In Holyoke, which lays claim to the second-longest running First Night in the area, events will begin as early as 10 a.m.
NORTHAMPTON - Northampton’s First Night, one of the premier New Year’s Eve events in Western Massachusetts, is looking for a new producer.
The Northampton Center for the Arts, which has put on First Night since it began 28 years ago, is doing it for the last time on Monday, according to Director Penny Burke. Burke said a “confluence of events,” including the center’s need to find a new home and the burgeoning popularity of First Night, have made it too hard to continue.
“The event keeps getting bigger, but we stay the same size,” she said.
To close out 2012, however, Northampton is still offering a range of entertainment at 18 downtown venues, and Holyoke and Wilbraham will host their own First Night activities.
Wilbraham’s will begin with a keynote speech by former Selectman John Lovejoy in Crane Park at 4:45 p.m. as the town ushers in its 250th birthday celebration. Events begin at 3 p.m. with activities for children throughout the town, and will end with a bang, with fireworks.
Following Lovejoy's speech, there will be remarks from clergy, the Board of Selectmen, state Legislative officials, the 1963 Bicentennial Queen Roberta Marco Albano and Minnechaug Regional High School Student Council President Amanda Robinson. All events are free and open to the public. Free shuttle buses from the high school parking lot to the center of town will be provided by Peter Pan Bus Lines.
In Holyoke, which lays claim to the second-longest running First Night in the area, events will begin as early as 10 a.m., when the 16th annual First Night Jr. kicks off at Heritage State Park.
“Kids love being a part of the New Year’s Eve celebration which traditionally favored more adult partying in the evening,” said Marianne Holden, operations manager at the Holyoke Merry-Go-Round, who is helping to organize the annual event.
The event, which runs until 4 p.m., costs $6 per person in advance or $7 the day of the event, and includes all entertainment and admission to the Children’s Museum and Volleyball Hall of Fame, as well as unlimited rides on the Holyoke Merry-Go-Round.
In Northampton, the Center for the Arts, Academy of Music and the former Dynamite Records space in Thornes Marketplace are among the venues that will host a range of familiar acts that include The Nields, Seth Glier, Roger Salloom, Trailer Park, and Lord Russ, who will reprise his role as Elvis.
Next year, it will be up to some other organization to put on the show.
With its lease in the old Sullivan School building about to expire, the Center for the Arts has been looking for new space. This task alone is daunting, Burke said, given the size of her staff and the center’s small board of directors.
Burke, who does much of the planning herself, usually starts the arduous process of booking acts and venues in May. Half the volunteers, she said, are personal friends.
Another problem, Burke said, has been the diminishing number of sites for the events. In recent years, First Night has lost Union Station, Pleasant Street Theater and St. John Cantius Hall.
Nonetheless, First Night continues to grow. Last year, Burke said, there was a record gross as thousands flocked to Northampton from throughout the area.
Given the success of First Night, the city is hoping someone will take up the job of running it. Daniel J. Yacuzzo, the executive director of the downtown Business Improvement District, said he hopes to be part of a conversation on the subject that will start soon after the new year.
“I think it would be a shame of no one stepped up to do it,” he said.
Although the Business Improvement District has been involved in events like the Northampton Jazz Festival and the Sidewalk Sales, Yacuzzo said it doesn’t have the staff or the skill sets to organize an event like First Night.
“We’re not an arts organization,” he said.