A little black and white dog scampers through tents overcrowded with people. The dog dances past the outdoor bar as sounds of an acoustic guitar envelopes the crowd as they feast on hotdogs. Welcome to the sixth annual West Fest.
Despite a rainy Saturday morning start, the festival got into full swing on both Saturday, Aug. 30, and Sunday, Aug. 31, at the Cyber Cafe West. Eventually a sunny sky welcomed local bands, patrons and various vendors to the Main Street location. West Fest is not just a regular festival held just for the sake of music, it’s a party for a cause. This year the event doubled as a fundraiser for non-profit organization A Room to Heal. The foundation works to remodel the bedrooms of ill children. Cyber Cafe West owner Jeff Kahn said it is important that West Fest helps give back to the community.
“It is a great end of the year party, but it is also for a good cause,” Kahn said. “There’s plenty of money out there to support these causes and this is the way to make people aware.”
Joe Stento, a Binghamton native and member of the band Echoes, said he enjoyed playing the charity festival.
“It’s a great scene and there’s a lot of great music today,” Stento said after playing his set. “It’s good for the local economy when local musicians come together like this.”
West Fest began around noon on both Saturday and Sunday and lasted well into the evening. The rear parking lot of Cyber Cafe was transformed into the party location with the help of a stage and various tents. Large puddles dotting the lot were the only sign of the inclement weather that threatened the event. Kahn said he was happy with the results of this year’s West Fest.
“When we were setting up this morning, it was pouring on us,” Kahn said. “It turned out to be such a nice day.”
Live, local music was the highlight of the day with several bands taking the stage, including Bohemian Sunrise, Rev & Friends and Kahn’s own band, Monkeys Typing. Francine Urda, a Binghamton native and Cyber Cafe employee, said she was excited to see Monkeys Typing.
“This is my first West Fest as a worker,” she said. “But I can remember the first time they had it. Every year it seems to get better.”
As music blasted from the stage, attendees had opportunities to visit the various tents set up by vendors from the area to sell T-shirts, incense and hemp necklaces. A sectioned-off area marked the location of the outdoor bar serving various beers.
Like the customers at Cyber Cafe, West Fest attendees were a mixture of both local residents and Binghamton University students. Kahn said that Cyber Cafe West always loves having students come to their events.
“There’s usually a hetergeneous crowd,” Kahn said. “We always get a good mixture of people.”