First Night®
Greater Grand Forks is a New Year’s Eve arts, cultural, and entertainment
festival for everyone. Held every year since 1994, we provide several
entertainment options on various stages throughout downtown Grand Forks and
East Grand Forks. These stages come alive with musicians, dancers, artists,
magicians, jugglers, and comedians. In addition to the entertainment stages,
the event includes an ice garden where sculptors have carved intricate designs
in ice to create magnificent works of art, a children’s hands-on crafts and
activity area, and fireworks at midnight to top off our celebration.
First Night® Greater Grand Forks showcases a variety of regional
talent, both well known and obscure. Performances are held in venues
throughout downtown Grand Forks and East Grand Forks. Shuttle buses run
continuously to all sites throughout the evening. With the purchase of an
admission button, a wide variety of entertainment can be enjoyed all evening
ending with a dazzling display of fireworks marking the beginning of the First
Night® of the New Year.
Friends of First Night® Greater Grand Forks is
a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. Our festival is alcohol-free and open to
everyone. Because so many families choose to celebrate New Year’s Eve
together, we strive to maintain a high quality event that is affordable to
all. In order to achieve a low admission price, we seek the majority of our
funding from businesses, civic organizations, and local
government who provide financial donations, in-kind donations, grants, and
volunteer support. In-kind assistance is donated by local government,
businesses, and individuals in the form of office space, site space,
equipment, materials, and employee time. First Night® Greater
Grand Forks is only possible with community support, leadership volunteers,
and a few hundred event volunteers.
