Concertwire.com

First Night is a family-friendly, alcohol-free New Year’s Eve community celebration of the arts. The celebration began in Boston in 1976 and has grown to an event that attracts hundreds of thousands of celebrants each year. Since then the event has expanded to over 100 cities in 30 states across the country, as well as internationally into Canada and New Zealand. Knoxville held its inaugural New Year’s Eve celebration last year to great success. This year, the event expands to multiple entertainment venues throughout downtown. Our current line up of featured acts includes musicians, storytellers, magicians, dance groups, and puppeteers. Also part of our First Night expansion this year is the addition of a Children’s Festival in the afternoon leading up to the evening’s festivities. This festival will lead into the processional that will lead into First Night. For the youngest children we will have an early countdown and fireworks around 9pm. The Tennessee Theatre is happy to be included among the First Night venues and will host three blocks of programming to include Dr. Bill Snyder playing The Mighty Wurlitzer from 7- 8pm and The Knoxville Jazz Orchestra, led by director Vance Thompson from 8:30 to 9:30pm and then again from 10-11pm. The festivities will then continue on Market Square with The Dempseys at 11 until the ball drop and countdown at midnight.