Flushing Meadows Corona Park (Daniel Avila/ NYC Parks Flickr)
March 8, 2022 By Allie Griffin
A new music festival aimed at uplifting Black, Brown, Indigenous and Asian American Pacific Islander artists is coming to Queens this summer with ticket sales going live tomorrow.
LetsGetFr.ee — a project of Afropunk festival founder Matthew Morgan — will enliven Flushing Meadows Corona Park with the music of artists like Missy Elliott, Wizkid, Jhené Aiko, Major Lazer Sound System, Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals, Ozuna and many more on August 20 and 21.
Inspired by Brazil’s Carnaval celebration, the two-day concert is the “largest diversity-focused, purpose-driven festival in the United States,” according to its creators. They chose a venue location in Queens based on the borough’s reputation as the most diverse county in the nation.
The event goes beyond a celebration of music and also offers attendees a chance to eat foods from diverse cuisines, shop small artisan vendors and learn about the leaders of decolonization and civil rights movements.
LetsGeFr.ee has multiple small events and experiences within the main event itself.
For instance, its “Culinarians” experience includes food talks, cooking demonstrations, a food truck rally, exclusive dining experiences and a food market. It focuses on cuisines and street food from Asia, Africa, Latin America, the American South, Southeast Asia and the Caribbean.
Another event that’s a part of the festival is its “Bazaar,” a market featuring a variety of vendors including young designers, artisans, vintage dealers, jewelers, ethical small-batch beauty brands and more.
The LetsGetFr.ee festival will also host numerous educational series and feature booths for brands to connect with attendees and showcase their work.
Queens residents have access to a special pre-sale today to purchase tickets, while tickets are available for the rest of the public beginning tomorrow.
There are two types of tickets or passes for the festival.
Carnaval passes cost $49 for Queens residents and $69 for others per day and grant attendees access to two main stages and three “trio” stages — mobile stages pulled by trucks. They do not include access to the show headliners.
Party passes cost $129 for Queens residents and $139 and include everything in the carnival pass plus access to one headliner and their opening acts’ performances.
VIP tickets with expedited entry, dedicated viewing areas and other exclusive features are also available.
In keeping with its mission of inclusivity, LetsGetFr.ee also offers layaway plans to purchase tickets. Queens residents can unlock special local pricing by entering their zip code on the event website.
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The festival organizers said they hope the event can help grow a cultural movement. They said LetsGetFr.ee is more than just a music festival and singular event.
It’s also a music and activist platform for “progressive people of color and young adults” who are often underrepresented in leadership roles in the entertainment industry. The festival/platform aims to “bridge the POC equity gap in all levels of the entertainment industry over the next ten years,” according to its website.
