Welcome

First Night began in Boston in 1976 to bring neighboring communities together in a joint celebration that provides the public with an alternative way to usher in the New Year. The mission of First Night Newark is to broaden the public's appreciation of the visual and performing arts through an innovative, diverse, and high quality New Year's Eve program which offers the community a shared cultural experience that is accessible and affordable. It seems like only yesterday that we began planning the "first" First Night Newark and now it's time to welcome the millennium." We need committed volunteers, artists and performers to assure the continued success of this family-oriented, non-alcoholic New Year's Eve celebration of the arts," says Councilwoman-at-Large Gayle Chaneyfield-Jenkins, founder of First Night Newark.

"We're looking for enthusiastic, dedicated, results-oriented individuals willing to lend their energy, efforts and expertise to put on one of the events of the century," said Laurence Brown, Sr., president of the Board of Directors of First Night Newark, Inc.

Downtown Newark will come alive on New Year's Eve regardless of weather with thousands of people participating in First Night Newark. Beginning at 7:45 pm and throughout the evening, scores of artists delight and entertain resellers with music, dance, theater, poetry, film, visual and participatory arts and unexpected happenings at 20 venues. At 10:45 pm there will be a community procession from Military Park down Broad Street to the new Riverfront Stadium at Bridge and Broad Streets. The festivities culminate at the stadium with entertainment and a spectacular laser show from 11:30 pm to 12:30 am which ends this safe, fun, family event that heralds a new year and the new millennium.