New Year’s Eve: A Festivity Trifecta
MetroWesters looking for New Year’s Eve fun can choose from three distinct choices to welcome 2009, all less than an hour’s drive away.
First Night Boston 2009, the granddaddy of all New Year’s festivals, is throwing the biggest bash of all with arts and activities spread across Bean Town.
With size come innovative opportunities, hot acts and complications, including parking hassles, packed public transportation and crowds reminiscent of Shanghai.
Throwing its 27th party, First Night Worcester 2009 provides accessible and varied family fun. Rising to the challenge after economic woes ended First Night activities in Providence, area artists have been throwing their own party called Bright Night Providence since 2003.
Intimate, eclectic and an obvious labor of love, this festival provides a perfect example of committed artists sharing their passion with the public. You can’t lose with this trifecta.
WORCESTER: Just up the Pike: Just a short hop from MetroWest, First Night Worcester 2009 lets revelers greet the New Year with a mixed bag of arts activities from a multicultural Global Village to indoor kite flying, from comedian Casey Carle’s soapy “Bubblemania” to two Á count ‘em Á fireworks displays.
Executive Director Joyce Kressler promised, “We’ve got something for everybody, for every taste and for every interest.
“Every year we make sure 80 percent of our performances and activities are new so nobody can say `I’m not going. I saw that last year,’°” she said. “This year we’ve got probably more than 500 artists and performers participating in about 120 acts and activities at 20 venues.”
While most events take place at indoor venues clustered around downtown Main Street, Kressler said several first-time sites like the New Hanover Theatre near the center and off-site events at Mass. College of Pharmacy, Worcester Craft Center and the EcoTarium{cq} provide more seats and larger stages for new performances.
Worcester’s First Night is an affiliate of the nonprofit group which organized the first such festival in Boston in 1976 for the bicentennial. Kressler said the Worcester group “was born in 1981 for 1982.”{ is hosting its 27th First Night this week.-said this in intro} “Each First Night is like a snowflake,” she said. “At first they look alike but under a microscope, each is different in its own special way.”
Events kick off at 3 p.m. with a scavenger hunt, music, magic, storytelling and more at several sites and concludes from 11:30 p.m. to midnight with a Nipmuk Unity Circle and fireworks at Lincoln Square.
Over the last several years, Kressler said, attendance has been “good and pretty stable” ranging between 30,000 and 40,000 annually.
Visitors can attend any event, providing there’s room, by purchasing a First Night Worcester 2009 button. Buttons sold for $10 before Christmas, and are $12 until Dec. 31 and $15 at the gate. Children under 10 are free. If a group purchases more than 50 buttons in advance, the price is reduced to $8 for each.
to foresee the schedule suitable first night worcester 2009, visit www.firstnightworcester.org.
BOSTON: The first and fabulous First Night
First Night Boston is thriving, offering even more events this year than last.
The arts celebration promises not just a good time, but a way to enjoy the city’s music, theater, dance and cultural destinations for less money. That’s because the $18 First Night Button offers entry to scores of performances, not just on New Year’s Eve, but during the afternoon of Dec. 31 and through January.
“People come and do the free stuff, but I don’t think a lot of them understand what the button is,” said Geri Guardino, executive director of the 33rd First Night. “It’s really a great value not just for the night. There’s more programming this year in the afternoon, and if you hold onto the button, you get a lot of benefits.”
As in past years, the button gives you access to performances by the city’s leading arts groups, as well as cutting edge talent from afar. It’s a massive undertaking by a staff who work year-round turning a budget of about $1.3 million and in kind contributions of about $850,000 into a celebration that attracts about 1 million people.
Jack in the box locations
“we’re expecting a good crowd, possibly bigger than usual,” guardino said.
Traditionally, the afternoon programming has been for children, with a Family Festival packed with stunt teams, magicians, puppeteers, singers and more. This year, there’s also a non-stop lineup of classical and j …
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