It is New Year’s Eve, a night of revelry and reflection as the calendar turns to 2015. WAMC’s North Country Bureau Chief Pat Bradley looks at some of the events across the region ringing in the new year.
First Night is an institution in many communities. It’s a family oriented festival of the arts founded in 1975 in Boston that brings professional and amateur performers together capped in many places by midnight fireworks.
Burlington, Vt. was the fourth city to host a first night. In its 32nd year, the 12 hours of festivities include a parade, two fireworks displays on the waterfront, and performers that include Rik Palieri with A Pete Seeger Tribute; the Vermont Youth Orchestra, Ray Vega, Lyric Theater Company, Jon Gailmor, and Circus Smirkus. Board Member Becky Cassidy credits several factors for the festival’s long-term success. “We have a very committed and devoted audience. The reason that we do have that audience is that we have amazing talent with our artists, some of which repeats year after year and much of which is new each year also. And then core to what we do is the fact that we have sponsors who have been with us since the beginning and who continue to understand that to bring the arts to the community you have to have the dollars to do that.”
First Night Saratoga began in 1997 and Saratoga Arts began coordinating the event beginning in 2011. More than 10,000 people annually come to the festivities, which kick off at 5:30 with a race, according to First Night Coordinator Alix Jones. “We start the evening off with our 5K race and that’s at Skidmore College. Then at the end of the night there’s fireworks in Congress Park. Those are sort-of hallmark items. In-between we have 70 different performers in 30 venues all around downtown in Saratoga Springs. One of our headliners, the Tartan Terrors, is coming from Ontario. Then we have a couple bands like Jack Grace and Miss Tess and the Talkbacks and they’re coming from the Brooklyn area in New York City. But then you’ve got local people who maybe travel the world but also have roots here and want to play for their fans close to home.”
In the heart of the Adirondacks, Saranac Lake’s First Night offers talent including singer Roy Hurd, the Adirondack Shakespeare Company and Mohawk storyteller Kay Olan. Sue Patterson co-chairs the event. “It’s a little unique in that we’re very small by First Night standards. But it’s very personal and it’s very down-home.”
But like most First Nights, Patterson says the village does end the evening with fireworks. “Fireworks are right down on Lake Flower and we do a ball drop which is actually a snowflake. Our fire department brings the big boom truck and they are in charge of the snowflake drop. We have a countdown and as soon as that snowflake is down the fireworks start and it’s right over the lake at midnight.”
While First Nights often draw the crowds and publicity, there are a number of community events on New Year’s Eve. The Vermont Department of Tourism suggested 15 events to celebrate the start of 2015, including the Manchester Music Festival; snowshoeing up Mount Philo; ice skating in Lyndon Center; and horse drawn sleigh rides at Shelburne Farms. Tourism Spokesperson Laura Peterson says she was looking for variety and events that represent communities across the state. “There are so many different villages and towns within Vermont with their own personalities. We’re a huge outdoor state. So that can be dog sledding, ice skating, sleigh rides, cross country skiing, or fat-biking which is becoming very popular. Community newspapers are always a great place to look but all fifteen of these ideas are listed at www.vermontvacation.com which is the website for Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing.”
