Last night, crowds of hungry Queens residents jammed a Long Island City food festival that was also attended by Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer.
In introducing the speaker, Van Bramer referred to her recent marriage to partner Kim Catullo (who was also in attendance) as “one of the most important weddings in all of this country.”
“We have not heard the last of Speaker Christine Quinn,” he told a cheering audience. “She’s been a great speaker, she’ll be a great leader of the city of New York one day.”
(Van Bramer is scheduled to marry his longtime partner, League of Conservation Voters communications director Dan Hendrick, on July 28th.)
Quinn, who has all but declared her run for next year’s mayoral election, didn’t seem to mind the characterization.
The Chocolate Factory, a local performance space, organized the event, called Taste of LIC, which is now in its seventh year.
In her brief remarks, Quinn said the festival proved that culture can happen outside Manhattan.
She also said she was happy organizers “had this after the wedding of mine, not Jimmy’s, because I would not be eating before the wedding. I was doing hand weights in the office during meetings, you know, because that was a sleeveless dress. So that worked out well, too.”
Before they spoke, a Dolly Parton cover band, Doll Parts, played two songs to honor the couples. Quinn, surrounded by a small staff, went from table to table, from a miniature ice cream truck to a stand with homemade marshmallows.
Councilmembers Leroy Comrie and Peter Vallone Jr. and Queens Borough President Helen Marshall mingled, alternately greeting people and tasting food.
Marshall said she was happy the event, which was estimated to have drawn more than 1200 visitors this year, was growing.
“I have no favorite,” she said. “I love food. But some of the things were really nice. You know, I just try to stay away from too much sweets.”
