Music, acrobatics and circus performances, theater shows and fireworks helped ring in the new year as thousands turned out Tuesday afternoon and evening for the 35th annual First Night Northampton.
The 12-hour event, organized by the Northampton Arts Council and PeoplesBank, kicked off at noon and continued with events at nearly 20 downtown venues, with a break for fireworks over Main Street scheduled for 6:15 p.m.
At the first performances of the day, Springfield residents Peter and Abigail Dejnak and sons Joey, 9, and Paul, 8, were headed to watch Paintbox Theatre’s hourlong audience participation-heavy rendition of Mary Poppins at Smith College’s Theatre 14.
“My mom loves Mary Poppins, but my brother hasn’t seen it yet,” said Joey Dejnak. The brothers were also excited to see the fireworks later and to watch musical performances by the A-E-I-O-Ukes and folk-rock band The Nields.
The brothers also got an unexpected turn in the spotlight. “Mary Poppins” was performed by just three actors — Linda Tardif, Myka Plunkett and Scott Braidman — who called on audience members to play roles including Jane and Michael’s parents and the house cook. For their parts, Joey was cast as a horse on a merry-go-round, which he acted out while holding a paper horse head and galloping on stage, while Paul was a French waiter in a different scene.
“We chose Mary Poppins this year … in part because we thought it has staying power,” Plunkett said. Before the start of the show, Braidman said he was particularly excited for the audience participation aspect.
At the same time and in the same building (downstairs in the Hallie Flanagan Studio Theatre), Henry the Juggler entertained families with feats like juggling pins while standing on a precarious balance board, even letting a few brave kids try it out. He also walked through the rows of audience members to find items such as purses, hats and shoes to pile on top of a crutch balanced on his nose, which got several laughs from the younger crowd.
Outside the Academy of Music, the line of people waiting to get into the 1 p.m. Show Circus Studio performance stretched down the sidewalk, nearly reaching City Hall, while Ed the Balloon Man took requests for his famous balloon creations in Pulaski Park.
Katie Wolk of Florence was waiting in line for balloons with daughters Josephine, 3, and Maya, 7. Josephine said she was going to ask Ed for a balloon tree.
Wolk estimated she’d been to First Night celebrations five or six times over the years.
“They’re most excited for the balloon animals, the circus and the live music,” Wolk said of her kids.
Inside the Academy of Music, smelling of popcorn, was a packed house, all the way up to the balcony seats. The show included a range of ages and skill levels from the group’s youth troupe, teen performance preparation and adult troupe, performing acts including climbing over each other into four-person-high human towers, juggling while balancing on rolling globes, and swinging above the stage on trapezes and ribbon acrobatics.
A brief afternoon snow flurry didn’t seem to slow the First Night festivities much as foot traffic remained heavy and events continued throughout the afternoon and evening, with other performances ranging from musical orchestras to dance showcases and a DJ spinning salsa, ending with the annual raising of the ball on top of the Hotel Northampton at midnight.