First Night 2020 - A New Year's Eve MUST!

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It's the holiday season in Pittsburgh and things are getting heated...so to speak. Today was the Press Conference for Pittsburgh's annual #FirstNight- the celebratory New Year's festival hosted by Highmark in partnership with the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust! So listen, this year, there will be no shortage on the goodies in-store. With an entity like Highmark coupled with the theatrical class of the Trust and the creative muscle of Flyspace Productions, #FirstNight is aiming to go above and beyond. 

The lineup is officially out and can be viewed at TrustArts.org/FirstNightPGH. 

Now, what is this "First Night" concept I speak of? Well kind gentle yinzer, I'd be more than delighted to inform you. As one of the nation's largest family friendly New Year's Eve events, the night takes over the 14 blocks of dahntahn Pittsburgh's Cultural District, where you can enjoy both outdoor and indoor activities. According to this year's release though, "ninety percent of programming [takes] place inside theaters, galleries and event spaces." No worries though, there will still be plenty to do outside, like enjoy Prismatica by Creos in the Trust Oasis Space, which will be filled with kaleidoscope-like prisms, reflecting light as they rotate and set the space aglow. Warming and charging stations will be available so the fun goers (and their phone batteries) do not grow too cold during the merriment. Additionally, there will be spaces where hot chocolate is served for your on the go pleasure!

The night kicks off 6pm at the Dollar Bank Stage for the Dollar Bank Children's Fireworks, and it leads up to the raising of the "Future of Pittsburgh Ball" at midnight. From there, the next six hours are jam-packed with festivities that you can either stroll up to for you and your family's personal enjoyment or that require prior seat reservations, as space is limited in each time slot. Reservations work on a first-come, first-served basis, so you can get yours starting today! Tickets are $10, while children five and under are absolutely free! There is also a First Night Friend VIP pass for $40 that provides priority access to seating, parking, a private lounge sponsored by Citizens Bank and more! Purchase of admission gives you an "Admission Button," which you pin to yourself for the remainder of the night. 

Locations include the August Wilson Center, Byham Theater, Fairmont Pittsburgh, 707 Penn Gallery, Arcade Comedy Theater, the Trust's newest "Liberty Avenue Magic Theater," Fire & Ice Plaza, First Presbyterian Church, Heinz Hall, Fifth Avenue Place and so many more. There will be magic shows, comedy shows, variety acts, visual and interactive art, face painting, puppet karaoke, ice carving shows, dance and theater, dance lessons, caricatures, author panels and musical performances (with a special appearance by the Shadowboxers who opened for Justin Timberlake during his Man of the Woods Tour last year)!

You can look forward to sewing wearable, cozy sweaters from reusable products, enjoying the kickoff parade, letting your kids run themselves into a full night's sleep at the Mister Rogers themed Holiday KidsPlay Zone, create winter art with the PCA artists, laugh until you drop at the innumerable comedy shows, watch the Williams SING-OFF Competition winner perform, and be wowed by the Zuzu African Acrobats! Plus, add your art and voice to a project that seeks to reconnect us to one another and not encourage divisive behavior with physical, mental or emotional walls. The Dream Wall Project by Anna Schulinger asks you to create a tile out of the desired 12,000, that answers the question, "What is your dream for our shared future?" Shulinger seeks to create a platform of the Dream Wall and thereby fundraise organizations that "construct walls where they should be: supporting shelters, hospitals, schools and community centers." Come write your dreams in the stars! 

A deliciously additional treat to this year's line-up is the first exclusive experience of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust's brand new upcoming game-show, "Game Time!" where four pilot episodes will take place live as the final audition for the show's search for its Hosts and Gamemaster. The show is set to debut in April of 2020 and will run through to September 2020. "Inspired by nostalgic activities including mini-golf, fishing, and board games, the event will bring recently popularized challenges like escape rooms and bar trivia to a new level by adding an audience, team-based competition, and the chance to win a grand prize. Featuring a soundscape by DJ Inception, an inflatable pool, pink pirate ships, a hamster cage, and a large rubber duck, Game Time!'s lineup of games promises an unprecedented and unparalleled opportunity for physical activity, competition, and fun in the Cultural District."

Fun, adventure, excitement, thrills, culture, memories and a bang to the end of your year awaits you. Find out more on TrustArts.org/FirstNightPGH.

First Night 2020!