Best Family Events At First Night Boston 2012
See Also:
First Night Daytime Events
First Night Nighttime Events
First Night Must-See Artists
First Night Ice Sculpture Guide
Ice Sculptures
Boston Common, Copley Square
All day
Of course First Night is known for ice sculptures, and there will be five this year: three on Boston Common and two at Copley Square. Work begins on the sculptures in the days leading up to First Night, with the schedule depending on the weather. Work will continue on the sculptures right through Dec. 31, and they will be lit at night.
Face Painting
FedEx Family Festival
Hynes Convention Center, Hall C
1p.m. to 6 p.m.
Imaginations run wild! A small army of face painters will be on hand at the FedEx Family Festival, to transform little faces into works of art. Don't be surprised to see butterflies, tigers, flowers and more.
The Music of Ellis Paul
FedEx Family Festival
Hynes Convention Center, Auditorium
3:30 p.m. and 4:45 p.m.
Ellis Paul is one of the leading voices in American songwriting, emerging from the Boston folk scene. He has bridged the gulf between the modern folk sound and the populist traditions of Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger and his songs regularly appear in hit movie and TV soundtracks.
For this concert, Ellis will perform songs from his award winning children's album, The Dragonfly Races. The songs from this album are written in true to form Ellis Paul style of compelling lyrics and witty story telling. Ellis and his music are a FedEx Family Festival favorite.
Maximum Velocity
FedEx Family Festival
Hynes Convention Center, Hall D
1:15 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4:45 p.m.
This professional stunt team founded in 1995 and always a First Night favorite, features the hottest riders and skaters performing X–ups and 360's over ramps, and undertakers and pelironis on flatland. Sound dizzying? It is! MV combines the thrills of freestyle bicycle stunts with the daredevil antics of the emerging extremists of in-line skating. They perform all over the country, at festivals, fairs, half-time shows and monster truck rallies.
The Grand Procession
Boylston Street
5:30 p.m.
The Grand Procession has been the heart of the First Night celebration since the beginning in 1976. Over the Horizon, First Night's 36th anniversary Grand Procession, will be led by different pieces from the Back Alley Puppet Theatre and Puppeteers Cooperative, whose founders have participated in all 36 First Nights in Boston.
Participants include Boston City Band; Caribbean Bandleaders; Codman Academy; Common Art; Curley K-8 Elementary School; The Cycling Murrays; Dinoman!; Franklin Field, Franklin Hill Dorchester "Healthy Boston"; Geometric Progression; The Greater Boston Chinese Cultural Association; Grooversity; Hawthorne Youth and Community Center; Hurley K-8 Elementary School; The Hot Tamales; Joseph P. Manning Elementary School; Middlesex County 4–H Fife and Drum Corps; Nazarro Community Center; New Liberty Jazz Band; New Magnolia Jazz Band; Old Town Trolley Tours; OPENAIR Circus; Panorama Magazine; Peg Preble/Gould Microcars; Roberto Clemente 21 Dancers; The Puppeteer's Cooperative and the Back Alley Puppet Theatre; Renaissance Charter School; Samba Tremeterra; Second Line Social Aid and Pleasure Society Brass Band; Simply Circus; Spontaneous Celebrations; Thomas J. Kenny School Marching Band; and Tony Barrie Marching Band.
It begins at 5:30 p.m. in front of the Hynes Convention Center, proceeds down Boylston, turning left on Charles, and ending at Charles and Beacon Streets.
Information furnished by our partners at First Night Boston.
