Delray Beach First Night

2008 marks the tenth anniversary of Delray Beach, Florida's First Night New Year's Eve Celebration. This year's celebration takes place on Monday, December 31^st 2007 from 4 PM to midnight.

First Night buttons, which gain you access to all the evenings events, can be purchased in advance for $10 each. Buttons purchased on New Year's Eve cost $15 each. Even if you decide not to purchase a button, many of the nights entertainment can still be enjoyed throughout the downtown Delray Beach area.

Family Friendly Fun

Enjoy a family oriented New Year's Eve celebration including a variety of games, crafts, parades, entertainment, food and more. To make sure this is a family friendly event, alcoholic beverages and smoking are not allowed at any of the First Night venues.

For safety reasons Atlantic Avenue is closed to vehicular traffic along the First Night venue area from 2 PM to 2 AM on New Year's Eve. This makes it a safe and secure area to bring your children, toddlers and infants in strollers to as there is no worry about dodging traffic.

6 PM marks the start of the People's Procession. This is the official First Night Parade which starts from Veteran's Park and makes it way down Atlantic Avenue before ending at the Delray Beach Tennis Center.

Bobcat Ballet

The Bobcat Ballet is back this year by popular demand. The Bobcat Ballet was first performed in 2006 as part of the First Night Festivities. This event features ballet dancers performing on and around a bobcat, which look like a mini-bulldozer. The ballet is choreographed by the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange. Three performances are scheduled in front of the Colony Hotel on Atlantic Avenue at 7, 8 and 9 PM.

Tennis Center Entertainment

9-9:30 PM marks the Children's Finale which takes place at the Delray Beach Tennis Center. This event includes games, music, food, fun and prizes for children of all ages. Small children can sometimes be overwhelmed by the lights and noise of the regular new year's eve celebration so at 9 PM they can enjoy the children's celebration. That way families with small children can still enjoy and join in the festivities but leave before the larger, crowded, noisy celebration at midnight. A small fireworks display and ball drop are part of the children's festivities.

Midnight marks the Fantastic Midnight Finale. This event features music, fireworks, giant puppet display and the ball dropping ceremony to welcome in the new year.

Additional Activities
Rock climbing wall
Bounce house
Create your own celebration crown
Miniature golf
60 foot obstacle course
Face painting
Giant legos
Paint an art car

Entertainment to Include
Giant Puppets
Skate board demonstrations

Musical Entertainers to Include
Cheryl Cavendish
Shaelaurel Family Celtic Music
Pianist Copeland Davis
James Andrews New Orleans Jazz Band

More Holiday Family Fun

Downtown Delray Beach has a multitude of holiday festivities for the entire family to enjoy. The giant carousel, Christmas tree and ice skating rink are located around the grounds of Old School Square on 51 N. Swinton Avenue. The ice skating rink hours of operation are:
Mon-Fri 6pm-10pm
Sat 12pm-10pm
Sun 12pm-9pm

The 100 foot tall Christmas tree, which was officially lit on November 29^th, contains a miniature Santa's Village inside the center of the tree. Children can also get their picture taken with Santa Claus on certain nights outside the tree.