Live on the Waterfront concerts return to Binghamton

Binghamton Chamber Office of Placemaking discusses the events, goals                          

BINGHAMTON — Live on the Waterfront concerts will return to Binghamton in 2024 with events scheduled for the summertime months. That’s according to Jim Reyen, director of placemaking initiatives with the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce. Live on the Waterfront was a concept that was created prior to the launch of the chamber’s Office of Placemaking, says Reyen, who spoke with CNYBJ in a May 9 phone interview. “The goal was to use a public space, the Peacemaker’s Stage, and to showcase regional talent,” he says. The Peacemaker’s Stage is located at 7 Court St. in Binghamton. The concept took a hit when the coronavirus pandemic became a concern in the early months of 2020, but Reyen decided to connect with some of his contacts to bring it back. Live on the Waterfront events returned with two concerts back in September and October, including performances by a hip-hop group from Ithaca and another by a Southern Rock group called “Frostbit Blue” that’s well known in the Binghamton area. “It was original music created from the region, utilizing the Peacemaker’s Stage, which is a perfect gathering spot right near the river in downtown Binghamton near some of the historical sites,” says Reyen. He went on to say the accessibility is “wonderful” on the riverwalk, which is now connected to the new 434 Greenway Path, so people can bike, walk, jog, and bring strollers to the Peacemaker’s Stage. “It’s affordable and accessible and showcases … some of the historical assets of downtown,” he contends. This year, Live on the Waterfront will continue with a performance on Aug. 24 by “Driftwood,” a group from Binghamton that now performs nationwide. The series will have other shows both before and after “Driftwood,” but Reyen says he’s still finalizing those concerts. The concerts are usually scheduled between 6 and 9 p.m. or between 5 and 8 p.m., so people can come, listen to music, get some dinner, walk the riverwalk, or do some shopping, he adds.

Leader Day

Besides Live on the Waterfront, Reyen also noted the first annual “Leader Day” with the Binghamton City School District coming up on June 22 at Recreation Park from 1-6 p.m. The Binghamton Arts & Athletics Community Fund contacted Reyen, who says he’s involved with the Binghamton City School District as a volunteer. “The idea is to showcase the district and all the different, wonderful arts and athletics activities; also give the younger kids a chance to see what activities are available and determine which ones they want to try,” he says. It also allows older students to mentor and be leaders and work with coaches and/or alumni. “It’s to teach the older kids how to be leaders … and give the younger kids an opportunity to see what’s available.” The event will include 11 different stations focused on both arts and athletics that the students can try. Those attending will get a passport, and if they try three different stations, they can take part in the food and music celebration at the end, he says. “Try to engage them, make sure they participate, and they have a nice, fun reward at the end,” Reyen says. “It’s good for the community because we’re utilizing Rec Park. We’re getting a lot of family members and community members involved, but it’s also giving the kids a chance to really see how wonderful the arts and athletics can be in terms of overall quality of life.”

Pop ups

In the interview, Reyen also discussed the smaller pop-up events that the Office of Placemaking organizes in Binghamton’s public spaces “We did a Live at LUMA, which was music-related [which involved] three or four groups prior to the LUMA festival,” he says. Another one was related to the “The Binghamton Better Cities Film Festival” in April 2023, which involved art, music, and food, and films on placemaking. They’re smaller gatherings, but the longer-term goal is to work with the community and teach how to hold similar events. “And then connect the dots between their ideas, the public spaces, and then some sort of funding vehicles, whether it be foundations or grants, [and] they can take reins and have their [own] pop-ups and activations,” says Reyen.

Office history

The Greater Binghamton Chamber’s Office of Placemaking started in January 2023 after it was first announced a few months earlier in October 2022. Placemaking involves a hands-on approach to improve areas within a community utilizing physical, cultural, social, and other assets to create opportunities to bring people together, as described in an October 2022 news release. The Greater Binghamton Chamber wants the office and its director to “support existing initiatives and create new activities to make a more attractive and cohesive community.” Placemaking is an effort to “improve the vibrancy of an area,” Reyen said in the initial announcement about the office. It focuses on public spaces like parks, streets, use of historic spaces, or green spaces and getting the community involved. The office was also involved in the Greater Binghamton Bridge Run in May “We wanted to create the Placemaking office to serve as a catalyst for improving public spaces to create opportunities to gather, connect and beautify the Greater Binghamton area,” Stacey Duncan, CEO of the Leadership Alliance, a partnership between the Greater Binghamton Chamber and The Agency, said when the office was announced in October 2022. “We’re looking forward to engaging and inviting the community to become part of the process.”