Something’s Missing in Johnson City This Labor Day Weekend

While I was driving down Route 17 yesterday I looked over at the park in Johnson City and it was empty. Reality sunk in that's Johnson City Field Days are not happening this year.

By now, most of the rides would be set up and the food vendors would be setting up their tents. It was announced earlier in the year that the Johnson City Field Days would be cancelled this year. The annual Labor Day weekend festival has been held at that park for as long as I can remember.

READ MORE: A Johnson City Family Summer Tradition is Over

My wife, Chris, grew up on Richard Street right up the hill from the park. When our son, Ian, was young we would go to my mother-in-law's house, park the car in her driveway and walk down the hill so he could enjoy the Johnson City Field Days.

Like most of the kids in that area, that was the last hurrah before Ian started school later that week. We would take him twice each year, once either on Friday or Saturday, and then we would return again on Monday, the night of the big fireworks display.

Again, we would park the car at Chris's mom's house and walk down to the park to get some food and then walk back up the Richard Street hill and sit in her mother's front yard to watch the fireworks.

Even though Ian is 23 now and probably wouldn't attend the field days,  I feel bad for the kids that live in that area because their end-of-summer tradition will not be taking place this year.

I hope someone steps up and revives the field days for next year. If not, it will be just another summertime tradition in the Binghamton area that has become just a memory...