ELMIRA, N.Y. (WENY) -- Alive After 5 Winter Edition took place at the LECOM Event Center Friday night. The event is an early installment of the summer concert series that happens annually in downtown Elmira over the summer.

Friday's event was organized by Elmira Downtown Development. Organizers said it's a way for attendees to shake off winter and look ahead to the summer.

"You know, there's not much to do in the winters," said Elmira Downtown Development Executive Director Kylene Kiah. "So we thought, why not have an Alive After 5 inside?"

The packed indoor event simulated the popular summertime get-together. Despite being indoors, the staples were there, including food, drink, and live music.

"I just wanted something fun to do, and this seemed like something cool to do tonight, and get out of the house and get rid of the winter blues," said Shawna Rorie, who said she also attends Alive After 5 during the summer.

"The Uptown Groove" headlined the event. The band, coming from Rochester, N.Y., covered classic music and modern hits for the crowd. Some attendees said the event was a great way to spend a Friday night.

"This is great. This is the best thing that could happen to Elmira right here," said Doug Castilow, who attended the event with his wife, Jessica.

Jessica Castilow said her night included "visiting friends, listening to really good music and having a couple cocktails."

Friday's event was just the first of many Alive After 5's happening in Elmira in the coming months. The concert series officially starts May 30, with events happening every other Friday through August. This summer's lineup has yet to be released, but Kiah said there's a lot to look forward to.

"We have some bands from out of town on some of them, and then we have our original bands probably playing like 'The Sweats,' '40 Theeves,' so be on the lookout for that the next week or two," said Kiah.

The 2025 dates have already been announced for Alive After 5, and can be found here.