Organizers Putting Final Touches On First Night Chatham

CHATHAM – Organizers have set the stage — or more properly, stages — for First Night Chatham, the town’s family-friendly New Year’s Eve party. Final details are coming together, the performance schedule is being double-checked, and First Night headquarters is up and humming.

The festival, one of a dwindling number of bona fide First Night celebrations in the nation, focuses on the arts and alcohol-free activities for people of all ages.

First Night Chatham spokesman John Reed said this year’s event will be more ambitious than recent years’ celebrations, bringing the schedule back to near pre-pandemic levels. Most indoor events require a button for admission, and button sales have been brisk.

“Since First Night Chatham receives no funding from the town of Chatham and relies on primarily FNC button sales to finance the day, we would like to thank our retailer partners who help sell our buttons,” he said. Another easy way to get a First Night button is to order online at www.FirstNightChatham.com and then pick up buttons at First Night headquarters, 579 Main St.

This year’s button design has a celestial motif, featuring this year’s theme, “Where the Stars Shine.” Even if it doesn’t prove true meteorologically, there will be plenty of stars shining in First Night’s 18-plus venues.

“We’ve got over 70 performances and events throughout the day,” Reed said. “We’ve got venues throughout the entire town, and it will be virtually the entire day.” Music fans can enjoy everything from jazz and Celtic folk tunes to classical music and pop tunes.

There are plenty of family-oriented activities as well. One perennial draw is Cirque du Jour, a miniature three-ring circus with shows at Monomoy Middle School at 1, 3 and 5 p.m. Other activities for kids include a pop-up mini-golf course at the community center, remote control car racing at the middle school, face painting, and a First Night Chatham tradition: the ever-popular bubble wrap stomp. Don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it.

Most indoor activities happen between 1 p.m. and 8 p.m., but there are plenty of button-free outdoor activities as well. The town photo takes place in front of the lighthouse at noon, and the Carnival Caper road race steps off at 3 p.m. in front of the Squire. Registration is $10, but it’s free and fun to be a spectator.

One of the signature pieces of all First Night celebrations is the noise parade, which gets underway at the corner of Main and Cross streets at 6 p.m. Everyone is invited to march, banging drums, blowing whistles, hollering, whistling and otherwise making a racket as the parade makes its way to Veterans Field. The parade is followed by fireworks.

Citing sparse attendance at the midnight countdown that was held at Oyster Pond for many years, First Night Chatham now winds down by 9 or 10 p.m. Reed said First Night organizers heard from families with young children and from older drivers that they prefer the new, earlier schedule.

Reed urged people to consider parking just outside the downtown area at the elementary or middle schools or the Chatham Drama Guild lot and taking the free shuttle bus to the fun. Buses run from noon to 10:30 p.m.

The First Night events schedule was printed in the special supplement included with last week’s Chronicle; an up-to-the-minute version is posted at www.FirstNightChatham.com.