Hey, there! Log in / Register

First Night to be limited to Copley Square; fireworks will be shot off hotel roof

The Boston Courant reports (note: Link will take you to a photo of the Courant story, since the Courant is one of the few papers left in the US that does not have a Web site - on purpose, no less).

UPDATE: Conventures, which is running First Night, says there will be the traditional fireworks over Boston Harbor.

H/t Ron.

Neighborhoods: 
Topics: 


Ad:


Like the job UHub is doing? Consider a contribution. Thanks!

Comments

First Night's website says they will have midnight harbor fireworks as usual, and that "arts and musical performances will take place in numerous inside and outside venues around the heart of the event." No word on whether they will still have the traditional 7 pm fireworks on Boston Common.

I have no idea whether the website or the Courant report is correct.

Adam, could you possibly try to reach Dusty Rhodes at Conventures for comment?

up
Voting closed 0

Here's the full text from the First night site. It sounds pretty consistent with the Courant article:

This celebration will be free and open to all. Entertainment and specialty attractions will be focused in Copley Square, the Boston Common and Boston Harbor. Many of the beloved traditions of First Nights past will be retained, including the Celebrate Boston Parade, ice sculptures and light displays and the Boston Harbor Midnight Fireworks. In addition, arts and musical performances will take place in numerous inside and outside venues around the heart of the event.

up
Voting closed 0

This new concentration of events in the Copley area makes more sense. In recent years, First Night had gotten far away from it's original intent. Hordes of people (read: tourists and suburbanites making their bi-annual trip "into the city") congregated in Copley Square for no apparent reason and just stood doing nothing until midnight, at which time they dispersed. It was sort of an end in itself, though not particularly an exciting one. The local TV media did their best to make it seem exciting, just like they trump up storms that aren't really storms. Now, with the concentration of events, it seems more sensible to linger in the area to ring in the new year.

up
Voting closed 0

suburbanites making their bi-annual trip "into the city"

up
Voting closed 0

is whether there will still be indoor performances at places like churches and museums -- the web site says yes, the Courant says no.

Those performances were the heart of the traditional First Night celebration, and they've included organ recitals, opera, dance, classical music, jazz, big rock acts like Patti Smith, poetry, storytelling, film screenings, etc.

Here's last year's schedule, still online.

up
Voting closed 0

IMAGE(http://www.claytoncommercials.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/beer/guiness11.jpg)

up
Voting closed 0

Can't we just agree to call it "The non-Hancock Tower" to save some time?

up
Voting closed 0

That's certainly what I'll be calling it from now on.

up
Voting closed 0

...people have to adjust.

I'm adjusting by calling it "The Oldcock" or "Oldcock Tower".

up
Voting closed 0

If we're finally euthanizing First Night, can we throw in Keith Lockhart's Annual Embarrassment on the Esplanade and get two for the price of one? After this year's schlockathon, can Miley Cyrus in a patriotic thong possibly not be on the program for 2016?

up
Voting closed 0

I almost spit out my tea on my keyboard. BRAVO!

up
Voting closed 0

To go back to the original version of it a la Arthur Fiedler.

But things changed when they started simulcasting it on A&E and the fireworks had to wait until the end of the Pops music so people would then switch to WBCN for music that 'went along' with the fireworks. What happened to the initial fireworks happening during the 1812 and then started for realsies at the conclusion of that piece. And we didn't need music to watch the show, but just reveled in the lightshow and booms and the ooh and aaahhhs of our fellow humans.

Get off my lawn! *shakes fist*

up
Voting closed 0

They can't because it brings in all these hick tourists from Kansas, North Carolina, etc., who've waited half their lives to be in Baaaahhhhston on the Fourth. The only reason I like the Fourth is because I'm an MIT fraternity alumnus who gets to hang out on a rooftop and drink lots of beer while nitwits below sit in front of the Hatch Shell for twelve hours or drive in circles trying to park on Memorial Drive(eventually they just triple park).

up
Voting closed 0

Where do the performing artists go? Ice sculptures (weather permitting) are nice, but the INDOOR performance spaces around Copley are limited.

up
Voting closed 0

There's Trinity Church, Old South Church, Boston Public Library, a few other churches on Newbury and Marlboro streets, and perhaps John Hancock Hall, Dorothy Quincy Suite, some hotel lobbies and Copley Place. I've always considered the Hynes to be "near Copley" and yet that seems to be on the chopping block.

up
Voting closed 0

Seems that the Hynes just wasn't in the budget. Pity.

up
Voting closed 0

- there will be some indoor performances, but they will be in the Copley and Prudential malls rather than in the Hynes. The Boston Public Library can't be used because of the current renovation project, and Trinity Church didn't seem interested in participating. Some events will be at Old South Church. She didn't think they could afford to spread out to other nearby churches and venues this year.

- without the Hynes as a central venue, there's no point in selling buttons, so there won't be any buttons.

- there will still be 7 pm fireworks on Boston Common, and midnight fireworks on the harbor.

She said that "Only in Copley Square" was very unfortunate reporting.

I also pointed her at this discussion and at the Reddit discussion and encouraged her to participate in both places.

up
Voting closed 0

We don't need no stinkin' buttons.

up
Voting closed 0