First Night Burlington

First Night Burlington is a family-oriented, alcohol-free New Year's Eve arts festival held annually in Burlington, Vermont. Modeled after the original First Night celebration in Boston, it transforms the city's downtown into a vibrant hub of performances, visual arts, and community gatherings to mark the start of the new year. The event is renowned for its extensive programming, which includes music, dance, theater, and interactive art installations, culminating in a grand fireworks display over Lake Champlain.

History

The event was founded in 1983, inspired by the success of the inaugural First Night in Boston which began in 1976. It was established as a civic celebration under the guidance of Burlington City Arts, the city's official arts agency, with support from the administration of Mayor Bernie Sanders. The concept aimed to provide a creative, substance-free alternative for New Year's Eve festivities, emphasizing community and the arts. Over the decades, it has grown into one of Vermont's largest and most anticipated cultural events, weathering challenges such as funding shifts and occasional severe winter weather, while consistently drawing tens of thousands of attendees to the Church Street Marketplace and surrounding venues.

Event Description

First Night Burlington is a ticketed, city-wide festival that operates from the afternoon of December 31st through midnight. It functions as a decentralized series of events, with attendees using a program guide and button badge for admission to all official venues. The atmosphere is celebratory and inclusive, designed for all ages, with a strong focus on performing arts and participatory experiences. The programming is meticulously scheduled to allow attendees to sample a wide variety of acts, with performances typically running in 45-minute sets. The evening consistently concludes with the countdown to midnight and a synchronized fireworks show launched from a barge on Lake Champlain, visible from the Waterfront Park area.

Activities and Features

The festival's lineup is exceptionally diverse, featuring hundreds of artists across dozens of disciplines. Typical offerings include concerts spanning genres from bluegrass and jazz to indie rock and classical music, often featuring renowned Vermont-based acts like Grace Potter and Phish members in early iterations. The schedule also includes contemporary dance performances, puppetry, circus arts, comedy showcases, and film screenings. Interactive elements are a hallmark, with activities such as community art projects, ice carving demonstrations, contra dance parties, and hands-on workshops for children. A popular feature is the early-evening "People's Parade," a lantern-lit procession along the Church Street Marketplace.

Locations and Venues

Events are hosted in a curated collection of public and private spaces throughout downtown Burlington. Core indoor venues include the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts, the Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington City Hall, the Unitarian Church, and the Fletcher Free Library. The Church Street Marketplace, a pedestrian open-air mall, serves as the central outdoor gathering space, often featuring staging, food vendors, and fire performers. Other key locations encompass the Echo Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, various downtown churches like the First Baptist Church, and theaters within the University of Vermont and Champlain College.

Organizers and Community Involvement

The event is produced and managed by Burlington City Arts (BCA), a department of the City of Burlington, with significant operational support from a board of directors and hundreds of volunteers. Funding is derived from button sales, corporate sponsorships from entities like KeyBank and Northfield Savings Bank, grants from the Vermont Arts Council, and municipal support. Community involvement is extensive, with local businesses serving as venues or sponsors, and area arts organizations such as the Vermont Symphony Orchestra and the Vermont Stage company regularly participating in the programming. This collaborative model ensures the event remains a reflection of the region's vibrant cultural ecosystem.

Category:Festivals in Vermont Category:New Year's Eve events in the United States Category:Burlington, Vermont Category:Recurring events established in 1983