LaGuardia Community College Hosts Free Public Activities on the LaGuardia Community Greenway with Earth Day Celebration on April 22
Queens Artists Invited to Submit Design Ideas for the LaGuardia Community Greenway Street Mural Project
LONG ISLAND CITY, NY (April 21, 2025) — LaGuardia Community College/CUNY announces a series of free outdoor events, open to the public for all ages, starting with an Earth Day Celebration on April 22. The events will take place on the LaGuardia Community Greenway, on a closed-to-traffic block of 29th Street stretching from Skillman to 47th Avenues. The Greenway is a place where Long Island City and LaGuardia’s 33,000 students and faculty can gather and engage. This is the fourth year of Greenway programming, and the first year that the street is closed off permanently.
“We look forward to welcoming all to the LaGuardia Community Greenway in 2025 and for many years to come,” said Kenneth Adams, President of LaGuardia Community College. “We deeply appreciate the support of New York City’s Open Streets and Department of Transportation in creating this urban sanctuary where the community can gather for camaraderie, relaxation, and free outdoor events featuring live music and programming for all ages.”
The Greenway began as a pilot program in 2022, organized by LaGuardia students to sustain and positively impact the physical and mental health of the community and environment. Based on the success of the pop-up Greenway, it has become an annual tradition, reflecting the community’s diversity, culture, and spirit. Click here to watch a recap of 2024 Greenway events.
Submissions Sought for LaGuardia Community Greenway Street Mural Project
With a stretch of 29th Street now permanently closed for the LaGuardia Community Greenway, the college is partnering with the NYC DOT on a street mural project. Queens artists are invited to submit their unique designs by May 19. See guidelines. Community members will vote on their favorite design, with the winner announced by mid-June. For more information, contact Vice President for Communications and External Affairs, Manny Romero, or Chief of Staff Nayelli Valencia Turrent.
2025 LaGuardia Community Greenway Events
On Tuesday, April 22, from 12 noon to 4 p.m., an Earth Day Celebration will feature games, activities, raffles, vegetarian snacks, and tabling from environmental groups, agencies, and vendors from around the city.
LaGuardia CARES, which runs the college’s pantry, will distribute $10 vouchers for students to spend at Fresh Vibes, a food truck offering fresh fruits and vegetables. Additionally, through a partnership with Rethink Food, 250 hot meals will be provided on a first-come, first-serve basis.
LaGuardia Sustainable Urban Agriculture faculty and students will lead farm-to-table tastings and workshops on composting, aquaponics, seed cultivation, medicinal herbs, and botanical flower pressing at Finca La Florecita. This urban farm and research center is located next to the Greenway, on 47th Avenue between 29th and 30th Streets. These events are planned in collaboration with the USDA’s NextGen Program, LaGuardia’s Sustainability Council, and The Climate Reality Project.
Community organizations participating include the Long Island City Partnership and CommuterLink/ 511NYRideshare. LaGuardia programs featured during the Earth Day Festival include Credit for Prior Learning, which allows students to earn credit for college-level learning gained outside the traditional classroom. Property Management will be collecting electronic waste (e-waste)—electronic equipment that no longer works or has lost value to its current owners. Properly disposing e-waste eliminates environmental problems that arise when these items are not properly recycled.
The Earth Day Celebration is hosted by the college’s Sustainability Council. For more information, contact the Sustainability Council at SustainabilityCouncil@lagcc.cuny.edu.
On Wednesday, May 14, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., the 2025 Hispanic Federation Career Expo will take place on the Greenway. The annual event is an opportunity for LaGuardia students, alumni, and community members to meet with employers and service providers, connect to hiring and career development resources, and explore a multitude of opportunities. In case of rain, the event will move to the LaGuardia Gym, located in the M-Building, 31-10 Thomson Ave., MB-42. For more information, contact the Center for Career and Professional Development at career@lagcc.cuny.edu.
Updates and details for future Greenway events, which will run through October 2025, can be found on the LaGuardia Community Greenway website. Events include:
- Wednesday, June 4: Pride, Health, and Wellness
Campus or community groups wishing to participate in Greenway events should contact Nayelli Valencia Turrent, Chief of Staff.
• • • •
LaGuardia Community College (LAGCC), a Hispanic-Serving Institution, located in Long Island City, Queens offers more than 50 associate degrees and academic certificates, and more than 65 continuing education programs to prepare New Yorkers for transfer to senior colleges and rewarding jobs and careers. An institution of the City University of New York (CUNY), the College reflects the legacy of our namesake, Fiorello H. LaGuardia, the former NYC mayor beloved for his advocacy of the underserved. Since 1971, LaGuardia’s academic programs and support services have advanced the socioeconomic mobility of students from Queens, NYC and beyond.
####