Community event highlights Richmond Hill’s multicultural food scene
The ninth annual Queens International Food and Music Festival returned to Phil “Scooter” Rizzuto Park in Richmond Hill on Aug. 16, offering residents a free afternoon of food, music and community outreach. The event’s format combined live entertainment with vendor tables from local businesses and community organisations, drawing a broad cross-section of Queens’ neighbourhoods.
Organisers presented a programme that ranged from Caribbean and Guyanese foods to South Asian musical performances, underlining the festival’s stated aim of celebrating cultural diversity through culinary and musical expression.
Local businesses and services on display
Tables at the festival represented a mix of health, education, real estate and local food retailers. Among them were EmblemHealth—the event’s grand and title sponsor—alongside Cottage Home Care Services, Leonora Primary School, Clasique Cutz Barbershop, Island Zone Radio, Legend Cookhouse, JN Money, Sovereign Realty of NY, Pinnacle Signature Realty LLC and Dave’s Guyana Fish and Grocery Market.
Many tables distributed promotional items to guests, including tote bags, T-shirts, pens, stress balls and snack items. Vendors also sold prepared foods and sauces, and several offered samples to festivalgoers.
- Food vendors included Guyanese and Caribbean offerings such as those from Dave’s Guyana Fish and Grocery and Legend Cookhouse.
- Specialty items on sale ranged from sauces and drinks to chocolate-covered strawberries.
- Community organisations and service providers used the festival to engage directly with residents and hand out information and giveaways.
Cooking contest and musical lineup
The festival staged a timed cooking contest that challenged local restaurants to prepare assigned dishes — duck curry and baigan choka — within a two-hour window. Participants included Food by Parika, Regent Lounge and Kaieteur Restaurant. Judges selected a winner based on taste.
Music was a central element of the festival. Performers represented a variety of Caribbean and Guyanese traditions, with singing and dancing featured throughout the afternoon. Acts included Trinidad and Tobago-based artist Brian Mohan, who performed Bollywood hits, and Queens-based Caribbean artist Randy “Recklez” Ramdin, who shared the stage with Angels Caribbean Band (ACB). The lineup also included Guyanese artist Geeta Bisram, among others.
| Feature | Examples |
|---|---|
| Title sponsor | EmblemHealth |
| Food vendors | Dave’s Guyana Fish and Grocery; Legend Cookhouse; Yummy Dips |
| Community tables | Leonora Primary School; Cottage Home Care Services; Island Zone Radio |
| Musical acts | Brian Mohan; Randy “Recklez” Ramdin; Angels Caribbean Band; Geeta Bisram |
What the festival means for Richmond Hill
For residents, the festival offered a chance to connect with neighbourhood businesses and cultural groups outside of commercial settings. The visible presence of both service organisations and small food retailers points to the role such events play in community outreach and local economic activity: vendors sold prepared foods and specialty products directly to attendees, while health and education tables distributed information and promotional materials.
While the event took place in Richmond Hill, the festival draws attendees from across Queens and reflects the borough’s broader cultural mix. For local entrepreneurs and artists, participation offered exposure to new customers and an opportunity to promote their products and performances in a family-friendly setting.
As the festival enters its second decade, organisers and participants appear intent on maintaining the blend of food, music and community services that has defined the event. For residents looking to support local businesses and experience the borough’s diversity, the Queens International Food and Music Festival remains a highlight of late-summer programming.
