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An ice sculpture at First Night Boston

First Night is an outdoor artistic and cultural celebration on New Year's Eve, taking place from afternoon until midnight. Since it happens on New Year's Eve, First Night celebrations are actually held on the last night of the old year. The real first night occurs on New Year's Day. First Night celebrates a community's local culture, often featuring music, dance, comedy, art, and always has plenty of food, fireworks, and ice sculptures. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... Image File history File linksMetadata First_night_ice_sculpture. ... Image File history File linksMetadata First_night_ice_sculpture. ... For other articles with similar names, see New Year (disambiguation). ... For other articles with similar names, see New Year (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Music (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Dance (disambiguation). ... A comedy is a dramatic performance of a light and amusing character, usually with a happy conclusion to its plot. ... This article is about the philosophical concept of Art. ... For other uses, see Fireworks (disambiguation). ... Ice sculpting on the streets of Gamla Stan, Stockholm Ice sculpture is a form of sculpture that uses ice as the raw material. ...

Most entertainment is freely available outside, but admission to indoor events requires the simple purchase of a First Night button, whose profits support the celebration as a whole. First Night Celebrations are generally alcohol free.

First Night began in Boston in 1976 by a small group of artists, and its popularity quickly made it a recurring event. Soon other surrounding communities started their own First Night celebrations. In 1993, First Night International became a non-profit organization dedicated to helping other cities set up their own celebrations. It has since spread to cities all over the United States, Canada, Great Britain, and New Zealand. Nickname: City on the Hill, Beantown, The Hub (of the Universe)1, Athens of America, The Cradle of Revolution, Puritan City, Americas Walking City Location in Massachusetts, USA Counties Suffolk County Mayor Thomas M. Menino(D) Area    - City 232. ... Year 1976 Pick up sticks(MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ...

Following September 11, 2001^{[citation needed]}, First Night Celebrations around the country started to decline, with several going bankrupt. Even First Night Boston had difficulties in reaching its financial goals. Alternatively, other celebrations have sprung up. For example, in 2003, First Night Providence announced they would not be able to continue their celebration which had been continuing for 19 years. A group of local artists banded together to create Bright Night Providence, an artist-run New Year's Eve celebration based on the idea and spirit of First Night. is the 254th day of the year (255th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Welcome to First Night International
• First Night Akron
• First Night Alexandria, VA
• First Night Boston (the original First Night celebration)
• First Night Worcester (the second oldest First Night celebration)
• First Night Austin
• First Night Columbus
• First Night Haddonfield, NJ
• First Night Martinez, CA
• First Night Pittsburgh
• First Night Scranton
• First Night Spokane
• Bright Night Providence
• First Nights throughout Virginia
• First Night Westport-Weston, Connecticut
• First Night Binghamton, NY
• First Night Saratoga Springs, NY
• First Night Sioux Falls