Art by Rachel Evers ; Design by Misty Hagstrom

2020 First Night^® Springfield

Springfield Area Arts Council’s signature event is First Night® Springfield, a family-friendly, handicapped-accessible, and affordable event.

Last year’s First Night® Springfield was the city’s 33^rd annual New Year’s Eve Celebration of the arts, presented by the Springfield Area Arts Council on December 31, 2019.

First Night® originated in Boston in 1976 as a family-friendly New Year’s Eve celebration. Springfield’s First Night® was the first in Illinois and remains the longest running.

First Night® Springfield was opened on the afternoon of New Year’s Eve—Tuesday, December 31—with FREE children’s hands-on creative activities and entertainment in three areas at Springfield High School from 1:00 to 4:00 P.M.

At 4:15, Mark Gifford presented a  theatre organ concert in the Springfield High School auditorium.

5:00pm marked the start of the evening’s entertainment on multiple stages at the Hoogland Center for the Arts and the Lincoln Home Visitors Center.

The traditional First Night fireworks display began at 8:00 P.M. at Fourth Street and Capitol Avenue.  The fireworks were designed by Nostalgia Pyrotechnics under the direction of Carl Steinmacher.

Following the fireworks, another round of First Night performances began at the Hoogland Center for the Arts and the Lincoln Home Visitors Center.

The celebration concluded at 11:15 so that attendees could get home or to a favorite spot to ring in the New Year.

Schedule

FIRST NIGHT® SPRINGFIELD SUPPORTERS