9 Reasons to Go to the LUMA Projection Arts Festival This Year
LUMA returns with its 7th annual festival to light up the streets of downtown Binghamton! The show uses historic Binghamton buildings as the canvas for beautiful and mesmerizing displays. Its a great way to experience all that Binghamton has to offer, whether its your first time or your seventh. Personally, nothing sounds better than getting together with some friends, going downtown and escaping for a little while. This year will be my first time going and I dont know about you, but even the pictures on their own blew me away! I cant wait to see it in person and Im sure youll feel the same by the end of this post. Here are some reasons why you should be at LUMA this weekend!
LUMA is one of a kind

Before coming to Binghamton, I had never heard of anything like LUMA. After doing some research, I found out thats because LUMA is really in a league of its own! Its the only festival in America that focuses entirely on light projection mapping, so its pretty amazing that such a revolutionary event is based here in Bing. Its something you cant experience anywhere else, so you definitely dont want to miss it!
You can meet new friends and explore downtown Binghamton

If youre a first-year student looking to meet some new people or you just want to get out and explore the local area, this is your chance! LUMA draws a crowd of over 35,000 people. Its our biggest festival, so its a great time to branch out, talk to new people and discover Binghamton.
It's FREE!

LUMA is a rare opportunity to experience hours of incredible, larger-than-life entertainment for free! There are no tickets this year, but be sure to and support future LUMA events! Binghamton fuels LUMA, so your attendance helps it continue growing and evolving. Horizon, a more extensive exhibition, is the only ticketed event at the festival. If youre interested, be sure to
LUMA was co-founded by Binghamtons own Joshua Ludzki

By coming to LUMA, youre supporting a Binghamton natives vision! Joshua Ludzki, who moved here in 2000, designed LUMA as a way of bringing art to the streets of the city he loves.
MAXIN10SITY is back in a big way

MAXIN10SITY, a staple LUMA artist, returns and brings the universe with them. Their newest piece, Gates of Eternity, will be a journey through time and space. MAXIN10SITY is a fan favorite and definitely a display that you have to see to believe!
Joy Boy is nostalgic, childhood fun

The Fox, The Folks are bringing a celebration of your inner child to LUMA! Come watch as their immersive display of bright, vibrant colors lights up Binghamton.
Snow Raven is bringing a unique live music experience

A big part of LUMA is merging traditional art with technology to bring culture to a broader audience. Snow Raven, an indigenous Sakha from Arctic Siberia, will blend the music of Shamanic communities with electronic beats for NEOshamanism: The Arctic Siberian Sound Journey. As a music lover, I definitely wont be missing out on such a rare opportunity!
4U and Divided will move you

In times of conflict, we can learn and escape through art. Julia Shamsheieva, an artist based in Ukraine, is bringing a very personal and impactful display to LUMA this year. Deeply affected by the combat in her home country and moved by the international outpouring of support, Julias 4U is a meditation on how her country has become a symbol of global unity. Mindscape Studios Divided shares this sentiment of power in unity and love.
LUMA is the future of Binghamton

People travel from all over the country to see the countrys largest projection mapping festival. Binghamton is known for many things, but LUMA is unique in its ability to promote our citys art and culture to such a massive audience. Binghamtons history is deeply linked to technological advancement, and LUMA is unique because it combines this innovation with the artistic future of Binghamton. For me, loving Binghamton and being proud to go here isnt just about having love for the university; its also about the larger community were a part of!
Jillian McCarthy is an intern for the Office of Media and Public Relations, and a junior majoring in English. She hopes to become an entertainment journalist. In her free time she loves to play guitar, watch movies and read.
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