WHAT IS THIS EVENT:
Pond Fest was originally created to provide a fun family weekend for our community to enjoy during the winter time but has grown into a month long series of events to provide fun and activities for all ages. The Binghamton area has a very strong hockey community and this event celebrates the sport locally and offers an excuse for anyone to come outside during winter for some fun and celebrate the best parts of hockey culture and community.
In 2018 Pond Fest became one of the few outdoor hockey events that utilizes mechanical refrigeration to manage weather concerns related to outdoor hockey, and allows us to provide our players with great ice even in outdoor temperatures exceeding 60 degrees and full sun on our 220'x110' ice sheet. To our knowledge, this is the largest refrigerated outdoor ice sheet in North America.
Pond Fest has grown every year and now offers different entertainment to engage the community beyond the hockey action.
Bring a camp chair, your four legged friend on a leash, and some friends and come enjoy the fun with us. We host great hockey action but also work with partners to provide activities for kids and families, have on-site food and drink services, and a host fireworks show each weekend.
Over the years we have donated proceeds from our events to other local nonprofit organizations that provide youth support, education, and sport programs. Groups that we have donated to in the past include: the Mental Health Association of the Southern Tier (MHAST), the BCC Foundation to fund scholarships, the Friends of Chenango Valley State Park, the Southern Tier Hockey Association, the Binghamton Blizzard, and more.
New for 2023 is our forthcoming Broome Families Forward (BFF) event which brings mental health and community resource access to people in a new and engaging manner. We want to help break stigma around mental health through our events and our engagements!
Thanks to everyone involved, and we hope to see you all there!
In 2018 Pond Fest became one of the few outdoor hockey events that utilizes mechanical refrigeration to manage weather concerns related to outdoor hockey, and allows us to provide our players with great ice even in outdoor temperatures exceeding 60 degrees and full sun on our 220'x110' ice sheet. To our knowledge, this is the largest refrigerated outdoor ice sheet in North America.
Pond Fest has grown every year and now offers different entertainment to engage the community beyond the hockey action.
Bring a camp chair, your four legged friend on a leash, and some friends and come enjoy the fun with us. We host great hockey action but also work with partners to provide activities for kids and families, have on-site food and drink services, and a host fireworks show each weekend.
Over the years we have donated proceeds from our events to other local nonprofit organizations that provide youth support, education, and sport programs. Groups that we have donated to in the past include: the Mental Health Association of the Southern Tier (MHAST), the BCC Foundation to fund scholarships, the Friends of Chenango Valley State Park, the Southern Tier Hockey Association, the Binghamton Blizzard, and more.
New for 2023 is our forthcoming Broome Families Forward (BFF) event which brings mental health and community resource access to people in a new and engaging manner. We want to help break stigma around mental health through our events and our engagements!
Thanks to everyone involved, and we hope to see you all there!
Pond Fest take a small army to pull off each year and we want to thank everyone involved in it for their help and support, including the countless annual volunteers that step in and step up.
There are also some people that we need to mention individually:
There are also some people that we need to mention individually:
- Ellie Alexander
- Rich Alexander
- Lindsey Anderson
- Bob Ash
- Mike Boyle
- Stacey Brown
- CVSP & their whole staff
- Sharon Collett
- Ron Crawford
- Matt Didas
- Megan Didas
- Linda Hall
- Chad Hrehor
- Ethan Eberly
- Jamie Arnold
- Jared Cornell
- Kary Valenta
- Nancy Valenta
- Phil Valenta
- Joanne Weir
- Matt White