So you thought Binghamton was just another Upstate New York town with a SUNY campus? Once an industrial powerhouse, the city has been ignited by a new class of creative visionaries who are reviving culture and reinventing once overlooked spaces. A cutting edge festival in September may just blow your mind.
LUMA is dedicated to the art of storytelling through projection mapping. Held from September 7-9 2018, it uses powerful projectors and 3D animation to transform the urban landscape into an animated canvas. It’s a gutsy, boundary-pushing annual celebration of the intersection between illusion, art and technology.
A Focus On Projection Mapping
LUMA is the only visual arts festival in the U.S. focusing primarily on projection mapping. It draws art lovers and tech enthusiasts from around the globe.
LUMA transforms the historic architecture of downtown Binghamton into an outdoor art gallery, making virtually everything a canvas that alters the way visitors interact with the city’s walkable urban core. Using high-powered video projection, advanced 3D computer animation, live music, moving lights and more, international artists will unveil imaginative and immersive stories. Projection mapping is not a new phenomenon, but the precision, creativity and scale that LUMA integrates has yet to be seen in America.
The projections play in a continuous loop throughout the night so you may walk through the installation at your own pace in a self-guided manner.
Special Events
Exhibits are free and of course are best experienced after dark. The festival will tech-infuse or remix many of Binghamton’s cultural institutions, its densely packed restaurant district and the center city art galleries, giving attendees a window into the city’s rich yet largely unsung cultural offerings.
Ticketed events include Transfiguracio, an immersive presentation featuring original music performed by the Binghamton Philharmonic.
Opera & Beer celebrates local craft brews to the rousing sounds of some of history’s most recognizable melodies. Tri-Cities Opera’s classically trained vocalists stroll right up to your table mid-aria and may even share a pint.
Storytellers Conference
On Sunday, September 9 from 10-5 pm, join a talented group of writers, musicians, directors, animators and projection mappers as they cross-pollinate ideas among themselves and with the audience. Expect big, bright, bold ideas to spring from this live petri dish.
Stay:
The Holiday Inn Binghamton Downtown is just steps away from all of LUMA’s events.
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Binghamton is offering a festival package that includes breakfast, tickets to Transfiguracio and more.
Get to Binghamton from NYC
Ride Coach USA, Megabus, Greyhound and Trailways from Manhattan to the Greater Binghamton Transportation Center in the heart of town. The trip clocks in at just under 4 hours.
For more festival information visit www.lumafestival.com.
For more information on visiting Binghamton, go to www.visitbinghamton.org
For additional weekend getaways in New York State, check out www.iloveny.com
Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributes travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She is fluent in Italian and Spanish and laughably adequate in French. Her background as an Early Childhood Educator gives her an added understanding of what it takes to travel with kids in tow. She firmly believes that the most important part of education takes place outside of the classroom, on the road, around the world. She never misses a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. Follow Allison at @gourmetrav.
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram