BoomDays celebrates the lifting of the Lake Erie - Niagara River Ice Boom. It is a unique way to mark the coming of spring. BoomDays commemorates our bustling waterways of days gone by and glorifies our natural, artistic and cultural wealth. BoomDays is a moveable feast and festivities extend from the Buffalo River to Old Fort Niagara. Event participants (known as Boomers) journey throughout the Buffalo/Niagara waterfront areas experiencing all that the region has to offer.

Each winter, the New York Power Authority works with Ontario Power Generation, a neighboring utility, to prevent ice on the upper Niagara River. Ice buildup would impede power production.

How do they prevent ice buildup? With an 8,800-foot-long ice boom consisting of steel pontoons linked together. The boom is anchored to the river bottom by divers at Lake Erie’s outlet to the Niagara River. The boom prevents the buildup of ice, yet allows water to continue flowing downstream.

International Joint Commission guidelines permit the installation when the lake temperature reaches 39 degrees Fahrenheit or Dec. 16, whichever occurs first.

For a photo of the Ice Boom updated every 5 minutes: http://www.nypa.gov/iceboom/default.aspx

BoomDays was first celebrated April 2003. Each year the weekend-long celebration has attracted new “Boomers” and the event has grown. 2007 will mark the 5th anniversary of BoomDays and promises to be the largest celebration yet.

Proceeds from BoomDays go to Friends of the E.M. Cotter, LaSalle Pride, and Just Buffalo Literary Center