Missoula's 21st annual New Year's Eve celebration of the arts is coming!

The Missoula Cultural Council is preparing for the twenty-first annual New Year’s Eve community-wide, alcohol-free celebration of the arts.  First Night 2015 will showcase 80 performances and activities in more than 30 venues throughout downtown Missoula, the University of Montana campus and Southgate Mall from 12:00 noon until midnight on December 31, 2014.   Music, theatre, dance, children’s programs, visual arts, and more highlight this magical day-long event.  The festival promises something for everyone, and includes free shuttle service for all participants provided by Beach Transportation.  Admission buttons are $15 in advance ($18 on December 31), with children ages 7 and under free, and starting in December will be available on line at www.missoulacultural.org/firstnight and at over 20 locations throughout Missoula and in the Bitterroot Valley. Volunteer and get a free button by calling 541-0860.

Special events include the Children’s Parade of Hats at Southgate Mall at 1:00 p.m. (come any time after 12:00 noon, and the Mall will provide masks and decorations); Ice Carvings on the Courthouse Lawn; Rocky Mountain Ballet Theatre, Dublin Gulch, The Celtic Dragon Pipe Band, Salsa Loca, the John Floridis Trio, Tom Catmull & Radio Static, the First Night Spotlight High School talent competition, and the Grand Finale at the University Center with a choice the Ed Norton Big Band and the Drum Brothers.

First Night Missoula is a production of the Missoula Cultural Council, connecting Art, Culture and Community through Education, Advocacy and Celebration, serves as a resource for the coordination, development and support of art and culture for the benefit of the Missoula community.  Visit www.missoulacultural.org.

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