BINGHAMTON, N.Y. (WBNG) – The 10th annual SerlingFest wrapped up its last day at Rec Park in Binghamton Sunday afternoon.<\/p>\n
The final day featured a reading of the late Rod Serling\u2019s work and facts about his life, presented by fans, members of the Rod Serling Memorial Foundation and his family.<\/p>\n
The festival hosted about a dozen presentations Friday and Saturday, with filmmakers speaking on Serling\u2019s life at the DoubleTree Hotel in Binghamton.<\/p>\n
Family reflects on Serling\u2019s influence<\/p>\n
Rec Park has multiple statues, but only one drew a crowd.<\/p>\n
\u201cSerling was from here, he lived up the street about two blocks that way on Bennett Avenue, that\u2019s where both he and my dad grew up,\u201d Jeff Serling said.<\/p>\n
Rod\u2019s nephew, Jeff Serling, is a board member of the Rod Serling Memorial Foundation and said his uncle\u2019s influence on Hollywood and entertainment is widespread.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverywhere, everywhere. If you look at pop culture now, even just going back to the movie Sinners, which Michael B. Jordan won an academy award for, Ryan Coogler said he was inspired by a Twilight Zone episode from the very beginning of the show. So it\u2019s everywhere,\u201d Jeff Serling said.<\/p>\n
Fan recalls Serling\u2019s influence in school<\/p>\n
Larry Solomon, a Twilight Zone fan and SerlingFest attendee, said he was nine years old when he watched the original broadcasts. He said Serling\u2019s writing style influenced him at a young age.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy the time I got into the sixth grade, I was writing papers as you do. And the teacher would always say, \u2018you didn\u2019t write this! You wrote, \u201cFor the birds have forsaken the skies, and man now…\u201d There were parts of me that were copying his style!\u2019\u201d Solomon said.<\/p>\n
Solomon said he thought it was beautiful how Serling\u2019s style brought fans from multiple generations together.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m seeing guys my age and young people and it\u2019s just wonderful! We\u2019re just all here to celebrate his life because… what an extraordinary life,\u201d Solomon said.<\/p>\n
Once the event ended, family, foundation members and fans gathered for a group picture taken by a drone.<\/p>\n
Organizers are already preparing for next year\u2019s festival.<\/p>\n
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