First Night: A Family-Friendly New Year's Eve

Are you looking for a way to enjoy New Year’s Eve festivities with your family, minus the tipsy champagne-and-party hat environment? Consider First Night celebrations, held across the United States. This alternative revelry started in 1976 with local artists in Boston, and celebrates a community's unique cultural life. Consequently, First Night events have a local, playful, and artistic bent. They're also easy on the budget and largely alcohol-free, so don't hesitate to bring the whole family!

The Original First Night in Boston, MA Processions of jugglers, acrobats and puppeteers are just the beginning of this visual spectacular, which includes performance art incorporating fire, ice, bells and light. Music and dance range from tap to lyrical to hip hop to ethnic, and both indoor and outdoor activities are featured in over 40 venues across the city. Don't miss the countdown on Boston Common featuring musicians from Sesame Street’s Parade of Numbers. Two sets of fireworks wrap up the show; one at a child-friendly 7:00 pm on Boston Common and a second blowout set over Boston Harbor at midnight.

First Night in Austin, TX The “Live Music Capital of the World” rings in First Night in a big way. Join in the audience participation in a “chalk draw” all over the First Street Pedestrian Bridge, try your hand at the large-scale chess and checkers games, and help weave a giant web in the trees. First-Nighters take over Congress Avenue in a Grand Procession Parade accompanied by a variety of music, and early and late fireworks sets accommodate partygoers of all ages.

First Night in Spokane, WA This celebration includes over 100 different artistic presentations, such as Salsa dance, Celtic music, gospel, juggling, and a ice sculpture. Don't miss the family-friendly Bubble Wrap activity room, icicle demonstrations, and a one-man band called the Not Quite Fullharmonic Orchestra.

First Night in State College, PA The vibrant young community at the home of Penn State throws a lively party. 200 blocks of ice are turned into sculpture, there’s a procession with giant puppets, a variety of make-it-yourself workshops and music from brass bands to pipe bands to a flute choir to bluegrass. Be sure to check out the live reindeer exhibit!

First Night in St. Petersburg, FL Activities run on stages throughout the parks, art museums and The Pier tourist attraction that front Tampa Bay. There are hands-on crafts (including surreal projects with the local Salvador Dali Museum,) children’s storytellers, a giant drumming circle, live music from zydeco to bluegrass to the Caribbean melodies of the Tampa Bay Steel Orchestra, and bubble-making fun with the folks from Great Explorations Children's Museum. Be sure to catch a glimpse of the five-hour fireworks frenzy that begins at 8 p.m. 

Now, families have a New Year’s Eve that fosters an appreciation of the arts and a sense of community – not a bad way to start the new year!