Outdoor Zumba in a Queens park is one of the most reliably joyful free things the city puts on — a speaker, a lot of hips, and a crowd that spans four decades of age without anyone caring. The Smokey Oval at Rizzuto Park is a proper neighborhood setting for it, in a park named for the Brooklyn-born Yankees shortstop and broadcaster who spent his playing life a few miles away. If you want the single most fun free hour on a summer evening in Queens, this is it.
What to expect
Turn up at the oval, find the instructor and the speaker, and stand somewhere in the back where you can see the front row. Expect a full hour of Latin-driven choreography that repeats enough that you'll pick it up by the third song, with no pressure and no correction. Bring water and expect to sweat considerably more than you planned.
Good to know
- A train to Rockaway Blvd is the nearest rail access to the Ozone Park area
- Free and drop-in — no registration, no fee
- Trainers rather than running shoes; there's a lot of lateral movement
- Bring water; the oval is open and the class is nonstop
- Standing at the back is completely normal for first-timers
- Outdoors and weather-dependent
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Common questions
Do I need to know the steps?
No. Choreography repeats and the instructor faces the group — most people pick it up within a few songs.
Is it free?
Yes. It's public park programming with no fee or sign-up.
Who was Phil Rizzuto?
The Yankees shortstop and longtime broadcaster known as Scooter; the Ozone Park park carries his name.
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