Red Bank’s First Night returns to ring in 2001
After a year off, New Year’s Eve celebration will be better than ever, organizers say
RED BANK — The Thanksgiving turkey has been gobbled, and the remains have been turned into salad or soup. The decorations have been hung, or certainly will be soon. And who knows, the election may eventually be decided.
It is not too early to think about New Year’s Eve, and Red Bank once again will be celebrating First Night.
First Night is designed as a family-friendly, alternative celebration for New Year’s Eve and offers events throughout the borough.
Headlining this year’s festivities will be Soupy Sales, the 1960s television icon known for his pie-in-the-face brand of humor.
Soupy Sales will be appearing in two shows at the Count Basie Theatre, 99 Monmouth St., at 7 and 8 p.m.
The lineup of talent also features such acts as M’Zume Rhythm Academy, Gotham City Swing, String Bean and the Stalkers, Happy Days String Band, Al Wright Unit, and the Pipes and Drums of the Atlantic Watch, as well as other acts appearing at different locations all around town.
There will be jazz, barbershop music, storytelling, poetry, magic and an animation film festival going on all evening at the former Royale Theatre on Monmouth Street.
The Paper Moon puppet theater will be presenting a full length production of the classic Sleeping Beauty at the First Baptist Fellowship Hall. There will also be a production of Nunsense by the First Avenue Playhouse as well as swing music, square dancing, and Broadway tunes.
All events are available with the purchase of a First Night button. Buttons are $10 per person for ages 3 and older. Anyone attending the events simply has to show the button at the door.
Buttons are on sale at Foodtown in Red Bank, Atlantic Highlands and Ocean Township and at Shrewsbury State Bank in Little Silver and Red Bank. First Night headquarters, located at the former Royale Theatre, 42 Monmouth St., will open Dec. 15.
Opening ceremonies will commence at the NJ Transit train station on the corner of Monmouth Street and Bridge Avenue at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 31. According to Carolyn Robertshaw, this year’s event coordinator, buses and trolleys will be running to and from all event sites throughout the community.
Transportation is included in the price of the button, Robertshaw said.
"We have created a truly pedestrian-friendly event," Robertshaw said, noting that NJ Transit will be having trains running all night.
"It’s a great way to enjoy First Night Red Bank without the hassle of parking," she said.
Broad Street will be closed to traffic from West Front to Monmouth streets and will be lined with classic cars provided by the Cruisin’ With the Oldies car club. There will also be a stage set up with a DJ, playing music throughout the evening.
At midnight, Broad Street will become a sort of mini Times Square with the dropping of the First Night ball.
The evening’s events are financed through the sale of buttons and through the sponsorship of GPU Energy, Meridian Health System, Red Bank Volvo, Shrewsbury State Bank, Murphy Style Grill, the Broadway Diner, Funk and Standard variety store and other local businesses, according to John Austin, the event’s organizer and director of the borough’s Alliance to Prevent Alcoholism and Drug Abuse.
There will also be a Kids’ First Night held at the borough’s Upper Elementary/Middle School, Branch Avenue, Austin said.
That event, according to Austin, will begin at 4 p.m. and will be for children age 12 and under. It will feature games, clowns, jugglers and other activities.
"If there is good weather, Red Bank will be the place to be this New Year’s Eve," Austin said. "Let’s pray for good weather."
The concept of First Night was first established in Boston in the early 1980s and was designed as a family-oriented night and a celebration of the arts for families and individuals.
About 180 cities worldwide conduct First Night events, according to Austin.
Red Bank has been doing it since 1994, but opted against it last year, according to Austin, because of difficulty getting entertainers and others to commit because of millennium celebrations.
"There was a lot of indecision," he said. "We agreed the signs weren’t too good, and we really wanted to protect the integrity of First Night."
This year, he said, is different with a wealth of support from local businesses and residents.
"It was unfortunate we missed last year," he said. "But we’re back and better than ever."
For more information about First Night Red Bank 2001 or to volunteer, call (732) 224-9900 or visit www.firstnightredbank.com.