Owego’ First Friday to host free family activities sponsored by Lockheed Martin

Owego’s monthly First Friday event will kick off the summer season on May 4, beginning at 6:00 p.m. in the historic Village of Owego in partnership with Lockheed Martin, who is celebrating their 60th Anniversary of their site in Owego this year. 

Historic Owego Marketplace and its members sponsor Owego’s First Friday. Owego’s First Friday is a monthly event where the shops in Owego keep their doors open late, art galleries offer demonstrations, restaurants serve up specials, and live music can be heard in a variety of venues around the Village. 

People can participate in the “Owego Passport,” a card they can get stamped at shops, galleries, and eateries that can then be turned in for a chance to win a prize. “The best day of the month is First Friday! Historic Downtown Owego is filled with creativity, your friends, great art, great food, unique shops, and inspiration,” said Bradley Crews, president of Historic Owego Marketplace.

IBM opened Lockheed Martin’s Owego site in 1958 for its Airborne Computer Laboratories to support national defense programs. One of the most successful and well-known programs to come out of IBM Owego was building a navigation and weapon delivery system for the B-52 Stratofortress. 

This success led to Owego’s future contract wins to provide avionics for other aircraft and spacecraft. During the next 36 years, IBM Owego grew to include programs such as defense systems for radar-evading stealth aircraft, computer hardware for the space shuttle and anti-surface warfare. In 1996, the Owego site became Lockheed Martin Federal Systems, Owego, and today is a worldwide leader in providing advanced-technology products, services and systems integration solutions to defense, civil and commercial customers both domestic and internationally.

“The women and men of the facility have a long-standing relationship with the Owego community and take great pride in their role as a responsible corporate citizen,” said Paula Hartley, vice president and general manager for Lockheed Martin, Owego. “The site’s employees annually give tens of thousands of volunteer hours as mentors, board members, counselors, and a wide variety of other causes. We are committed to helping positively influence and strengthen the quality of life in the communities where we live, work and play, and we are proud to support a wide-range of organizations and activities.”

For Owego’s First Friday in May, Lockheed Martin is sponsoring additional activities and $500 in prizes as part of their leadership program and their ongoing initiative to support the Owego community. Visitors will enjoy the same charming experience as every Owego’s First Friday, but with added family-friendly activities. 

Adults and children can participate in a Village scavenger hunt with prizes, listen to music from local school students, and participate in a community art project. Lockheed Martin will be in the Village sharing 3-D printed take-aways and showing their unmanned aircraft. 

Kids under 12 will get a free ice-cream treat and can stay to watch “Trolls” on the outdoor movie screen in Draper Park at 8:30 p.m. For more information on Owego’s First Friday, visit www.owego.org.