The Days of Incandescence

When Thomas Edison reached out to Corning Flint Glass Works after getting patents for his incandescent lamp, he was looking to the small town glass factory to not just produce the special heat resistant glass, but needed it’s skilled glassblowers to create blown bulbs “free hand” or without using a mold. It was an arduous task, one that took gaffer James Lear and his crew all day to complete 165 bulbs that were satisfactory to Edison’s representative. But only after a mysterious shop boy blew the first bubble. 

The Days of Incandescence is a special multi-day celebration each October inspired by the actual history and rather curious mystery behind Corning’s role in making the special glass bulbs for Thomas Edison’s incandescent lamp and, as a result, it’s role in helping spread light across the world. As part of this multi-day event, a special story was written and published called The Legend of the Gathers which explores that historic event and the role a mysterious young boy played in making it all come true.

The Days of Incandescence includes:

• Actor Guided Walking Tours
• Live Performances
• Archibald's Libations Crawl
• Cemetery Tour
• Jack-O-Lantern Carving Contest
• Celebration Events (vendors, food, juggler, beer garden, kids activities, Headless Horseman, and more)
• Thematic Special Offers and Experiences