First Night Burlington

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What is First Night?
First Night is a substance-free, New Year's Eve festival of the arts. It began in Boston in 1976 and is now in over 130 cities throughout the world. For more information on First Night and other community celebrations, check out theFirst Night International web site.

What is First Night Burlington?
Burlington was the fourth city in the world to embrace the First Night concept. First Night Burlington is Vermont's largest, single-day arts festival, providing an accessible and affordable New Year's Eve celebration to thousands of people in our community. First Night Burlington, Inc. is a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, staffed with an Executive Director, 3 support staff, and a board of 14 members. A good percentage of our funding comes from our sponsors, tax-deductible donations and grants. We encourage folks to participate in the festival in a variety of ways, from volunteering and creating art to making individual donations. Contributions above the button cost are tax-deductible, and we are happy to provide a receipt for your tax records upon request.

How does First Night work?

ADMISSION:A First Night Button admits you to all official events on a first-come first-served basis. There are dozens of venues in downtown Burlington where First Night performances and activities take place over a twelve hour period. Buttons and tickets are non-refundable.

TICKETS are required in addition to your button for shows at the Flynn Center Main Stage and the Memorial Auditorium Main Floor.

WEATHER: First Night is celebrated regardless of weather conditions, so please dress warmly and in layers!

DOWNTOWN BURLINGTON PARKING: Meter parking and City-owned parking garages are free after noon on December 31st. Other parking garages offer a variety of pricing. Check with individual garages. To accommodate First Nighters, the overnight parking ban will be lifted on Dec. 31st. Please note that if it snows, cars must be moved off the street.

FREE PARKING: Free parking is provided by the University of Vermont at the Gutterson Parking Garage on the UVM Campus.

SHUTTLES:Free shuttles from the UVM Gutterson Parking lot to downtown Burlington are donated by CCTA. For more information on this service, select the Shuttles/Parkinglink at the top of this page.

EMERGENCIES: Call 911 for police, fire and medical help.

LOST & FOUND: Check with the First Night office at 802-863-6005 after the event.

VOLUNTEERS: Join the fun creating First Night. Call Linsey Foster-Mason at 863-6005 or sign up online.

ADA COMPLIANCE:

All sites are wheelchair accessible. Each site has designated handicapped parking. Please call (802) 863-6005 before December 30th for more information on accessibility and parking. Fully accessible restrooms can be found at City Hall, Edmunds Gym, FirehouseCenter, FirstUnitedMethodistChurch, the FlynnCenter, and at Memorial Auditorium.

A variety of performances will be interpreted for the deaf and hard-of-hearing by American Sign Language interpreters. For more information, TTY/TDD assisted, call the Flynn Center at 863-5966, or the State of Vermont relay system at 1-800-253-0195. They will assist you in calling our office at 863-6005.

The Flynn Center Main Stage is equipped with an infrared hearing reinforcement system for the benefit of audience members with hearing disabilities.Contois Auditorium in City Hall is equipped with a hearing assisted sound system.

info@firstnightburlington.com

First Night Burlington, 230 College Street, Burlington, VT

(802) 863-6005

05401

First Night Burlington is supported in part by the Vermont Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts