BINGHAMTON NY – When night falls Friday and Saturday (Sept. 8 and 9) in Binghamton NY, tens of thousands of eyes will look up from its downtown streets. They will be anticipating something magical, something wondrous and, admittedly, something a little weird. It’s all part of the city’s LUMA 2023 Festival weekend.
Since 2015, artists, photographers, engineers, digital projection experts, and graphic storytellers have created an annual event that transforms Binghamton structures into vibrant, colorful, and illuminated works of art. They use a computerized technique called “projection mapping,” and related machinery and software, to light up and animate buildings and integrate their physical features into the shows.
The process is familiar to crowds who have celebrated holidays and other occasions in Philadelphia, with City Hall as its focal point. Displays over past years also have been mounted on facades in Kennett Square PA (at Longwood Gardens), New York City; Sydney, Australia; and elsewhere.
What makes LUMA different, observers say, is that it packs several such displays (eight are offered this year) into a city space that’s considered walkable. Visitors can park in lots at the outer circle of the show area, and Binghamton’s bus transportation center is located in the middle of the action. From there, they can stroll everywhere.
“Going to LUMA,” its website claims, “is like visiting some giant outdoor art gallery where the paintings tower over you 6 stories high. Enjoy it in any order you choose, at whatever pace you like.”
How does “free” sound to you?
Best of all, seven of the outdoor displays are free to view on each of the two nights. They run on continuous loops scheduled between 8:30 p.m. and 12:15 a.m.
The eighth display, specially brought in by creators from Barcelona, Spain, is the only ticketed exhibit. The fee is due to what producers say are the show’s higher design costs. Even it could be considered a bargain. Entrance to the 5-minute immersive feature, called “Beyond,” is $5 per person.
Organizers also have included local galleries, musical acts, theaters, restaurants, and merchants in the event planning, in what they report is a conscious effort to ensure downtown businesses benefit. More than 30,000 people are expected to attend LUMA this year. The result? Binghamton wins with an economic boomlet most recently valued at about $900,000 nightly.
“We believe when we give artists the freedom to play, the results are incomparable,” LUMA’s website observes. “We believe that art is the foundation of livability and livability is the core of economic development. And we believe in bringing our partners serious value by creating an experience unlike any other.”
It probably comes as no surprise that others within and beyond the city are willing to help support – financially, or with materials and services – what happens at LUMA. The event website lists more than 70 corporate sponsors. The city, Broome County (of which Binghamton is a part), and New York State agencies are backers too.
Maybe even more important, John and Jane Public have consistently put their money on LUMA as a worthwhile bet. Organizers each year hold a crowd-funded campaign that grows seed money from hundreds of donors. A dollar here, a few fives and tens (or more) there; it all adds up to help launch the following year’s event.
Things to Know If You Go
The festival covers much of the downtown area of Binghamton. Getting there from Pottstown involves a nearly 3-hour drive covering 161 miles. Travels With The Post last visited LUMA in September 2019, the fourth year of the festival’s operation. It can be reached by car using the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, and Interstate 81.
LUMA suggests that, if you’re relying on a GPS app to direct you to the fun, program it for 92 Court St., Binghamton NY 13901.
Available hotels are listed on the LUMA website, but with the festival only two days away it’s likely most are filled or offering rooms at high prices. If you need a room and are looking to lower costs, it may be best to look to points more distant from the city.
When crowds are as big and as confined as those expected at LUMA, personal safety is always a concern. Usual precautions apply:
- Bring as few valuables as necessary;
- Hide out of view any valuables on your person or in your car; and
- Carry a spare car ignition key. You never know where or how a key ring might get lost.
Three other items pertain to personal and emotional health.
- You are likely to be walking a substantial amount to reach the eight show locations. Comfortable shoes are a must.
- Bring a light jacket for cool evenings. Stuff it in a backpack for easy carrying; and
- Organizers intend to hold the festival even during light or moderately rainy conditions. “Dress for the weather and be prepared to get a little damp!,” they warn. Having a hat or head coverings can’t hurt. Be careful with an umbrella; you might block someone else’s view. If the rain gets heavier, organizers set aside Sunday night as the sole rain date.
A last note: ensure your cell phone’s video camera is in good working order. You’ll want to record some of LUMA’s experiences … if only to make your friends jealous.
Photos from LUMA 2019 by Travels With The Post
“LUMA 2019 Video Event Tour” provided by The Luma Festival at its YouTube Channel
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