Salt Lake City has one, and has for several years. I even attended ONCE.
Go Big! on New Year’s Eve at First Night in Downtown SLC
Saturday, December 31, 2005
First Night Family Festival at The Gateway from 3:00pm to 6:00pm
First Night activities and Big Easy Street on West Temple from 6:00pm to Midnight
First Night activities located at the Salt Palace Convention Center, Rose Wagner Performing Art Center, Abravanel Hall, The Gateway, and Temple Square
Dress Warm! First Night is held at both indoor and outdoor venues – Please Dress Appropriately!
Admission
Your First Night 2006 button is the only ticket you’ll need to enjoy an incredible array of sights, sounds, tastes, and attractions. Simply show your button for admission to all First Night events.
Button prices: Save $2 by purchasing your button in advance! $8.00 advance buttons, $10.00 on the day of. Children 12 and under free.
The one in Beverly, MA has been running since the year I moved here, 1995. While I usually do have to work that night, sometimes I get off work early and can catch part of it--and this year and next I have the whole night off... One year--
2000, I think, there was big band music playing in a huge
church, and a funny folk singer (Don White) playing in an
old church nearby (great acoustics...circular shaped, and
the wooden interior somehow helped the sound out--built
back in 1800s when the preacher didn't have a microphone
to help his voice!)
Another year a tent was set up on a "common" and the New Orleans-styled
Boogaloo Swamis played there. There was a countdown to
the "Fake Millenium" of 1/1/00, and one to the "Real
Millenium" of 1/1/01! It was nice to walk around my seaside New England city (pop 38,000) on New Year's Eve, then
warm up to hot chocolate in one of the churches.