We attended First Night in Oil City. Apparently, this is something that quite a few towns participate in across America--and in some parts of the world--on New Years Eve. An alcohol free night filled with music and the arts. Here are a list of the cities: http://www.firstnight.com/cities.php
Oil City's First Night Webpage: http://users.usachoice.net/~firstnight/index.htm
Anyone who knows me or my Husband knows that we aren't tea drinkers.... So, we went out to eat at the Yellow Dog Lantern Restaurant prior to starting our exploration of Oil City's First Night..
So good I had to write a poem:
Yellow Dog Lantern Restaurant
by Mary Morgan
Great Food
Great Time
Great Martinis
Great Wine!
:)
What is First Night®?
First Night® is a community New Year’s celebration held in more than 100 cities across the United States. The four principles that guide First Night® are community, celebration, the arts, and the new year. We believe that the arts represent the purest and best in humanity and that by sharing an evening of arts on December 31 we highlight our commonalities and strengthen our community. New Year’s Eve is a night filled with hope and promise, so it is fitting that we celebrate our community on December 31.
How Did First Night® Begin?
First Night® began in Boston and was first held in 1976 to celebrate the bicentennial of the nation. A group of community minded citizens and artists in Boston wanted to find an alternative to the customary, and often anti-climatic, New Year’s Eve and they struck upon the idea of celebrating and building community by sharing through the arts.
Why Is First Night® Non-Alcoholic?
This is possibly one of the most misunderstood concepts of First Night®. First Night® is alcohol free because First Night® is an alternative to the customary New Year’s Eve, which often includes drinking. The alcohol free nature of First Night® has nothing to do with temperance - it is about a commitment to an alternative celebration.
What Does the ® Symbol Mean?
The name “First Night” is a registered trademark. First Night® Boston holds the trademark and allows First Night® celebrations in other cities to use it.
