Many of our current and former Cherry Grove residents spend their winters in Florida. In February, Cherry Grove Arts Project held its 15th annual Out-of-Town Party in Fort Lauderdale. In March, the yearly In-Town Party at The Monster in New York City.
Our Grove neighbor, Wanda Sykes, made an appearance on The View to announce her upcoming European tour.
Our own Parker Sargent produced a new documentary, The Panzi Invasion, which premiered in October at The Long Island Museum at Stony Brook.
On the Grove business front, Goodies is no longer in operation – the convenience store will not reopen this season. However, Cherry’s has a new owner, Paul Scarpa. A new specialty store has also opened on the dock called Jalston. We wish both new proprietors a prosperous summer ahead.
The summer promises many good times ahead as 2025 marks the golden anniversary of the Invasion on the July 4th Weekend.
In conjunction with this milestone, Patrick Campbell, Director of Education for CM Performing Arts Center (CMPAC) in Oakdale, is organizing a workshop in partnership with the Arts Project of Cherry Grove and the Rainbow Connection. Campbell has collected real-life stories from legendary drag queens, which will be told by the young acting students of CMPAC on Saturday, July 5, at 3 p.m., and Sunday, July 6, at 8 p.m. The musical that they are creating will be called Panzi, Queen of the Pines.
Also, turning 50 is the Homecoming Queen Ceremony on Sunday, May 25, at 8 p.m. Sugar B. Real has a wonderful rein and she will be a tough act to follow.
The Ice Palace will feature the return of Dina Martina on May 24 at 8 p.m. The Glamcox Dance Party will take place the following weekend, on May 31, at 10 p.m.
Also, we must say our final farewells to Franco August Cannizzarro, Dennis Curley, James Dumas, Audrey Hartmann, Paul Jablonski, Pamela Johnston, Shirley Munnell, Jo Ann Orfanos, John Pappas, Helen Veronica Radziewicz, Mario Scarpa, Donald Steeple, and Warren Boyd Wexler.
Michael’s mother also passed away at the age of 99. Remember them all fondly.
