NYE: First Night in the ‘Burg goes global

BY CRAIG SCHULIN

Photo by Peter Cihelka

Looking for a place to raise a glass to kindness and ring in 2013 with family, friends and strangers alike?

For 18 years, and through untold numbers of toasts, kisses and best wishes for the year ahead, Fredericskburg has continued to offer a way for families to enjoy New Year’s Eve.

This year there will be no pear to mangle, no iron pineapple or lantern that will drop when the countdown to midnight begins.

Instead, the world will drop here in the city.

“We have a 6-foot globe of the world, a piece of welded artistry that will come down this year,” said Gary Everett, managing director of Event Management Solutions, the organizers of First Night in the city.

The event is a family-friendly one, so any toasting on the street will need to be done with non-alcoholic beverages.

There are a few changes this year in addition to no longer dropping a piece of fruit.

“We’ve added a couple of things for the children’s area,” said Everett.

The children’s area includes inflatable bounces, clowns and mimes, a magic act and a puppet show.

“We’ve added some more inflatable bounces to try and better handle the crowd this year,” said Everett.

On the street a Chinese dragon will lead children in their parade at 9 p.m.

The Riverside Center will present portions of the theater’s children’s series at the Masonic Lodge on Princess Anne Street.

“We have some new bands performing and we have The Big Social Underwear Tour, a carnival-style act,” said Everett.

The stage at Picker’s Supply will host performances by Laurie Rose Griffith and Peter Mealy and Jim & Holly Lawrence.

In all, some 20 musical acts will take one of the multiple stages set up on the streets.

“All of the outdoor stages will be covered by large, heated tents,” said Everett.

Some changes include a shortened children’s parade.

“It’s really popular and it tended to last a little too long for young children who will soon be heading to bed,” said Everett.

This allows for more kids to view the early dropping of a smaller version of the world, made specially for the little ones.

The overall footprint of the event has shrunk somewhat for safety reasons, bringing it away from the heavily trafficked William Street.

The dropping of the world and the fireworks display will take place by Riverside Park on Sophia Street.

Happy New Year, everyone!

What: Fredericksburg First Night: A Regional New Year’s Eve Tradition

Where: An outdoor event on Caroline and Sophia streets

When: Dec. 31, 7 p.m.–12:15 a.m.

Cost: $10 advance, $15 the night of the event. Children under 3 free. Military ID half price.

nfo: fredericksburgfirst night.com. For tickets,  visit fredericksburgsfirstnight.eventbrite.com.

Craig Schulin: 540/374-5403

cschulin@freelancestar.com

Permalink: http://news.fredericksburg.com/weekender/2012/12/27/nye-first-night-in-the-burg-goes-global/