Pittsburgh New Year's Eve: First Night Marks 25th Anniversary

PITTSBURGH, PA - Pittsburgh’s First Night New Year’s Eve Celebration marks its 25th anniversary this year with more than 100 different family-friendly activities.

As usual, the event will be held from 6 p.m. to midnight on Dec. 31 in the Downtown Cultural District. At more than 30 venues throughout the district, you’ll find music, dance, theater, visual art, magic and other activities.

The evening begins with fireworks at 6 p.m. on the Dollar Bank Stage, and concludes in the Future of Pittsburgh Grand Finale beginning at 11:58 p.m.
The "Future of Pittsburgh Ball" will be raised and fireworks will light up the sky when the city ushers in 2019.

The New Year’s Eve parade theme is “Black and Gold turns Silver,” to commemorate the event’s silver anniversary. The parade will feature Studio Capezzuti’s giant puppets and art cars.

The musical headliner will be Durand Jones & The Indications. The soul music quintet from Indiana will play on the Highmark Stage from 10:45 p.m. until midnight.

New to theFirst Night festivities this year will be Emerald Owl Productions Steel City Let's Glow Party at EQT Plaza, Zuzu African Acrobats on the Pittsburgh CAPA School stage and First Night Jazz Club presented by BNY Mellon in the Trust Arts Education Center.

Some activities require reservations for admission, but those that do not include Fire and Ice Plaza, Fifth Avenue place face painting and caricatures, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust visual art galleries and the Family Tent sponsored by Highmark & Allegheny Health Network at the corner of Penn Avenue and Seventh Street.

First Night admission buttons are $10 each, children 5 and younger are free. VIP tickets are available for $40.

Image via YouTube.

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