Ewing to hoop it up at Jamaican gala
Jamaica-born Patrick Ewing — the Basketball Hall of Famer and former New York Knicks player who is now head coach of the Georgetown University men’s basketball team — is among the honorees of the black-tie Jamaica Independence Gala coming Saturday to the New York Hilton and Towers Hotel in Manhattan.
Jamaica Prime Minister Andrew Holness is also among the VIPs attending the event, a culmination of the official disaspora celebration of Jamaica’s 55th anniversary of independence.
The event includes the presentation of the Nation Builder Award to former Jamaica Prime Minister Edward Seaga.
The event — cocktails, dinner, an awards presentation and a silent auction — will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Celebrity hosts for the ga- la will be Estelle and actor-singer Leon with entertainment provided by Romain Virgo and the Unit Band, and Road International. Call the Jamaican Consulate at (212) 935-9000, ext. 8120 for tickets and information.
West Indian display at casino
"Carnival in the City,” an exhibit focused on the history of costumes, traditions and arts and culture of Brooklyn’s internationally renowned West Indian Day Parade is on display at the Resorts World Casino New York City, 110-00 Rockaway Blvd. in Queens, through Sept. 30.
The carnival artwork is currently displayed at Resorts’ Red Wall Gallery and on both levels of the casino.
The casino’s Times Square level features photos of traditional costumes worn during the festivities, while the Fifth Avenue level will feature photos of the past years’ J’Ouvert celebrations.
New York carnival history and traditions are exemplifed by contributions from groups such as Freaks Mas, Ramajay Mas, StronJeh International and the J’Ouvert band Roy Pierre & Associates. Visit www.rwnewyork.com for more on Resorts World Casino New York City.
A pan-orama of great music
A musical bounty of 10 steel pan orchestras are pitching in for this year’s Children’s Festival and Youth Pan Fest on Saturday from noon to 7 p.m in Brooklyn, presented by the Carlos Lezama Archives and Caribbean Cultural Center.
Participating ensembles are CASYM, the New York PanStars, Harmony, Despers, St. Augustine’s Pan of Praise, Radoes, Pan Evolution, Adlib, Tropical Fete and Pantonics.
There will be food, entertainment and giveaways at the event, taking place on St. Johns Place, between Brooklyn and Kingston Aves. Nonfood vendors are welcome. For general information, call (516) 984-8948 or (718) 421-4312.
Nothing but the tooth
Bringing smiles to the faces of children, teen and young adults, the DentaQuest mobile dentists — and the Healthfirst health insurance group — are now providing free dental checkups in the Bronx and Brooklyn.
Healthfirst members, ages 2 to 20, can get their free dental checkup from the mobile dentists at the Claremont Healthy Village in the Bronx on Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Sept. 29.
The dentists visit Brownsville Healthy Village in Brooklyn on Thursdays, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., through Sept. 28.
No appointment is necessary but a parental permission slip may be needed for unaccompanied children. For information on the mobile dentists, call (800) 508-2047, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
To learn more about other Healthy Village activities, call Tamar Ogburn at (646) 937-0387.
Get your school supplies here
Schoolchildren in Queens will benefit from the first annual Back to School Supplies Bonanza on Aug. 31, providing free school supplies.
Presented by the Bridge Pride organization, the event will be held at the Jacob Riis Center, 10-25 41st Ave., from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Visit www.bridgeprideinternational.org or email bridgeprideint @gmail.com.