City’s First Readers (CFR) will host its World’s Fair, Our World, Our Stories, on Thursday, October 29, from 11:00am to 3:00pm at the Queens Museum in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. CFR is a coalition of 18 nonprofits, coordinated by Literacy in Community (LINC), that helps New York City children from birth to age five build early literacy skills. The free event is the centerpiece of CFR Month, when partners across the five boroughs welcome families to reading events throughout October.
The CFR World’s Fair includes a full day of storytelling, music, cultural activities, free books, and hands-on activities that celebrate all of the different cultures and traditions that make up our city and our world. CFR “passports” were issued at the beginning of the month for entry and stamping at partner programs across the five boroughs throughout October. Attendees are encouraged to bring their CFR passports and be eligible for a special prize on October 29th.
The festivities include free admission to view exhibitions at the Queens Museum, housed in the historic New York City Building from the fairs, like the massive Panorama of the City of New York and World’s Fair collections. It is also a chance for families to experience the New York Hall of Science, the Queens Theater, and other historic attractions along the way.
For many families, this will be the first time they are experiencing the World’s Fair site and the Queens Museum; we are excited to share this opportunity and local gems with them. Guest reader Annie Elisa Minguez, Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Nonprofit Services, will join us for a bilingual read aloud of Coquí in the City by Normar Perez. Musical entertainment featuring the playful Musiquitas, a wife/husband duo composed of Blanca Cecilia González (vocals/violin/ukulele/percussion) and Jesse Elder (vocals/piano/melodica/percussion) will perform in Spanish and English at 2:00pm.
These are challenging times and we want families to feel welcomed, comfortable, and safe both during this celebration and in every environment. We know that books can provide social and emotional support, especially when families adopt a daily reading routine. The event will encourage families to explore a range of pre-reading activities. A number of CFR partners will be onsite to share their specific organization’s information, resources, and services, offering a great opportunity for families to connect with them and each other. To conclude the day, there will be an optional free screening of the Pixar film Coco, a movie that honors our ancestors through stories, traditions, and memories.
City’s First Readers (CFR) helps families find ways to blend reading activities into daily chores and provides a wide variety of free and fun literacy programs across the five boroughs. Twice a year (in April and October), we celebrate CFR month, when all 18 partner organizations collaborate to offer special early reading events around the city. CFR’s programming is designed to support families in the years before their children are engaged in formal instruction by providing pre-reading engagements that set children up for success in school and life!
About City’s First Readers (CFR): Established by the New York City Council in 2014, City’s First Readers is an initiative in collaboration with 18 nonprofit organizations and coordinated by Literacy in Community (LINC), fostering the literacy development of children birth through five. The initiative was started to address the literacy crisis in New York City by forming a coalition with the capacity to build an equitable early childhood ecosystem where children can start school excited to learn and ready to read. To learn more about CFR, please visit www.citysfirstreaders.com or contact Emmanuel Novy, Chief of Community Programs at enovy@lincnyc.org, 817-360-7075.
Reporters wishing to attend the event at the Queens Museum should contact Virginia Taddoni, Associate Director of Communications at vtaddoni@lincnyc.org or 212-620-5462, ext. 133.