Binghamton’s First-Ever ‘Thirty-Three Cecils Day’ Celebrates Literature and Local Inspiration!

There’s a new holiday in Binghamton and its all about celebrating our community and a really great book.

Get our free mobile app

The first-ever "Thirty-three Cecils Day" is happening at the Belmar Pub on September 1st at 7p.m. There will be food, drinks, prizes, a book signing, and even a special appearance by the author and publisher himself.

Last year on September 1st, a guy named Mike Pedley walked into The Belmar for the first time. Why that day, you ask? Well, it just happens to be the day when something big goes down in Mike's all-time favorite book "Thirty-three Cecils" by Everett De Morier, a Binghamton native who wrote the book.

Part of the book “Thirty-three Cecils”  happens at the Belmar and that’s what made Mike walk into the bar that day. Mike is a fan of true crime and the mystery storyline in "Thirty-three Cecils" which takes place in 1992. The book has even won awards and is being turned into a movie.

The people at the Belmar took a photo of Mike that day he walked through their doors for the first time and sent the photo to the author of the book, Everett De Morier saying "Happy Cecils Day."

When Everett saw the photo and heard Mike's story he shared it with Tara Tomczyk, the boss at Blydyn Square Books (the publisher of "Thirty-three Cecils"), and they both thought, "Hey, let's make this a thing!" That's how "Thirty-three Cecils Day" was born.

Now, a year later, we're all finally getting ready to celebrate the very first "Thirty-three Cecils Day" at The Belmar Pub on September 1st. It's going to be an annual holiday and a day to remember Mike's dedication to the book that brought him to Binghamton.