Welcome New Year With New Things At Pittsburgh's First Night

The annual New Year’s Eve event features food, fireworks, music and more.

photos courtesy of pittsburgh cultural trust

 

With the end of the city’s bicentennial year approaching, the theme for First Night 2017 is “Pittsburgh, the Next 200 Years.”
 

Pittsburgh’s annual New Year’s Eve celebration kicks off at 6 p.m. Dec. 31 at the Highmark Stage on Stanwix Street with Zambelli fireworks and music from the African American Boys Institute’s Jazz Lab.
 

 

The FedEx Ground Parade begins at 8 p.m. and features local marching bands, community artwork and giant puppets from Studio Capezzuti. Meet at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center to begin watching the parade toward Stanwix Street.
 

 

If parades aren’t your thing, there are other attractions – such as the Fire and Ice Plaza at Penn Avenue and 8th Street. There, you’ll see live ice carvings, fire dancers and a fire-breathing dragon.

New this year, the 3-D Live First Night Extravaganza, featuring 14 high-definition projectors to celebrate a milestone 80 years in the making — 3-D technology.

If you’re feeling artsy, you can create your own gallery crawl between the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s exhibition spaces, including 707 & 709 Penn Galleries, 937 Liberty, SPACE, Wood Street Galleries and the Lantern.

Among those scheduled to perform:
 

• The Heritage Gospel Chorale of Pittsburgh at the Dollar Bank Stage (7th Street in front of the Benedum Center)
   

• Nigel Hall Bank at the Highmark Stage (Stanwix Street)
   

• Penny Arcade and Player One at Arcade Comedy (811 Liberty Ave.)
   

• The Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School and Reed Dance II at the August Wilson Center for African American Culture,  (980 Liberty Ave.)
   

• At the Benedum, Williams Sing Off Winner will open for Johnny Angel and the Halos at the Benedum Center, (237 7th St.)
   

• Jim Donovan & Sun King Warriors at the Byham Theater, (101 6th St.)
   

You can also dance over to the August Wilson Center for a silent disco, have your tarot cards read or even take salsa dancing lessons.
 

 

Also, be sure to watch the Future of Pittsburgh Grand Finale, including the countdown to midnight, the raising of a 1,000-pound “Future of Pittsburgh” ball 150 feet above Penn Avenue Place and the traditional Zambelli fireworks show.

Admission for Highmark First Night Pittsburgh is $10 online or at the door; no charge for children under 5.

Some shows and concerts require free registration to reserve seats. Visit TrustArts.org/FirstNightPGH for more information.