Thirty-Three Cecils Day celebrates Binghamton inspired novel

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH) – Avid readers and patrons of the Belmar Pub will unite on Sunday as a unique holiday returns to Binghamton.

Last year, the City of Binghamton declared September 1 “Thirty-Three Cecils Day” in honor of the novel by Everett De Morier.

The creation of the holiday began as an idea when a man came into the bar in 2022 to honor the death of his favorite characters from the book who frequented the Belmar.

De Morier was a long-time resident of Binghamton before moving to Delaware. He says a number of well-known landmarks helped inspire the book.

During last year’s event, guests got to meet De Morier, chat with other readers, enjoy food and drinks, and live a day in the life of the characters.

De Morier says the reason Thirty-Three Cecils Day is so important is because it connects people from all paths of life who share a common interest.

“We know they’re not real, but their characters are real, and their personalities are real, and their stories are real. They’re real to places like the Belmar, they’re real to places like Binghamton. It’s phenomenal that it just connects and moves so many people,” said De Morier.

De Morier started the celebration early by completing a 264-mile bike ride similar to that of the main character. He says he completed the ride to show fans how special the book is to him too.

Thirty-Three Cecils is also coming to the big screen. The movie will be directed by Matthew Modine and will reportedly star Dustin Hoffmann. There are plans to shoot the film in Binghamton in 2025.

Thirty-Three Cecils Day will begin at 7 p.m. at the Belmar. There will also be a book signing from noon to 3 at Barnes and Noble in Vestal.

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