Offering its usual kid-friendly music, fireworks and fun activities on New Year's Eve, First Night Hartford is also presenting a new, separate fundraising event for adults 21-and-over.
The First and Last Ball will deliver funds to boost the nonprofit that produces First Night and summer’s Hartford Bonanza, which plans a big bash for America's 250th birthday in 2026.
Held in the Bond Ballroom at 338 Asylum St., the ball will feature music from DJ Craig and Tony Ramos, appetizers, a cash bar, champagne at midnight and a great view of those fireworks.
“They have this beautiful penthouse ballroom that overlooks the park (Bushnell) and the state Capitol and essentially overlooks the fireworks,” says Jeff Devereux, event director for First Night. “It’s a bit different than our normal activities, which are very ‘something for everybody’ and this is something a little bit elevated, something a little bit more glamorous for folks who are looking for something a little extra special for New Year’s.”
Tickets for the ball are $125. each. They’re available at firstnighthartford.org.
First Night’s outdoor activities are free. You’ll need a button for entry to the day’s extensive indoor activities. They’re $15 for adults and $5 for kids, also available at the First Night Hartford website and locations including Highland Park Markets and Union Station.
Fireworks launch at 6 pm and midnight. The Mainstage at Bushnell Park will feature artists including New Haven’s Grammy-winning The Rahsaan Langley Project and local indie band Indigo Folly. The music starts at 4 pm with a performance by the Academy Modern Band from the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts.
Afternoon activities for families include “Make your own castanets!” plus an America’s 250th Birthday Kick-off at the Old State House, kids’ drumming at Black Eyed Sally’s, ornament making at City Hall and a storybook reading of Growing Up in Frog Hollow by Lynn Davis at Hartford Prints! gift shop.
There are improv comedy shows at Sea Tea Comedy Theater at 7, 8, 9 and 10 pm and even a “silent disco” at the Hartford Public Library on Main St. from 8:30-11:30 pm.
Families are encouraged to join the People’s Parade, led by a brass band, which steps off at 5:30 pm from the corner of Pratt and Main streets, arriving at the Mainstage in time for the 6 pm fireworks.
“Tons of fun for everybody,” says Devereux. “Really something for everybody this year, which we’re very excited about.”