"First Night" events celebrate New Year's Eve with family-friendly non-alcohol-imbibing festivities-- and as if that weren't good enough, they're low-cost, too.
The idea dates back as far as 1976: Boston pioneered a First Night Celebration as "an alternative way of ushering in the New Year." In Boston, and many cities since, the focus is on community and on performing arts. Here's Boston's Mission Statement:
First Night's mission is to broaden and deepen the public's appreciation of the visual and performing arts through an innovative, diverse and high quality New Year's Eve program which offers the community a shared cultural experience that is accessible and affordable to all.
What this translates into is: low-cost, high-quality fun. My memory of a First Night in Vancouver, BC is of friendly crowds (beer-bottle-free), plenty of kids in strollers, and excellent short performances of drumming, dance, and more, at multiple venues, and at minimal admission costs.
Nowadays, hundreds of cities worldwide celebrate First Night-- and in many cases, the celebration is a day-long event. Here are links to find what's happening:
- Boston First Night: deserves a special mention for being the first First Night, and also because it's a big celebration. The Metro Boston Grand Procession is a key event and features 800 artists. First Night Boston has day and night events, and over 200 performances, exhibitions, and workshops, at over 40 indoor and outdoor venues. Highlights include a Family Festival, ice sculptures on the Boston Common, and fireworks. Your First Night Button is your admission to all the performances --theater, dance, music, and more-- and also gets some ticket discounts during "First Month", too. See more about Boston's First Night.
- Bethlehem PA First Night
Bethlehem PA bills itself as "Christmas City", and is known for a giant a giant Christmas Market called Christkindlmarkt Bethlehem. The town also puts on First Night Bethlehem: an evening of music and performing arts at multiple venues within walking distance, plus extras such as arts and crafts, snowman-building, and ice-skating.
- First Nights near Washington DC
A roundup of events in Maryland and Virginia.
- First Nights in New England
About's Guide for New England covers many destinations.
- First Nights in Virginia
Several cities celebrate, such as Charlottesville's First Night Virginia, with Children's Processional and Bubble Wrap Stomp, entertainment venues, hot ciocollata, fireworks, Midnight Ball Drop. First Night Fredericksburg has been a holiday tradition since 1994. See Virginia.org for info about other Virginia First Nights.
- New Year's Eve First Night Celebrations in the Southeast
A roundup, at About.com's site for Southeast US Travel.
- Multiple Cities' First Nights
You'll find a huge list of First Night websites for different cities, at the First Night International website. This site includes Canadian First Nights, too.
- Festivals.com: First Nights
use the searchbox at this web site to search for "First Night", (singular), and you'll find events in many cities.
Back to Holiday Season Events
