and flourish in this thriving hub of innovation.”
 
“For me, as a former tech worker, giving our neighbors access to internet and digital services is a necessity, not a luxury. Within my first year in office, every NYCHA resident in the district has access to federal and city programs that give them free high speed internet, cable TV, and unlimited call and text. I’ve also provided funding for technology upgrades to our schools, and am actively legislating technology related laws to keep our laws up-to-date in our fast-changing city,” said Council Member Julie Won. “Thank you Queens Chamber of Commerce, Queens Tech Council, and LaGuardia Community College for hosting this important conversation."
 
“One of the most significant factors that sets NYC apart from other tech hubs is the collaboration we see on a daily basis between tech companies, elected officials, community and neighborhood leaders, and everyday New Yorkers,” said Octavius Moore, Director of Partnerships for Tech:NYC. “The Queens Tech Council is a great example of how those partnerships can effectively expand to support the most exciting nodes of New York's tech sector. With an all-borough approach, we can foster a tech ecosystem that continues to grow and benefits all New Yorkers in the process.”
 
"Being involved in the Queens Tech Incubator is one the best things to happen for me and for the growth of my company," said Kathirvel Kumararaja, President and Founder of DevJee Inc. "I appreciate the time and work that the Queens Chamber of Commerce and the Queens Tech Council put into events like this tech breakfast and panel because it gives people working in the technology world space to network, learn, and gain access to resources they may not have been aware of on their own."
 
At the conclusion of the event, attendees took a tour of NYDesigns’ 5,000 sq.ft. fabrication lab, located on the campus of LaGuardia Community College. NYDesigns was founded in 2006 as an incubator dedicated to the success of design and hardwear tech startups.

The Queens Tech Council was launched in February 2021. Council members include representatives from Google, Facebook, Amazon, Pursuit, LIC Partnership, Greater Jamaica Development Corporation, Crown Castle, JetBlue Ventures, Cornell Tech, and The Business Incubator Association of New York State. The Council focuses on building an economy that embraces innovation and promotes tech adoption. This includes supporting tech companies from existing giants in established industries to startups working doing cutting edge work.
Last fall the Council launched its first two Queens Tech Incubators in the Rockaways and Jamaica, with plans to open further incubators throughout Queens. 

Press release available for download, below.

On May 2, hundreds of business leaders from Queens visited Albany to meet with their legislators as the Queens Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual Queens Day in Albany. The annual event gives local business leaders the opportunity to advocate for the interests of businesses in the state capitol. Chamber members met with dozens of members of the State Senate and Assembly, then enjoyed lunch while NYS Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie delivered remarks at a reception called “A Taste Of Queens,” featuring the culinary talents of more than 40 restaurants from across the borough.
 
“Small businesses of all types from across the borough play an important role in keeping our communities a wonderful and diverse place to live and work,” said Tom Grech, President and CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce. “Advocating for our members is an essential part of what we do and that includes meeting with our elected officials face to face and ensuring they not only hear about the successes of our local business owners, but the challenges they face as well. I want to thank all the business leaders who took time out of their schedules to come with us today, and all the elected officials who met with them during the final day of budget negotiations.”
 
During meetings with elected officials, Chamber members brought up several issues from the Chamber’s 2023 Legislative Agenda that impact businesses in Queens and throughout New York State. For the legislative agenda, click here.

Press release available for download, below.