News Flash
Bigger and better: First Night® Saranac Lake 2008
SARANAC LAKE Thanks to a group of dedicated, community-minded women, Saranac Lakers will be ringing in 2008 with a First Night bash even bigger and better than last year's.
The concept of First Night began in Boston in 1976 and celebrations are now held in more than 130 cities throughout the U.S., Canada, Great Britain and New Zealand. First Night's mission is to provide a fun, alcohol-free, family-friendly atmosphere to welcome the New Year.
First Night Saranac Lake's eight-member board of directors, all women, are working hard to fine tune the celebration, slated for the evening of Monday, Dec. 31, by reviewing what they learned at last year's inaugural event, as well as listening to advice from experienced organizers of other cities' First Night events.
First Night Saranac Lake became incorporated in May and earned non-profit status from the Internal Revenue Service in September. As a result, donations made to the group are now tax deductible, and the organization is also eligible to apply for more funding sources.
In August, five of the organizers attended the First Night International Regional Conference in Scranton, Pa. to learn from and share experiences with other First Night organizers from all over the country.
We spent two days getting feedback from other city hosts, First Night Saranac Lake Treasurer Nancy LaBombard said. The energy there was infectious. That was the best thing.
Some key points the women took away from the conference can be seen in the subtle differences in the 2008 program.
You don't necessarily need a headliner to be able to sell yourself as an event, LaBombard said. You need a variety of entertainment to appeal to all ages. The idea is to get a real good mix.
Indeed, First Night Saranac Lake's mission of providing an affordable, family-centered, alcohol-free event to celebrate the New Year includes a wide array of entertainment and performances. The night kicks off at 5:30 p.m. with a Gala Parade, from the Hotel Saranac to the Harrietstown Town Hall. The festivities continue with folk music by Dan Duggan and Peggy Lynn, Bluegrass by Three Doug Knight, as well as poetry, blues and magic acts. Performances conclude with improv comedy by Gag Reflex, rockabilly by the Lustre Kings and singer/songwriter Christine Lavin. The hours in between are filled with everything from classical violin to a vaudeville and circus act. The night wraps up with fireworks at midnight from the Lake Flower Boat Launch.
Another goal of First Night Saranac Lake, LaBombard said, is keeping the performances fresh from year to year, while still retaining a distinctly local flavor, featuring home-grown Adirondack talent.
We want to make it a new and exciting event every year, LaBombard said. We don't want to repeat the same performers every year. But most of the acts are directly connected with the North Country.
A Gala Parade, from the Hotel Saranac to the Harrietstown Town Hall, will kick off the event at 5:30 p.m.
An on-air auction fundraiser, held last Saturday with the help of Mountain Communications and the Saranac Lake High School Video Production Club, raised about $3,000, every penny of which will be put right back into the event.
It was a great success, LaBombard said. It was a great example of how this community and the businesses in Saranac Lake and the surrounding area are supportive of groups like ours and help us to move forward with our mission.
Sold at the auction were original works from local artists, gift certificates from businesses, kayak paddles, rugs and albums from the musical acts to be featured at this year's celebration, among other items.
We are so grateful for the extra funding, LaBombard said. It helps with all the expenses of putting on this event.
Although First Night celebrations are not new, it is still a novel idea in the Adirondacks. Organizers said the idea to host a First Night celebration in Saranac Lake was born of necessity.
This community was very hungry for an event like that, LaBombard said. Sue (Patterson) and Connie (Landon) thought it was a great town to host an event like this, and they knew if they sold the idea, it would just take off.
And take off it did. There is no doubt that First Night Saranac Lake 2007 was a huge success. There were about 1,500 attendees, not including the many children that came, and around 100 volunteers. Organizers even ran out of the $10 buttons that double as the admission tickets because they had underestimated the popularity of the event, LaBombard said.
It was so much fun and it exceeded all our expectations, she said. I had a smile on my face all night long. People just kept coming and coming and coming.
Organizers will be better prepared for the crowds this year and are hoping attendance at the celebration will top 2,000 people. Petrova School has been added for a total of nine venues that are able to seat a combined 1890 people. Nonprofit food vendors, like the Kiwanis Club, will also be serving up home-cooked meals at the event.
We wanted to look for service organizations to serve real dinners, not just hot dogs, Board Chairwoman Sue Patterson added.
Although kids aged 12 and under get free admission to the event, this year they, too, will receive a First Night button as a way of tracking how many total people attend the event.
LaBombard said they couldn't do it without the efforts of the volunteers and community members, but it was the creative drive and dedication of the board members that brought First Night Saranac Lake to life.
We are a working board that makes it happen, she said. Everybody has done something, this group of eight women. I was so proud that we pulled it off last year. We took the ideas those girls had and ran with it.
Contact Heather Sackett at 891-2600 ext. 24 or hsackett@adirondackdailyenterprise.com.
To learn more...
¯To see the complete list of performers and schedule of events or to sign up to be a volunteer, visit www.firstnightsaranaclake.org.
Organizers are encouraging people to buy their buttons early. They cost $10 and are available at Snap Shot Photo, Blue Line Sports, Ampersound Music, Books & Baskets, the Adirondack Daily Enterprise, the Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce and the Lake Placid/Essex County Visitors Bureau.
First Night Saranac Lake Announces Partnership with Mountain Communications
Mountain Communications was a proud sponsor of First Night Saranac Lake 2007 and is pleased to continue their partnership with First Night Saranac Lake 2008 and beyond! Y106.3, ROCK105 and 1240 WNBZ have teamed together with First Night Saranac Lake and here is how you can participate on the radio:
Beginning November 5th, 2007, Mountain Communications Stations will be heavily promoting First Night as a premier event to attend this New Years Eve. An 8 week promotion on Y106.3, ROCK105 and WNBZ will begin with a fun contest giving listeners the opportunity to win a family pack of First Night buttons plus a Grand Prize of $2,008!
Go to the “Location of the Week” and enter the contest by guessing how many buttons are in the jar. Winners will be drawn weekly for a pair of First Night buttons. The Grand Prize winner will be chosen during First Night festivities from among the correct entries and will receive a cash prize of $2,008!
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