First Night to blend new elements with old favorites
First Night Raleigh will take over 20 downtown blocks in less than a week as thousands of people gather to ring in the new year with art, music and the annual acorn drop.
Posted — Updated"What is really fun about First Night is we have a mix of traditions that we do every year and then brand new things you'll only experience at this particular First Night Raleigh," said Cameron Laws, program director for Artsplosure, which stages the New Year's Eve party.
That mix of old and new has kept the crowds coming year after year. This year, in addition to the concerts, theatrical staging and amusement park rides, one of the new touches will be an illuminated botanical garden.
"That sounds really exciting. I think I may cancel my plans," said a man who had planned to celebrate the start to 2020 in Charleston, S.C. "[It] sounds like a lot of fun, actually."
Planning for the event has been going on for months, Laws said.
"The moment the acorn drops, we are thinking about the next one," she said. "In all sincerity, it's six months of planning with a bunch of amazing partners."
The events start at 2 p.m. next Tuesday and run through midnight. An all-day pass can be purchased in advance for $11.
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