LUMA organizers prepare for upcoming festival with final setup and testing

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. (WBNG) -- Organizers and volunteers are completing final testing and setup in preparation for LUMA, which is scheduled for the nights of Sept. 10-12. This year, the festival is partnering with Downtown by Chef Jay to present 'Elemental,' an immersive projection-mapped dining experience. The unique three-course meal joins culinary arts with 3D projection, bringing the digital artwork off the city buildings and directly onto the dining tables. 'Downtown by Jay Piscouli is, I think, one of the best. We're so excited to be partnering with them. The food's going to be amazing because it's Jay, right? You just know it,' said Joshua Bernard, LUMA's Co-founder. Bernard also recognized the dedication of local volunteers, many of whom take vacation days from their regular jobs to work late hours behind the scenes. 'I mean, everyone you see running the show around you, all locals. They are your IT director at SUNY Broome, or your IT director at a local school district. And that makes it really special,' Bernard said. 'These folks do not need to do this. They are so dedicated, working their butts off till 6 a.m. each night.' As the festival has grown, many have wondered where projectors are kept, how things are organized and where projections are tested. Broome County officials and County Executive Jason Garnar have provided the local arena as a staging headquarters for testing and storing the massive projection equipment, according to Bernard. 'Some folks today saw some pictures of us setting up at the arena. They're like, 'Oh, we're doing a big arena show.' No, that's where we actually stage the whole thing,' Bernard said. Visit LUMA's website for more information about this year's event and a breakdown of each feature.