First Night

Boston

First conceived by Clara Wainwright for the December 31, 1975 celebration in Boston, First Night organized a small group of artists and musicians seeking to perform on stages, both indoor and outdoor. The event also sought to avoid the emphasis on alcohol typical of New Year's Eve parties. Soon other surrounding communities started their own First Night celebrations. By the 1990s, the First Night Boston event was attracting works by over a thousand artists. In 2006, more than a million visitors attended First Night events, including free outdoor ice sculptures on Boston Common and in Copley Square, and waterfront fireworks.

Until 2015, live coverage of the final part of Boston's First Night, including the countdown to midnight and fireworks over Boston Harbor that begin at the stroke of midnight, was broadcast by WBZ-TV. CBS, the station's parent company, was an official sponsor.

In 2013, the non-profit First Night Boston organization closed for financial reasons, though Mayor Menino of Boston (in office for only another year) pledged to find private or public funding the January 2014 celebration. On November 11, 2013, Mayor Menino announced he had acquired the necessary funding and that the 2013 First Night would be “a bigger, brighter display than ever before.”

The city of Boston took over the First Night festivities in 2015 and hired an event planning firm to manage the smaller and scaled back event.

In 2016, television coverage of the festivities was transferred to NBCUniversal-owned properties including NECN, Telemundo owned station WNEU and newly acquired NBC owned station WBTS-LD; the latter used the event to help launch the station's NBC affiliation, which took effect on January 1, 2017.

There was no celebration in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Other cities

By 1999, First Night celebrations were being held in more than 200 cities. In 2000, more than 260 cities had such a celebration. However, in 2001, 20 cities dropped out of the First Night celebrations due to the effects of the September 11 attacks and/or money difficulties.

During the Great Recession, which began in late 2007, many First Night celebrations faced financial difficulty, being scaled back or canceled.{{Cite web |access-date = 2009-12-24 |access-date = 2009-12-24

There were about 45 cities with First Night celebrations happening on New Year's Eve 2013/2014. |access-date = 2013-12-16 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131218134659/http://www.firstnightalexandria.org/about/first-night-cities |archive-date = 2013-12-18 |url-status = dead

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, starting on New Year's Eve 2020, First Night events were scaled back or cancelled in many cities and several places enforced measures such as wearing masks and social distancing.

National organization

First Night USA is the national offshoot of the original Boston organization. It works with the numerous First Night licensed events throughout the United States.

Other celebrations on New Year's Eve, not labeled "First Night", have also sprung up. For example, in 2003, First Night Providence announced they planned to cancel future celebrations, which had been going on for 19 years. A group of local artists created Bright Night Providence, an artist-run New Year's Eve celebration based on the idea and spirit of First Night.{{Cite web |access-date = 2009-12-24

References

References

1. "A Quiet Kind of Act". Art21 Magazine.
2. (December 2011). "Has the Ball Dropped on First Night Worcester?". [[Worcester Magazine]].
3. Nordheimer, Jon (1990-12-26). [https://www.nytimes.com/1990/12/26/garden/a-new-year-s-fete-of-art-not-alcohol.html A New Year's Fete Of Art, Not Alcohol]. ''[[The New York Times]]''. Retrieved on 2009-04-06.
4. Ford, Rosemary (2006-12-28). [http://www.eagletribune.com/pulife/local_story_362094555 Carving out First Night Boston; Local ice sculptor lends frozen art to annual celebration] {{webarchive. link. (2013-01-22 . ''[[The Eagle Tribune]]''. Retrieved on 2009-04-06.)
5. (June 21, 2013). "First Night, creator of the city's longtime New Year's Eve celebration, to cease operations". [[The Boston Globe]].
6. (November 7, 2013). "Mayor Menino announces First Night plans after festival had appeared to be in jeopardy". The Boston Globe.
7. Filipov, David. (November 7, 2013). "Fireworks are returning to First Night festival". [[The Boston Globe]].
8. (October 10, 1999). "Major cities plan New Year's parties". Denver Post.
9. (December 9, 2009). "First Night fireworks fizzle out". [[Worcester Telegram Gazette]].
10. Rosemary Ponnekanti. (October 18, 2007). "First Night getting new life: Organizers pare New Year's party". AllBusiness.com }}{{dead link.