First Night Calls it Quits in 2012

The organizers will be on hiatus

First Night of Maplewood and South Orange will not take place in 2012. The Board of Directors of First Night notified the town administrators that the group, "finds that it does not have sufficient volunteer resources to enable it to produce a full scale event for December 31, 2012." However, the current Board is available to help new volunteers take up the cause, organizing a family-friendly New Year's Eve event for South Orange and Maplewood. "We urge any individuals or organizations in Maplewood and/or South Orange to consider taking over this project that has provided our communities with twenty years of New Year’s Eve fun. The retiring board of directors will be available to offer their advice and experience to anyone interested in …

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Livingston Taylor Headlines First Night

New Year's Eve celebration in Maplewood/South Orange features the singer-songwriter -- and the circus!

First Night Maplewood/South Orange, the New Year’s Eve celebration, opens at 5 p.m. Saturday with clowns, jugglers, and performing mutts. Yes, you read that right. The circus is back. This year, new performers — some who worked at Big Apple — put on a new one ring circus at Maplewood Middle School in Maplewood. Because of the circus’ popularity, there will be two shows — one at 5 p.m. and one at 6:15 p.m. at Maplewood Middle School. The circus is designed for people of all ages. Also returning are Doug the Amazing Balloon Sculptor, face painting, a karate demonstration, beadmaking, and Mary Kao’s origami workshop. The doors at Maplewood Middle School, 7 Burnett Street in Maplewood, open at 4:30 p.m. A wonderful menu of food from La Vera …

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Behind the Scenes at First Night

The volunteers that make South Orange/Maplewood's annual New Year's Eve tradition happen.

They arrive around noon at the South Orange Middle School cafeteria with boxes and tubs filled with the needed supplies. Some have stayed up past midnight the night before printing out signs and some will be on site for over 12 hours. Their job is to set up everything from the decorations to the food stations to helping the performers get in and set up in time for the crowds that will start to arrive at 4:30 p.m. They are the team of volunteers that make First Night happen. "It'll get done. It'll get done." Sandra Dick, First Night board member, says to no one in particular. "Every year we wonder if we'll get it done and we do." Sandra is part of the team of volunteers that wrangle the entertainment and decorations but she also has a …

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About Town

First Night Family Fun

First Night moves to South Orange Middle School this New Year's Eve

If  you've ever thought of running away to join the circus, you can get a chance to see what circus performing is like when Lisa Lou brings her Circus Workshop to First Night Maplewood/South Orange on New Year's Eve. Lisa Lou aka Lisa B. Lewis is a graduate of the Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey Clown College and has a master's degree in Clown/Circus history from New York University. She returns to First Night with  "Lisa Lou's Circus Workshop" as well as her "Crazy Chemistry" show. Lisa Lou joins more than 20 other performers at the annual New Year's Eve event, which  will be held from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. tomorrow at South Orange Middle School. She has worked venues as diverse as King Richard's Faire, The Michigan State Fair, Rodeo …

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About Town

First Night in South Orange

It's not too early to plan for New Year's Eve; volunteers needed

This year's First Night on New Year's Eve will be at South Orange Middle School and, as usual, will be jammed-packed with entertainment for families. It will be eight hours of storytelling, crafts, hip hop, folk music, drama, comedy and dancing, as well as more than 20 performers, including a ventriloquist, a subway musician, a balloon sculptor, a magician, a puppet theater and a "crazy chemical show,"  said Connie Cosgrove , president of First Night's Executive Committee. First Night starts at 3 p.m. and ends at 11 p.m., with fireworks going off at 6:30 p.m.  The Committee is looking for volunteers. According to its website, you can volunteer for an hour or two helping with crafts, origami, food service, decorations or hosting the …

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