Holyoke Heritage State Park will throw its 15th annual First Night Jr., while Northampton celebrates its 27th annual First Night festivities.
Fireworks light the sky during First Night festivities in Northampton last year.New Year’s Eve revelers are in luck.
Although the National Weather Service is forecasting a chance of rain during the day, skies are expected to improve to partly cloudy this evening in what will be a continuation of unseasonably mild conditions.
Temperatures are expected to reach a high of 47 degrees during the day with a low of only 32 degrees overall.
Major New Year’s Eve celebrations are planned in both downtown Holyoke and downtown Northampton.
Holyoke Heritage State Park will throw its 15th annual First Night Jr. starting at 10 a.m. Families will get a chance to take part in games and other entertainment at the park , including at the Merry-Go-Round, the Children’s Museum at Holyoke, the Heritage State Park Visitors Center and the Volleyball Hall of Fame.
View full sizeMark Zemelman of Haydenville, left, talks to New Year's Eve revelers in Northampton's Pulaski Park.The Paper City shindig will culminate in a sparkling, disco-style ball dropping at 3:45 p.m. to celebrate the coming of the new year.
The Northampton Center for the Arts and PeoplesBank will kick off the 27th annual First Night festivities at noon.
Northampton will offer 20 different spots providing musical and other family entertainment. There will be fireworks at 6:15 p.m. from the municipal parking garage and a ball-raising from the top of the Hotel Northampton at midnight.
Tickets to events will be $20 for adults, $10 for seniors 65 and older, and $8 for children ages 2 through 10.
In Springfield, the restaurant Mama Iguana’s will offer a huge flat screen television broadcasting the festivities, ball drop and fireworks from New York City. The eatery will offer special dishes, staying open until 2 a.m. and providing music by a disc jockey.
And for those who overindulge in alcohol, Yellow Cab in Springfield will for the 31st straight year provide free taxi rides to city residents. To arrange for a ride, call Yellow Cab at (413) 739-9999.