Master Fitness™

Monday, April 22, 11:00 am to 11:45 am
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Far Rockaway, NY 11692

Ann Fosteris embraces making a positive impact and living a healthy lifestyle, which includes staying active and maintaining a healthy weight. There is no need to register for Master Fitness™, a FREE exercise class. Just show up at RISE on Monday morning at eleven o'clock and join neighbors of all ages and fitness levels. You will feel good and look great in no time!

Core on the Floor

Monday, April 22, 11:45 am to 12:15 pm
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Far Rockaway, NY 11692

Tree Giveaway

Saturday, April 27, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Far Rockaway, NY 11692

RISE is excited to partner with New York Restoration Project to host a FREE tree giveaway! Registration is required because supply is limited.

Click here to complete the required registration.

18th Annual Earth Day Rockaway

Saturday, May 4, 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Beach 60th Street & Rockaway Freeway, under the A-train's elevated tracks

Enjoy a day of fun in the Rockaways with FREE environmental activities and programs for families and kids of all ages.

This year's event will include live music as well as a mock dolphin rescue, plantings, composting, face painting, water testing, fire safety, and art-related booths to learn how to appreciate and conserve the earth's resources.

All activities are intended to raise awareness of the natural resources along the Rockaway shoreline.

Local organizations interested in participating or tabling at this event are encouraged to contact Juvie Anne Alfeche, RISE Public Programs Coordinator, at jalfeche@riserockaway.org.

Special thanks to our sponsors, Joan N. and Norman Bluestone Foundation and PSEG Long Island. 

Native Plant Nursery Planting

Saturday, May 11, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm
Arverne East Welcome Center & Gardens, 190 Beach 44th Street, Far Rockaway, NY 11691

Rockaway residents of all ages are encouraged to participate in this community planting to establish RISE Native Plant Nursery at Beach 44th Street.

This event will take place rain or shine, so please dress accordingly. Students seeking community service hours are welcome to attend. Registration is encouraged.

Special thanks to City Parks Foundation/Green Fund and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

Rockaway Stop 'N' Swap

Saturday, May 11, 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Beach 60th Street & Rockaway Freeway, under the A-train's elevated tracks

It's FREE! Give away items you no longer need or take home something new-to-you! You don't have to bring something to take something.

What to Bring

YES: Clean, reusable, portable items such as clothing, housewares, electronics, books, and toys.

NO: Furniture, large items, expired or open food, unsealed personal care products, medicine, dirty or ripped clothing, fabric scraps, incomplete toys and games, nonworking electronics, tube TVs, magazines, and sharp objects.

This event is brought to you by GrowNYC. Stop 'N' Swap is funded by New York City Department of Sanitation.

Mother's Day Foraging Tour with "Wildman" Steve Brill

Sunday, May 12, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Arverne East Welcome Center & Gardens, 190 Beach 44th Street, Far Rockaway, NY 11691

Join us for RISE's special Mother's Day foraging tour with America's go-to guy for foraging, "Wildman" Steve Brill.

We will be exploring Arverne East Nature Preserve, which has an abundance of wild plants and wildlife. The sandy soil of the Rockaways is poor, limiting tree and grass growth, but it benefits other species that can take advantage of the sun and nutrient-poor soil. Wild greens grow great here, and there are dozens of species that thrive. Field garlic is a very tasty relative of onions and garlic.

This event is FREE, but registration is required.

A Fundraiser for RISE

Friday, May 17, 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Connolly's, 155 Beach 95th Street, Rockaway Park, NY 11694

Kick-start summer with this warm-up to Memorial Day! Connolly's hosts "Coladas for a Cause," a fundraiser for RISE's youth educational programs: Shore Corps, Living Classroom, and Environmentor.  $20 entry includes one FREE drink. There will be a 50/50, a raffle with Patagonia swag, and other great prizes.

Click here to purchase your entry and 50/50 raffle tickets in advance.

Sang Lee Farms & Briermere Farms Tours

Saturday, May 18, 8:30 am to 6:00 pm
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Far Rockaway, NY 11692

You are welcome to join us for FREE special tours of Sang Lee Farms and Briermere Farms in the North Fork of Long Island.

Sang Lee Farms and Briermere Farms are partners for RISE Farm to Family Share. They provide certified-organic produce and seasonal fruit, which are distributed at RISE every Wednesday, June 5 through November 13, 2024, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

The charter bus departs from RISE at 8:30 a.m. and will return by 6:00 p.m. The tours and round-trip bus ride are FREE, but you must register in advance because seating is limited. Registration is limited to two (2) individuals, and a child must be accompanied by an adult.

Shore Corps Year-End Awards Celebration

Friday, May 31, 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Far Rockaway, NY 11692

Bike the Block

Saturday, June 8, 11:00 am to 2:00 pm
Rockaway Freeway between Beach 56th Place & Beach 59th Street

Join RISE for a day of FREE fun-filled bike-related activities, including a bike helmet giveaway. Supplies are limited on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Youngsters still on training wheels can pedal our smoothie bike to make their own fruit drinks!

This event is hosted across the street from RISE, on a closed roadway, so there is lots of room for new riders to practice.

Special thanks to Bike New York, Transportation Alternatives, New York City Department of Transportation, and New York City Council Member Selvena Brooks-Powers.

Rockaway Honeyworks & NYC Honey Fest

Saturday, September 14, 11:00 am to 6:00 pm
Boardwalk at Beach 106th Street

Rockaway Honeyworks, a RISE initiative, will be attending the 14th Annual NYC Honey Fest! Student interns from Shore Corps helped to raise and care for the bees and to extract honey, which will be on sale in eight-ounce, four-ounce, and 1.5-ounce containers. Bee the Change T-shirts, tote bags, lapel pins, and lip balm also will be for sale.

All proceeds will support RISE's youth programs, including Living Classroom. Come by to say hello and a taste of some of the best honey in New York!

Native Plant Nursery Planting

Saturday, September 21, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm
Arverne East Welcome Center & Gardens, 190 Beach 44th Street, Far Rockaway, NY 11691

Join us for a planting of RISE Native Plant Nursery at Arverne East. This event is part of “Greater Rockaway" Community & Shoreline Enhancement Plan.

People of all ages are invited to participate. Students seeking community service hours are welcome to attend. Dress accordingly for outdoor conditions. Registration is encouraged.

Special thanks to National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

Daffodil Bulbs Giveaway

Saturday, October 5, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Far Rockaway, NY 11692

It's almost planting time! Don’t miss out on New Yorkers for Parks 2024 Daffodil Project, a citywide living memorial, stewardship opportunity, and catalyst for transformative investment in our beloved parks and open spaces.

A living memorial to the victims of 9/11 and the largest civic effort in city history, Daffodil Project gives away bulbs to plant in public spaces across all five boroughs. RISE will be hosting one of the Queens distribution sites.

Bulb supplies will be distributed on a first-come-first-serve basis. Register to reserve your FREE daffodil bulbs!

Foraging Tour with "Wildman" Steve Brill

Saturday, October 5, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Far Rockaway, NY 11692

"Wildman" Steve Brill will lead a session on plant identification, the natural habitat of the Rockaways, and all the best wild foods of the seashore.

The sandy soil limits tree and grass growth, but it benefits other species that can take advantage of the sun and nutrient-poor soil. Wild greens and dozens of species thrive here.

This event is FREE and will happen rain or shine. If the weather is bad, we will move indoors.

Registration is required.

Sandy Anniversary Planting

Saturday, October 12, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm
Beach 64th Street & the Boardwalk

For the twelfth anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, RISE is bringing people of all ages together to care for our shoreline and create a natural protective barrier for the Rockaway community.

As we learned from the hurricane, the natural vegetation and dunes that exist off our shores serve as a buffer to the homes and businesses in the area. Many of these dunes are compromised by storms and shoreline erosion, and they need to be cared for to be effective.

Families, friends, and neighbors are welcome to participate in this dune planting and restoration project. Students can receive community service hours. This event is rain or shine, so please dress accordingly. Registration is encouraged, in case of changes on the day.

Special thanks to National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

11th Annual Hip-Hop Halloween & Harvest Celebration

Saturday, October 19, 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Far Rockaway, NY 11692

Join RISE for the 11th Annual Hip-Hop Halloween & Harvest Celebration, as we celebrate with family and friends in Rockaway Hip-Hop Community Garden. Come and take part in decorating pumpkins, face painting, music, dancing, festive food, and more.

This event is FREE and open to all!

Rockaway Thanksgiving Feast

Saturday, November 16, 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Far Rockaway, NY 11692

RISE is hosting a special Thanksgiving meal to give thanks and to celebrate our amazing community of family, friends, and neighbors. This FREE sit-down meal is for attendees who register in advance (no more than three per household).

The meal includes all the Thanksgiving favorites, prepared by local Rockaway partners:

• Batesy's BBQ
• Cassey's Cookies & Cobblers
• Cuisine by Claudette
• Goody's BBQ Chicken & Ribs
• La Cevicheria
• Rockaway Beach Bakery
• Rockaway Food Initiative