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.
The Globe reports the city has picked Dusty Rhodes's Conventures to run First Night this year - a version that will include the Grand Procession, the fireworks and the ice sculptures, but apparently few if any of the performances seen in past First Nights.
Also of note: The city was unable to provide the Globe with a copy of the proposal from the company that lost out because "that information resided on the computer of a vacationing official" - so apparently some city departments not only use typewriters for documents, they don't use network storage, either.
A little cold weather didn't deter First Nighters from enjoying the traditional parade down Boylston Street tonight.
Marchers wished watchers a happy new year; some threw glow sticks or applied reflective stickers to the faces of little kids:
What would a parade be without dragons?
About 100 Black Lives Matter protesters held a die-in at 5 p.m. in Copley Square, on the Dartmouth side of the BPL.
The peaceful protest, watched over by a large contingent of Boston Police, did not interrupt First Night activities, including the parade, which started well after the protest concluded.
Louise Miller took in the ice sculptures in Copley Square this morning.
T schedules (free after 8 p.m.)
First Night Against Police Violence die in planned for 5 p.m. in Copley Square.
Dan Meade went to Patti Smith's First Night show.
Copyright Dan Meade. Posted in the Universal Hub pool on Flickr.
Boston Police report a generally peaceful First Night in the Back Bay and downtown, with four exceptions:
A guy from Upton was arrested at the Boylston Street Uno's around 6:20 p.m., when, upset at the restaurant's bag checking, declared he had "bombs" in his bag and then, when told by arriving Boston officers to stop making an ass out of himself or he'd be arrested, only started yelling louder and after that, when officers tried to cuff him, pulled out a knife.
Brian D'Amico ambled around the Back Bay and the Common during First Night tonight.
Copyright Brian D'Amico. Posted in the Universal Hub pool on Flickr.
Leslee watched a First Night ice sculptor at work at the Prudential Center last night.
Posted under this Creative Commons license and in the Universal Hub pool on Flickr.
The Globe reports a local foundation says the local tradition will not die on its watch.
First Night Boston, the organization, folded in June.
State Rep. Marty Walsh says that as mayor, he'd make sure Bostonians have a place to go on New Year's Eve that doesn't involve getting packed into a bar:
Boston invented First Night. We are famous for it. Other people copied it. It would be a tragedy if it ceased to exist.
Gone.
Just in from the organizers of our iconic celebration:
The Board of Directors of First Night Boston announced today that the agency does not currently have the funds to continue planning First Night Boston 2014, which should take place on December 31, 2013. The board of directors voted to cease operations for the private non-profit organization that was founded in 1976 and has produced 37 First Night festivals. First Night Boston 2014 would have been the 38th edition of the event.
The Board cites declining foundation and sponsorship dollars as the main reason First Night would not be able to raise the funds necessary to produce this year’s event. First Night will lay off staff and close its offices on June 30, 2013. This will mean the loss of three full-time positions, one part-time position, six year-round contractor positions and various seasonal contract festival production positions. First Night does have a small reserve, and will be able to pay its bills before closing its doors.
The Board of First Night hopes to transfer the First Night Boston trademark to the City of Boston. The Board, recognizing that First Night is one of the City’s signature events, plans to work with the City to identify an organization that can assume the First Night brand and eventually produce an event containing at least some of the elements of a First Night celebration.
No doubt there's an excellent reason why the people putting on tonight's family fireworks at 7 p.m. on the Common didn't want First Night to include information about them in their schedule or even answer questions about them, so just because I can't think of what that reason might be doesn't mean it's not perfectly sane and reasonable.
Matthew Cote videoed today's demolition of one of the melting Boston Common ice sculptures:
First Night ice sculpture, melting in Copley Square, and a bird checking out people watching the Grand Procession down Boylston:
They unloaded an icy pharaoh at Copley Square today. And it looks like the king's put on some weight: Took four guys to get him out of the truck for the same display:
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