Badges & beads
Posted by: karendunnam on: December 30, 2009
Our premiere year
The first 250 folks will take home this lovely souvenir badge.
Want to help out? Volunteer at the door, and you’ll get the badge and this attractive ribbon. And the grateful appreciation of dozens of GRAND FINALE participants.
(If you run into someone wearing a PERFORMER badge, tell ‘em thanks!)
Get your beads on! Help support this event by buying a colorful HAPPY NEW YEAR necklace. $1 each, color choices.
Magical Maciek!
Posted by: karendunnam on: December 30, 2009
Born & raised in Poland, Maciek Biezunski has lived in the US for 17 years. He has performed professionally in hundreds of shows & community events, connecting with his audience through display of unique magic. He’s been called “the master of magical engagement” as he shares more and more magic to happen not in his hands but of those who are in the audience.
Sit up close and become a part of the act! 9:30 pm in Merriman Hall
Strolling performers
Posted by: karendunnam on: December 30, 2009
We’re blessed with a couple of street performers who will be wandering the halls of Park Church.
If you’ve gone to a big event at the arena downtown, you’ll have seen and heard Michael Korman, symphony violinist, on the sidewalk outside.
“I have played cruise ships with an accordionist, parties and weddings with my guitarist. Studied violin with professor Voldemars Rushevics of Kalamazoo College. In 1982 I played Carnegie Hall. Actually I was busking as a street musician around NYC and it was IN FRONT OF Carnegie Hall.”
(Stuffy-looking picture. Mike is a funny, funny guy.)
Balloon dancing…huh? Little Nell writes, “I syncopate swift balloon sculpture with improvisational dance and rare recordings of early jazz. With vaudevillean flair and a nurturing way, I seek to enchant children and adults alike, and lull them into a time and place of love, joy, silliness, and generosity of spirit.”
Catlin Hill Lancaster has performed on the streets of New York, Paris, Montreal, Quebec, Seattle, San Fransisco, and Missoula, Mont. A veteran of “first night” events, she recently moved to Grand Rapids.
Performance schedule
Posted by: karendunnam on: December 30, 2009
(Click the image to view full size)
Performances subject to Michigan winter, travel conditions, traffic, and other situations over which we have not much control. Please bear with us!
Sing-along songs in Spindler Hall
Posted by: karendunnam on: December 24, 2009
Tom DeVries plays guitar and harmonica with many string bands, including the Detour Brothers, Sometimes Fiddle Band, Hopping Hammers Strings Band, Hill People, Beats Sitting Home. the Blue Water Ramblers, and the Missing Lynx.
Tom at One Trick Pony
He’ll perform Wheatland-type music — traditional folk songs, campfire tunes, cowboy ballads, and more! 8:45 pm and 10:15 pm.
Reserve your admission badge!
Posted by: karendunnam on: December 21, 2009
General admission is $10 per person, or $25 for a family of four (adults and kids). Clicking the button will take you to Paypal. You can put it on plastic, or access funds from your bank account.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please print a copy of your completed transaction, and bring with you to Park Church. (Entrance on Ransom Street, across from St Cecilia’s)
Want to help out? Volunteers are most welcome. Shoot me an e-mail, or call for details.
Rollicking ragtime piano
Posted by: karendunnam on: December 17, 2009
Chuck Brower’s ragtime piano
with a sousaphone player he found on Craigslist
8:00 and 9:30 pm in Spindler Hall
Mat Emerick, mime & clown
Posted by: karendunnam on: December 17, 2009
Here’s some of the fun Mat creates.
8:45 pm and 10:15 pm in Merriman Hall.
Mat will be doing mime, clowning, a little juggling, a little storytelling (yes, he can talk!), and story-showing. Sit up close, and he might use you in the act!
Here it comes!
Posted by: karendunnam on: December 16, 2009
One venue, two stages, three hours, nine performers, and ten shows. Cozy, contained, inaugural event.
Linkfest: “first nights” elsewhere
Posted by: karendunnam on: November 6, 2009
Last year’s huge crowd for the ball drop event, downtown GR
Viewer comments:
“i was there!
it was amazing!
there was so many people there!
you had to wait inline at the bathroom like like an hour!
and everyone was wasted!
ahaa, great expericence”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
First Night(r) is slightly different. “A Community Celebration of the New Year through the Arts,” it started in Boston in 1976. It’s an all-ages drop-in event. Typically it’s held in a small geographic area using church social halls and sanctuaries as performance spaces. (The churches supply refreshments at a low price, and use this as a fund-raiser.) Here’s one website: http://www.firstnight.com/welcome.php
Performers typically include small and unique performance groups, with an emphasis on audience participation. Ventriloquists, magicians, comics, yo-yo masters, clowns… vocal groups, folk singers, jazz combos…string bands, contra dancing…face-painting, make & take projects, interesting displays…think Festival of the Arts, but it’s all indoors for a few hours on NYEve.
~~~~~~~~~
One of the longest-running events is right down the highway in Kalamazoo. http://newyearsfest.com/
From their website: Welcome to New Year’s Fest – a performing arts celebration in downtown Kalamazoo. …provides 28 different entertainers who perform inside 9 buildings surrounding Bronson Park. … Admission is through a button that allows entry to all venues including a heated tent … Admission buttons are $5.00 and children 3 and under are free. …
There are many ways for you to be involved in New Year’s Fest. If you are a tuba player join Tuba New Year … Volunteers are needed for this event. … Volunteers receive a free long-sleeved t-shirt and an admission button. Volunteer shifts are 2 hours.
Feedback from Kalamazoo
“It’s our biggest fund-raiser.
We have done St. Luke’s Bistro for probably about 15 years. We have always sold soup and bread bowls which has given us a good reputation at New Year’s Fest. We order our soup and decorations from GFS, our bread bowls from Mackenzie’s Bakery, and get our pop, cookies, plates, napkins, etc from Sam’s Club.
Overall costs are about 600-700 dollars and we make a profit of about 1800.00 dollars. There is usually a point person to organize the fundraiser and that person does it for about 2 years, ( I have done it for about 6.) You do need a lot of volunteers, but it is a great fundraiser!”
FYI: that was advertised, on a message board out front of the church, as HOT SOUP
~~~~~~~~~
First Night Birmingham
http://www.partnerswiththearts.org/
Cadillac
http://www.firstnightcadillac.com/
Port Huron
http://www.firstnightph.org/
Ypsilanti
http://www.ypsilanticourier.com/stories/122707/loc_20071227003.shtml
(this event ran 16 years and was cancelled for 2008; $$$)
http://blog.mlive.com/annarbornews/2007/12/new_year_jubilee_gives_familie.html
~~~~~~~~~
